Lifestyle

Financial Goals That Every Woman Should Set For Themselves

by Ally Batista
Stocksy

We’re all at the age where we’re becoming financially independent from our parents. Some of you may already be there for quite some time now, and I commend you for that. Being financially independent is not always easy, and there’s a lot more that goes into it that even I don’t understand.

The only way to become financially successful (and successful to me means not in debt) is to set a strict set of rules for yourself and follow them religiously. Here are five that I feel like every woman should set for herself.

Create A Budget

I mean this goes without saying. The best and easiest way to accomplish any financial goals is to set a budget, which is appropriate for your own lifestyle, and strictly follow it. This may not be so easy when you’re dying to splurge on a thousand dollar handbag, but you need to practice self-control and recognize the difference between wants and needs.

Create An Emergency Fund

This is probably the best advice you’ll ever receive. In our current economy, jobs and finances are not guaranteed, and anything can change in an instant. If you do suddenly and unexpectedly lose your job, you can sleep well at night during your next job search knowing that you set aside an emergency fund of three to six months of personal expenses.

Invest In Yourself

Go back to school. Accumulate as many degrees as you can. Education is literally the most important thing, and having a wealth of knowledge will only benefit you. If you ever want a promotion or are faced with a profession change, you’ll be more prepared depending on how many education investments you made for yourself.

Build Credit

Register for one major credit card and use it. Whether you’re a credit card person or not, getting on major credit card and using it sparingly, paying your payments on time, etc, will build your credit and make it easier for yourself to purchase a new car or a home on your own one day.

Practice Financial Responsibility

And finally, the most important and obvious rule to follow: financial responsibility. Pay your bills on time, live within your means and most importantly, practice self-control. I may sound like a broken record here, but being reckless with multiple credit cards and always letting your bank account zero out in your younger years will only make it easier for you to fall into a financial hole later on in life.

Elite.

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