Prioritizing your spending
Written by R. A. Stewart
Life is all about making priorities and it is not all about money and how you prioritize your spending but about what you do with your time. We have different financial commitments and different levels of income but when it comes to time, we all have an allotted 24 hours in the day, no more and no less but our income and how we earn our income will have an effect on how much time we have to devote to the important things in our life.
Many people sacrifice their time for money by spending all of their time working leaving little time for anything else. They are out of balance.
If you have a specific goal in mind such as saving for a house deposit then the sacrifices may be worth it in the long term. Maybe because only you will know whether the long days were truly worth it. It all depends on what your priorities are.
What factors should you consider when setting priorities?
Here are several to consider:
Your commitments
Your debt levels
Your age
Your family circumstances
Your health
Your career
Your pets
It is important that you base your priorities on what is important to you and that you do not try to copy someone else’s figures. There is no one size that fits everyone; it is your own needs and wants which determine how you are going to prioritise your spending.
Everyone has different levels of commitments; these have to be managed as best as you can. Commitments can be financial such as a mortgage or other debt or something more personal such as a relationship.
Your age is another factor; you are not going to take out a 30 year mortgage when you are 60. If you are in your twenties you will have different priorities. As a young investor you can take more risks with your investing strategy because you have more time to recover from a financial meltdown.
That does not mean being reckless with your investing but rather; taking calculated risks.
Your family circumstances are another factor to weigh up. If you have kids then you will have less disposable cash to play around with than if you are single. The flip side is that if you are in a relationship then you have the advantage of having two incomes which will make it easier to save for major life events such as having kids. It is a good idea to put aside money for this purpose.
Then there is your health to think about. If you are fit and healthy then that is great but as we all know, Father Time catches up on us sooner or later. If you have health issues which lessens your chances of reaching the retirement age then your priorities need to be different from those who are healthy.
Then your career or job is a priority. It has to be your top priority because it pays the bills. It is where you spend so much of your time so a carefully chosen career will help make your life more meaningful. Adding different strings to your bow will give you more options. Learning does not end once you leave school is a lifelong project.
Your pets can bring enjoyment to your life but they can also become a burden to your finances as a lot of people have found during the cost of living crisis. The SPCA were swamped with cats and dogs because people could not afford to keep them. When deciding whether to get a dog or a cat it is important to work out how much this is going to cost you. It is also important to consider the fact that keeping pets fits the discretionary spending category and that money spent on them will be better off going towards the mortgage if you have one or towards your retirement fund.
As far as pets are concerned, many people let their hearts rule their heads; I mean honestly, why else would one spend a grand on a vet bill for a cat or even more than that on a dog when it would be cheaper just to have the animal put down?
This article is of the opinion of the writer and may not be applicable to your personal circumstances, therefore, discretion is advised. You may use this article as content for your ebook, website, or blog. Feel free to share this article.
www.robertastewart.com
