Bringing home the bacon is just the beginning – what you do with it matters, too.
Split and Save
One of the first things that you should do when you get your paycheck, is put some in a savings account. That’s one of the most crucial pieces of credit counseling advice we can give. Many Americans have no savings at all. If you run into a medical emergency, loss of income, or job loss, you should have enough cash to for six months of expenses. How do you do this? First, you can split up the check: half in a checking, half in savings. A second option is a 50-30-20 rule. When you save and budget, make sure you have 50% of your post-tax income reserved for needs (food, home, car, etc.), 30% for wants (hobbies, shopping, dining) and the remainder can be put towards saving. Doing so helps you prioritize what you should and shouldn’t spend money on.
Cut out the Pork
We buy things that we regret later in life. Some of these things are just straight up useless (even dangerous). One of the biggest things that steal your “bacon” is tobacco products. Tobacco products cause a financial toll as well as a health toll. Smoking one pack a day costs $2,000 annually. Chewing tobacco ($2 a pouch) will cost $700 a year. Also, consider cutting back on fast food. Fast food meals cost around $5.00-$7.00, but cooking at home costs $1.30-$3.00 per person.
Bringing Home the Bacon Conclusion
For many of us, we won’t see a significant income increase at our job. This means we have to do our best with what we have. It might not be fun to create a budget and save for a rainy day, but when the rain comes, you must be prepared!
If you’re struggling to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session today.
