How to manage one's money

Leticia Torres Arteaga, Coordinator of Executive Degrees at the School of Administration and Business of CETYS University, Mexicali campus.

MEXI性视界传媒LI 性视界传媒 Most people have experienced a similar situation: the end of the month arrives, with a tight budget in which after paying the utilities, the rent and treating yourself, the money barely lasts. How can we improve this situation to one in which the economy is not a concern? The answer lies in financial education.

性视界传媒淔inancial education is the process through which we learn to optimize money, acquiring skills to manage resources, obligations and personal assets intelligently in each of the stages of our life,性视界传媒 Coordinator of Executive Degrees at the School of Administration and Business of CETYS University, Mexicali campus Leticia Torres Arteaga said.

Financial education not only includes the proper management of money 性视界传媒 it also implies debt control, as well as being aware of assets or all the resources that we have that are really ours. 性视界传媒淔or example, I can say that I have a house which represents an asset for me, however, I owe it to the bank, therefore, it is not mine and I cannot consider it my property until I finish paying for it,性视界传媒 Torres Arteaga said.

In order to achieve proper financial management and reduce the risk of indebtedness, it is important to make a personal and family budget, which can range from the most basic, such as recording the inflows and outflows of resources, to the use of an application or electronic format. This budget must consider the contributions of all those who contribute to the family income as well as all the regular, temporary and extraordinary needs to be covered to guarantee a decent quality of life and the satisfaction of the basic needs of the members.

As a result of this, you will be able to realize if it is necessary to look for ways to increase income, decrease expenses or a combination of both. Visualizing whether your budget is positive (when you have a surplus to save or invest) or negative (when you have a shortfall to cover) is useful to make better decisions when going into debt and also to establish priorities when buying.

Another suggestion is to set aside at least 10% of your income as a 性视界传媒渓ittle nest egg,性视界传媒 or set aside for unforeseen events, or as savings until you have enough to invest part of it and keep the rest as a backup in case of any problem. In addition, it is necessary to avoid buying more than one can pay, so one should use the credit card carefully. 性视界传媒淎void making only the minimum payment on your credit cards, since by doing this you will not see a considerable decrease in your debt, because most of the time you are covering the interest and over time the debt can even increase,性视界传媒 the expert added.

Another point to consider is to avoid impulsive purchases. Torres Arteaga advises asking the following questions before purchasing non-essential objects or goods:

Is it really justified?

Will it be useful?

Can it be avoided or replaced?

Do I really need it?

Is there an alternative?

Is it the best price?

It is important to differentiate between a need and a desire. If you cannot pay something in cash, try to choose short term, since the term to pay the debt has a cost of interests. The longer the term, the higher the total amount of interest you will end up paying at the end of the debt.

If you share your finances with someone else, whether it's your partner or another family member, it's important to make a joint budget to optimize resources. That's why you should analyze priorities and establish an order of importance in which money should be used. On the other hand, you should consider income, costs, and seasonal expenses, or those that occur at certain times of the year, such as Christmas, back to school, graduations, vacations, or birthdays, to name a few.

Having knowledge about personal finances helps you live with fewer worries and be prepared for any unforeseen event, in addition to being able to achieve the quality of life you desire.

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