177 The Essence Of Developing A Financial Plan In 2022

Budgeting isn't fun for most people, in fact when I first developed a personal financial plan, it wasn't one of my favorite things to do at the time. I learned how to budget while in the military as a member of the comptroller's organization.

What I want you to know is this, after I developed my first financial plan, I never looked back because I discovered that after I assessed my after-tax income, it gave me a better idea of what I was working with.

To assist you in developing your financial plan, I am providing you with a few tips for you to develop your own:

First of all, what is a budget? A budget is simply a means to track spending and earning. It can be as simple as aiming to keep your credit card charges under $1,000 monthly or as complex as tracking each expense by name, type (entertainment, food, household goods, etc.) and cost in an itemized spreadsheet with corresponding category targets, pie charts and year-to-date analysis. 

1. Take these steps.  Learn to track your after-tax income and the amount of money you are spending each month. Take inventory of your finances by setting up a budget, initially, it takes some legwork, but once you get into the rhythm, you should be able to maintain your spending plan with less effort.
2. Stick to your budget. The kind of budget you choose can be dictated by many factors, including your long-term goals, your age, expenses and current living situation. The key is to find a system and breakdown that works for you.
3. Try some new tools. For a low-maintenance budget, try one of these tools that sync your checking, savings and brokerage accounts all in one place. Selecting the right budgeting tool can make or break your ability to follow a spending plan. Consider the following, Pen and paper, envelopes, spreadsheets, worksheets, and the Mint app.
4. Lastly, there's no one-size-fits-all budget, but templates can be customized to track your complete financial picture. A few recommendations include Google Sheets, and Microsoft Excel to name a few.

Establish your financial plan today and by the end of the first quarter of 2022, you will be on the road to reaching your financial goals and then hit your goals for the rest of 2022. If you have questions surrounding setting up your financial plan, contact Paul Lawrence Vann at (800) 341-6719 or info@paulvannspeaks.com

Tune in to listen to this episode with Paul and over 177 episodes at this link  https://bit.ly/3n84XSF