Practice 跨文化交际入门 (5).pdf

There’s a misconception that to be good with money, you need a lot of it. Not true. What you need to be “good” with money is every day management. Whether you ’re planning for yourself or for your whole family, there are three basic steps you can take to make the most of your money: One: create a budget. Two: set savings goals. And three: tackle your debts. When put into practice, these steps can have a big impact not only on your monthly budget but on your overall financial future. One of the first steps to better money management is to create a budget and stick to it. This might sound simple, but you ’d be surprised how few people actually do it. You can think of your budget as your guide to reaching your financial and personal goals. If you have trouble covering all your expenses each month, a budget can help you avoid overspending. That ’s because your budget can help you see and understand exactly where your money is going… And whether or not your spending is in line with your personal goals. The next step is to set savings goals. With your budget in place, building your savings will be that much easier because you’ll know how much extra money you have each month to allot to your goals. One of the best savings goals to start with is an emergency fund. Building up an emergency fund to help cover unexpected expenses like a sudden medical bill, major home or car repair, or even a job loss can help you avoid going into debt when life throws you a curve ball—which it will. Instead of borrowing money to cover these emergencies, you’ll already have the money saved up and this could end up saving you a lot more money in the long run, Start by building up three months worth of expenses as a goal. Once you’ve established an Emergency Fund, and are living within your budget, you can then figure out some long-term savings goals. Whether you decide to plan for your retirement