In the words of money guru Dave Ramsey, “Normal is broke. If you don’t want to be broke, you’ve got to do some weird stuff.” Even if you make a lot of money, you could still be cash poor. Most Americans do not have more than $1,000 saved in case of emergency, and far too many people are just one missed paycheck away from bankruptcy.
So, how can we fix that? If you are broke all the time, you’re probably wondering how other people manage to have money left over each month, even when they earn as much as you do. Here are 30 ideas to help you stop being broke for good.
30. Do The Math
One of the biggest mistakes people make with their money is that they think about their budget in their head without actually writing it down. This happens a lot when people get a promotion at work, and they start to make more money. Instead of assuming that you can afford a new monthly payment on something, write down an actual budget on a piece of paper or in a Word document. Remember to give yourself some savings. Once you see all of your monthly expenses, you might realize that you do not have as much as you thought.
To some of you, this might sound like common sense. However, most people who end up in bankruptcy are there because they never stopped to plan a budget. If you continue to live your life spending money in the moment, you’ll end up broke in the end.