It can be hard to figure out a budget and stick with it. It’s hard for everyone, through every stage of life. But getting a handle on it before you bankrupt is of the upmost importance.
If money is the life blood of capitalism, then it’s necessary to keep a handle on it. Not keeping track of your income to expense ratio now, will lead to issues in the future, every single time.
Even really common, overlooked expenses will end up costing you in the long run. Things like essentials are…well, essential. It’s not like you can cut those out or change them. But nonessentials, will kill your account and cause you immense financial stress.
This stress could lead to more than just monetary struggles, it could leave you with insomnia, depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, or unhealthy coping methods.
Clearly, financial struggles are more than financial, so here are some ways to deal with these issues and help set you on the right track for your current and future goals.
Young Adults & Their Mistakes
How many poor financial choices did you make as a new person in the work force? Too many to count? Or was it too long ago? Most people can say that the moment they gained some money was the moment they started spending it—as it goes for new abilities involving money.
Suddenly these young people can buy whatever they can afford, so they do. Most just buy junk food, but a few buy cars, and even fewer start actually saving money.
This is fine when they are just starting out working and have minimum wage jobs. Most won’t even approach credit cards until they are into their twenties, so there are a few years of wiggle room, even if they don’t work until after high school.
However, these kids are also prone to make mistakes in calculating costs. It’s fine to spend an entire paycheck on pizza, sure—but they really shouldn’t (and they know it).
Older Adults & Their Plans
After we hit 22 years of age, there is a sudden shift in understanding money—especially for those who took student loans and spent time in college. Then, another shift happens at 25, where retirement needs to be considered. And then again, at 30, when insurance becomes the big necessity, especially if looking for a house or thinking about a family.
Through all of this, financial planning is a huge factor in making and reaching realistic goals. It’s fine to say, “I want a million before I’m 30,” but it’s another to actually do it. Middle aged people are prone to credit cards and overspending for family needs—how can they not?
But getting a consistent and sustainable financial plan before they hit 30 is a huge factor in the things they can do later in life. Chances are, if they are struggling now, they are in serious trouble and they need to look at their options realistically.
Elders & Retirement
Retirement is the end goal for every person, particularly in the United States. But for an increasingly worrying number of people, that goal is either unattainable or not realistic because of financial issues. Chances are, if they did not begin saving for retirement and looking at options when they were just entering the work force, they might not be in the right place at 65 to retire and leave when they want.
For many people, working full time just wasn’t enough between student loans, bad pay, or debts. When people get to retirement and need help, there is more resources out there to consider than they think—many of the resources are there specifically to help them figure it out.
For example, let’s say that you spent your young adult time making poor choices, and a good portion of your older adult life trying to fix those mistakes. Resulting in you having a reasonable handle on your finances but a lower amount available for your retirement.
In this case, you could qualify for a reverse mortgage as a senior-only option. Reverse mortgages give you a fraction of the equity that you’ve put into your home and allow you to pay it back after you leave the home, or while you are still in it.
It’s a great option for those people who have paid for most of their home and want to go into retirement. To find out how much you could get from a reverse mortgage, check out this calculator: https://reverse.mortgage/calculator.
Wrap Up
The big point of all this? Financial issues can plague you as you get older. From the moment we get our first job, to the moment we turn 65 it is a balancing act of saving, budgeting, and prioritizing.
Look into getting help from a financial advisor today to get you started in the right direction before it’s too late to figure out.