10 Steps to Make Your Money Last a Lifetime


Financial Investment, Insurance Plans, and More

Copyright © 2012 Angelina J.; all Rights Reserved; Posted November 27, 2012

An assortment of Euro coins and notes; photo courtesy da Bruger Twid

 


Money is essential for our survival in this constantly inflating economy. Having a significant amount of money in your hands is just not enough. You should also be rational when it comes to spending that money.

Apart from spending on necessities, people do need to spend on other entertainment activities as well. However, it would be sensible for an individual not to spend excessively on things that can be avoided.

Whether you are careful or not, there will be times when you will feel as if you have no money left to spend on luxuries or maybe even necessities. This happens if you incur expenditures without planning properly.

In order to avoid such a situation, there are certain techniques that you can incorporate in your life to make your money last a lifetime. Amongst them, the best 10 steps are mentioned below:

  1. Evaluate Your Spending.

    The first thing you should do before starting to incur expenses in any month is to evaluate your spending for the previous month.

    This way you will be able to cut back on unnecessary expenses that can be avoided and increase your savings for the future. For this you can even use the money tracking services provided by most banks.

  2. Estimate a Figure You Wish To Save.

    Using a retirement calculator, estimate the amount you would want to save before you reach retirement. For starters, multiply your annual current salary by twelve.

    This will give you a rough idea on the amount you should aim to save for your retirement and how to achieve it. For example, by working extra hours, cutting down and saving more, etc.

  3. Research Your Investment Fees.

    Keep a check on the investment fees that are being paid from your retirement account. Also, check whether there are some sensible alternate sources of funds in the market that charge a lower fee and whether you can use them to save more on the investment fees.

    Try to look up for expenditures where it is possible to save more. For example, on-line broker services such as Ameritrade charge per trade but active traders enjoy their advanced on-line tools.

    For the more casual investor, a better choice might be a service like BuyAndHold, a simple monthly fee is charged for a limited number of trades. This is a DRIP (Direct Reinvestment) brokerage, meaning that dividends are automatically invested in more shares (or fractions of shares).

  4. Take Benefit of the Tax Breaks.

    There are certain retirement savings accounts, for example, IRAs and 401(k)s that offer you a range of tax advantages.

    These tax advantages may include certain breaks. Keep a check on the employee benefits policies of your organization to see if there are any benefits you are not currently taking advantage of. Little savings add up over time.

  5. Examine Your Lifestyle Expenditures.

    Analyze the expenditures you expend on things other than necessities. Then, think of ways in which you may reduce this expenditure and adopt an economical lifestyle in order to save more.

    You can save here to pay off any loans you have currently undertaken or you can get debt settlement services from an expert. For this obviously they will charge a fee.

  6. Get an Insurance Plan.

    Having a significant life insurance policy or plan in place is essential if you have family members that are dependent on your income. This will ensure their financial safety in unforeseen circumstances.

  7. Reduce the Level of Debt.

    It’s not only the US government that turns a blind eye to outstanding debt; individuals do it as well. Reduce the amount of debt you undertake, especially the ones that have a high interest rate.

    Do not ignore them thinking you will pay them off later. The amount may not be the same at that time as debt tends to accumulate over time. Make an aggressive plan today to deal with the debts you have or make use of the favorable debt settlement services that are provided by the experts.

  8. Opt for a Pension Alternative.

    You should investigate whether having an annuity in place would benefit you with increased financial security in unforeseen circumstances and into the future.

    Even if you don’t have a pension policy, you may be able to benefit from the stable payouts provided by these annuities.

  9. Continue Working after Your Retirement.

    Look for possibilities to continue working even after you’ve retired whether or not the work is related to your current field.

    Draft a plan that can help you in achieving this, for example, more certifications or training, and continuing to earn after your retirement. For example, freelance writing for a website such as this on can provide an additional stream of income.

  10. Avoid Scams.

    Be careful of the scams and avoid offers that may seem tempting but are obviously too good to be true. Also, make sure not to share any of your personal information, such as the Social Security number, with strangers who may take unfair advantage of you.

    It is becoming more and more important to protect yourself with an identity theft prevention service such as LifeLock for identity protection.

In this inflation-hit economy, it is wise for individuals to plan their expenditure before actually incurring expenses. This way they will be able to cope up with the increased prices of various commodities and hence expenses and yet manage to continue saving.

About the Author:

Angelina J. provides expert opinion on the various debt settlement problems individuals face during their lives. She realizes the impact this can have on their expenditure patterns and the economy overall. For this reason, she recommends that the information at consolidatedcredit.org can easily helps those looking for a debt management program or other advice.

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