Manage your Pocket-Budget life and live stress free.

In our daily life, many of us want and need things we can barely afford to have, and it gets even more critical during hard economic times. So it is important we set our priorities well to maintain our financial balance in this recession as well as reduce the stress that arise from poor money management. First thing, I would like you to know is that a want or need have different meaning and urge when we desire to have something.  Want is something you would like to have while Need is something you have to have.

For example, I buy & eat bananas because I need vitamins in bananas. I may buy Doulce's gabanana or Tom Hilfiger brand clothes because I want it but I don't need it. The difference in the feel of the urge that comes with the desire for a need or want differs. Want is something you desire to have, not that it is possible like a day dream but you feel or think you want it while Need on the other hand is desiring something you have to have, like you have to have drinking, cooking, bathing water and warmth plus shelter and food.

Does that mean that you should only buy the things that you need? Not at all. Life is meant to be expressed and lived, not survived. Treat yourself to some wants along the way, but do so when you can afford to, and enjoy those wants as the extras that they are.

Sometimes we get in the store and see things we would like to have or try and we set ourselves loose in the store, picking up things we won’t use with every excuse just because it’s fanciful or has a celebrity drawn on it saying lose pounds now

You say I want cashews and popcorn, you know you will eat it because it nourishing food, so mark it as a need but then you add a $100 awful bag, $60 hat, $200 shoe knowing very well you are using a credit card and have more than 20 shoes you don’t wear often, so what makes this shoe different from the once you already own, if you buy this what will it cost you, that is a priority (more important or close to deadline) on your bill budget?  Considering most people are working minimum wage jobs or layoff/unemployed. Tally up the damage caused by a few justifications like these, and suddenly you've spent far more than you intended without knowing where your next income will come from or know that you’re maxing out your credit.

Now, let’s say you know you have bills to pay but you didn’t keep track of your bank account fees piling at each insufficient card swap, do you have the fix for that mistake and what will you do to prevent future fees.  Whether you are a student or a working adult, the tips for saving money stays revised and effective. First thing you would want to do, is take notes of what your main needs are before spending your money.

Spending less is one of the hardest money-management moves to make because most of us enjoy buying things and find it difficult to break habits, like that daily Starbucks frapping Cappuccino or the weekly Chinese restaurant splurge.  Make a conscious choice on a daily to trim your spending. Write down everything you spend each day, for a week. Then total up the categories (food, clothes, entertainment, transportation, etc.) and see how you can squeeze 5 or 10 percent out of those totals.

Curtail your spending to your budget, means don’t be stingy to yourself but be wise in your spending. If you work two different jobs to survive, buying every new thing you touch that you like is not wise.  When people stress about not having money or having trouble paying their bills but every minute you see them, they are buying a pack of cigarette or some thing they don’t need like buying dinner wares they're saving for their future children when they have none yet.  Seek you first your priority and everything else shall be added unto you, is true......helping yourself help you. Does that mean that you should only buy the things that you need? No. Life is meant to be lived, not survived. Treat yourself to some wants along the way, but do so when you can afford to, and enjoy those wants as the extras that they are.

That's how you manage to live according to your means. In actuality, you only need four things to survive:
A roof over your head with your basic amenities.
Enough food and water to maintain your health Basic health care and hygiene products
Clothing (just what you need to remain comfortable and appropriately dressed)
Communication means---cell phone and transportation means.

For you and your loved one; everything else after this--- a big mansion with acres of free land, name-brand clothes, fancy foods and drinks, a new car – is a want.

Another thing you could do is buy more raw food and eat less processed and cooked food, like incorporating fruits, vitamins, nuts, whole grain organic bread, and super food to gain the most nutrient for energy daily.

Pay your bills on time and pay down credit card debt. In a recession, you really need to make every penny work for you. If you can reduce your credit card debt now, you will be in a better shape in-case times gets tougher in the future. Whenever possible, try to pay off your card balance in full each month. Certainly, work hard to pay more than the minimum. Keep an update on your bills before its due, you will scotch free from the fees attached to delinquent bills.

Finally, keep a saving or emergency tips for those unanticipated rainy days and keep in mind people get lay offs all the time so save up and invest in life insurance, asset or some type of mutual funds  while you can.

Note: A good budget can help keep your spending on track and even uncover some hidden cash flow problems that might free up even more money to put toward your other financial goals.

 Keep your life light and your budget Realistic.

"One of the biggest budget killers is unrealistic expectations. If you set your sights too high, you only become discouraged when you fail to reach them. While it is admirable to try and accomplish great things, you need to set goals that are challenging, yet realistic.
One way to do this is to start fairly small with short time frames---short term goals. If you create smaller bite-sized goals over the coming months, you can see how likely you are to accomplish them, then, build upon those goals to set your sights a little higher. This is not only a great way to stay motivated, but it also helps keep your goals manageable".


TAKE NOTE: Long-term goals can be stressful to the mind when you don't have a means to achieving it, to make your life easier, set more short term goals that will drive you along the same path or toward your main goal. All talk and no work is no good, so get to work--saving by spending less. Tell your self you can do it but don't ever underestimate anything even if it is the easiest thing, don't stress it, experience is the best teacher.

Author:

Onyinye A is a freelance writer who specializes in nontoxic self improvement, green & Eco-friendly living, nontoxic lifestyle (preventing cancer, illness and toxicity) and everything related to organic living. Her work has been published by nontoxiclifestyle.org, Ezine.com, and other online and print publications.