You wait until the end of the month to check your balance. You stare at the single digits and regret all of the happy hours and Amazon purchases. You’re not alone. Nearly 80 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a 2017 report by CareerBuilder.
Avoid the anxiety of managing your finances with these tips.
Open a Secondary Account
You have a ride or die checking account. It’s the only bank account with your name on it. It’s where your paycheck lands every two weeks. It’s how you pay for rent, groceries, gas, insurance, and more. Excellent but not enough. To successfully manage money, you need at least two accounts; one for checking and one for savings. Your checking account is for spending. Your savings account is for putting money aside for future use.
Pay Yourself First
Every month you pay your most important bills. Now, add a new bill to pay to yourself. How much are you worth? Don’t be cheap. Fifty dollars is a great place to start. If you can’t afford to pay yourself fifty dollars a month, you need to take a hard look at where your money is going. Trim the fat. Every month, schedule an automatic transfer for fifty dollars to go from your checking account into your savings account. Boom, you are now successfully managing your money.
Use Bill Pay
Avoid having to remember twenty-five passwords. Log into Andrews Federal Online Banking and pay all of your bills from one place. On the first of every month, set a reminder on your smartphone to log in and pay bills. Your personal information will stay safe and secure. Plus, you’ll never miss another due date again. Now that you have cold hard cash in your savings account, and a simple way to pay all of your bills, kick-back, relax, and enjoy life.