For a lot of people, the main goal in life is to achieve financial freedom. The specific goals may vary, but generally, it all boils down to financial freedom. This means having enough resources to live the lifestyle we want and also pursue any career we want without worries. However, some circumstances are hindering us from achieving this goal, whether it be the pandemic, or debt, or financial emergencies. People get into sticky situations, but these habits can help you be one step closer to achieving your goal of financial freedom.
Set Goals
Write down your goals on a planner or a binder. What does financial freedom mean to you? Is it having x amount of money in 5 years? Write down the milestones you want to achieve, such as the money you should have in your bank account at a certain age. If possible, dedicate a single page with all your goals written down so you don’t lose track of them.
Save and Budget
Budget your money wisely. This means putting aside a specific amount for your expenses and putting aside a different amount for your savings. To avoid spending your savings, try to set it to a certain amount that will be pulled out of your account automatically, so you don’t have the opportunity to be tempted and spend it.
Pay Off Credit Cards
As much as possible, pay off your credit cards in full every month. Not only will it save you from paying interest but will also help you build good credit that you will need.
Be Frugal
This is probably the easiest advice that is sometimes hard to follow. I know I certainly have a bit of trouble being frugal at times. Living below your means will definitely help you save money in the long run. This doesn’t mean living on only two pieces of clothing and eating nothing but boiled eggs. Living below your means is making an adjustment on your spending habits by focusing on the things that you actually need rather than on things that you want just because you want them.
Educate Yourself
Every year there are a few tweaks in tax laws that you might not know about. Make sure to review them and see what fits you so you can take advantage of all the applicable deductions. A lot of people tend to prey on uneducated taxpayers and investors, so knowledge will always be your best defense.
Stay Healthy
There are three reasons why staying healthy will help you achieve financial freedom. One, when you fall ill, you have to pay hospitalization costs and medication, and we all know those don’t come cheap. Two, getting sick means you have to miss work. If your company has limited sick days and you use all of them up, this means loss of income for you. Third, having poor health could force you to retire early, which also means lower monthly earnings.
While these habits won’t completely solve your money issues, practicing it will make you develop healthy habits that could lead you to whatever your definition of financial freedom is.