Improving your cash flow and paying down your debt are important goals for anyone to have and I want to help you do just that in 9 easy to follow (and implement) steps.
1.
Plan Ahead: Having worked in the food industry and looking at sales data, I know that prices in convenience stores can be anywhere from 20% to 30% higher than in grocery stores.
What does this have to do with improving your cash flow? Everything.
If you plan your grocery shopping ahead of time, you could save that extra 20% to 30%.
The same holds true for almost everything from magazine subscriptions to home items to just about every other items you frequently use.
2.
Refinance Your Mortgage: When you refinance your mortgage, you are getting a new first mortgage that replaces your existing mortgage.
If you are able to lock in a lower rate than you currently have, the savings could be huge.
How huge? If you have a 30-year fixed rate mortgage of $150,000 at 8.
5 percent and refinance to a 30-year, 7 percent loan, you are looking at a $155 reduction in your monthly mortgage payment.
That is a big savings and you are saving over $40,000 in interest payments over the life of the loan.
You just increased your monthly cash flow and saved over $40K in the process.
Now that's being smart about your finances! 3.
Use Your Home Equity to Pay Down Your Other Debts: If you have a lot of equity in your home and a mountain of revolving debt on your credit cards, it might make sense to take out a home equity loan and pay off your credit cards.
Of course You will have to pay closing costs and other fees upfront, but the savings in terms of lowering your monthly payments can be a huge addition to your monthly cash flow.
It's a simple enough process, just do what's called a cash-out refinancing.
This involves taking out a new first mortgage that is larger than the balance on your existing mortgage.
The difference is the cash you have "taken out" of the house and put in your pocket and hopefully put toward your other debts.
Instead of getting a new mortgage, you can look into taking out a home equity loan.
The rates are often lower than standard mortgage rates and there may be no or little costs to get that equity loan versus a standard first mortgage.
There is one caveat: home Equity rates are usually variable which means they could rise if the Federal Reserve decides to raise the prime rate (and a host of other factors).
If you don't need a lot of money and plan on paying the loan back within three to five years, a home equity loan might make more sense than a standard first mortgage.
4.
Shop Around For Cheaper Insurance: I won't spend a lot of time on this one, but when was the last time you shopped around for insurance? If you got your home insurance policy twenty years ago or your car insurance policy several years ago, you might want to check out current rates.
Perhaps you qualify for a preferred rate now or you could reduce the amount of coverage you need.
The key is to have an adequate level of insurance and not overpay if you Do not have to.
5.
Cut Your Expenses: Not fun you are thinking right about now, but don't worry about it.
What about increasing my income versus finding ways to spend less? Well, cutting back on your expenses is a lot easier (and faster) than finding ways to increase your income.
There are literally thousands of little things you can do to cut back your weekly and monthly expenses.
Some are easier to implement than others, but once you have implemented the cost-cutting strategies, you do not have to think twice about them.
I wrote an article called "Living Below Your Means" that had a host of ways to cut expenses, but here are a few of the main ideas: Simple Ways to Cut Your Expenses Do not smoke, cut back on alcohol consumption, cancel those magazine subscriptions you do not use, say no to ATMs that charge a fee, buy in bulk where possible, skip the double-latte mocha blasts every day, brown bag it at work, and cancel that gym membership if you are not using it.
These are just a couple of ideas.
The key is to figure out first where all your money is going and think of ways to reduce your expenses.
For more help with saving money visit this Money Saving Site 6.
Eat Out Less Often: This could have easily been put under the above category of cutting your expenses, but it warrants it's own "number.
" We spend a lot of money on food and beverages, much more than we realize.
You need to learn to cook, use leftovers and dine out less often.
This last one can be a huge savings for your wallet.
Here are some more strategies for when you dine out: - Do not order wine with your dinner.
Drink water.
This saved me literally close to a $1,000 dollars one year.
You read that right, $1,000 and I only have a glass or two with dinner.
Of course that year I did not follow the rule of dining out less often, hey..
I was single at the time! - I suggest you skip dessert and coffee when dining out, eat it at home versus paying $3.
50 for that slice of carrot cake when you can buy a whole cake for less than that at the grocery store.
The coffee will cost you a couple of pennies versus the $3 You will pay for that cappuccino.
- Dining out is often a social occasion for not just your special someone, but your family and friends.
If you are used to dining out with friends, why not eat "out" at friend's houses instead of going out to a restaurant.
It's worth the extra effort.
7.
Double-Check Your W2 Form: Around March or April every year, you find out whether you are going to get a refund.
If you are receiving a large refund every year from Uncle Sam, it might be because you are giving him more money than you should be.
You probably already felt that way after viewing your pay stub, but I'm talking about paying more in taxes than you should be.
Check with your accountant and see if you are claiming the right number of deductions.
If you are not, immediately talk to your benefits department about updating your W2 form.
Increasing your allowable deductions will mean more money goes to you every paycheck and not to Uncle Sam.
8.
Fully Fund Your Emergency Fund: Okay so this tip won't exactly immediately improve your cash flow, but it will save you countless dollars in interest down the line.
The key to being in control of your finances is to plan for everything, however we all know that sometimes there are unforeseen expenses that can throw a wrench in even the well-thought out budgets.
If you get into a car accident of have to replace an old boiler, you could be looking at some major expenses that might not be entirely covered by insurance.
If you Do not have an emergency fund, that expense goes right to the credit card where it will likely cost you a bundle in interest charges.
Start funneling money away today to build your emergency fund and only use the fund for true emergencies.
9.
Stop Buying On Credit: I have saved the best for last.
Of course this is another one of those that won't show immediate signs of improving your cash flow, but getting rid of the habit of buying everything on your credit card is vital to achieving financial freedom.
As a society, we're mired in debt.
We love buying on credit and the words "Low Down, Easy Monthly Payments" are like a drug that we cannot resist.
While the temptation to buy on credit is appealing, it's financial suicide to purchase everything on credit.
You need to get into the habit of paying off your credit cards in full every month.
If you are using a card for a big purchase like a vacation or a new computer, resolve to pay it off in a maximum of three months.
If you cannot do that, then you should begin putting money aside for major expenses that you know are coming.
This means planning in advance for any major expenses.
If you still have a problem with paying new charges off in full each month, the best tip I can give you is to start using a debit card that automatically withdraws money from your checking or savings account.
This way if you Do not have the money right now, you Do not get to take the item home with you.
It's going to be tough at first learning how to delay your gratification, but delaying gratification leads to long-term satisfaction, as in financial freedom.
It's your choice and yours alone whether you want to start controlling your finances or have them control you.
So there you have 9 ways you can increase your monthly cash flow.
There are dozens of others, but these will help you jump start the process of increasing your cash flow.
All the best in your quest for Financial Freedom!