Be Financially Fit
To be financially fit, shift your money mindset and set goals for yourself and your family. Manage and prioritize your spending and create sustainable habits to last your lifetime and pass those along to future generations.
The basic components of financial fitness
- Spend – to spend wisely, you should have a budget. A budget can help you improve your spending habits.
- Save – life can make saving difficult at times. In general, try to aim to save a minimum of 10% of your monthly income. If that is not feasible with where you’re at in life right now, save what you can.
- Borrow – try to keep your debt less than 15% of your income (excluding mortgage). If you’ve got credit card debt, pay it down as soon as you can.
- Plan – Ask yourself where you see yourself financially in five years and where you’d like to be? Planning helps you create a healthy financial future.
To improve your financial fitness, play your bills on time and in full if you can. Set realistic payment amounts and timeframes for paying off debt. Save for the unexpected and for your long-term goals. Be sure to allocate a portion of your monthly budget to fun and entertainment – it’ll help you stay on track!
To be financially fit, balance your income and expenses, stay out of debt, save for the future, and understand your emotions as they pertain to money. We always seem to make New Year’s resolutions about our health and fitness. This coming year, make financial health a priority as well.
We can help you stay financially fit. Contact us at APAdvisors.com or at 866.515.2742.
Related articles
You may not be old enough to remember this, but in the late 20th century there was a time when millions of Americans made a point of eating lunch near an AM radio—just so they wouldn’t miss the daily...
In 1973, a research firm called R. H. Bruskin Associates published a well‑known study titled American Fears. The report examined a wide range of anxieties, but one finding captured the public’s...
Money problems can create a uniquely intense kind of stress. They don’t just cause worry about paying today’s bills or anxiety about the future, they often reopen old emotional wounds and revive...