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April 16, 2018

So You Want To Change Your Money Habits?

This post has been contributed.

Poor money management is something that many of us are guilty of, and while they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks - it’s never too late to improve the way you handle your money. If you’re fed up with living from paycheque to paycheque and always scraping by before the end of the month, then it’s time you did something about it.

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With the right attitude and determination to succeed, you can help to change your money habits to leave you with more money left over, and a healthier approach to your spending.Take a look at some of the ways you can improve your finances below.

Get a clear picture of your money

It’s hard to start improving your money management if you don’t know the reality of your situation. While it can be scary to face up to your debts and spending habits, it’s important that you do so. Make a list of all of your income and your outgoings to help you work out where you’re going wrong. If your outgoings are higher than what you have coming in, you’ll have some much-needed changes to make to your spending.

Set yourself a budget

Creating a budget is a smart way to improve your spending habits. Having a budget that is flexible and easy to follow will make it easier for you to stick to it, and leave you with some savings left over at the end of the month. Budgeting allows you to make sure that all of your outgoings are covered, leaving you with a set amount to spend on things such as clothes and eating out.

You don’t have to be in a tough financial situation to create a budget. Having an ongoing budget is a good way to manage your money, and can help you plan for any increases or decreases in your income.

Make a plan to clear your debts

Dealing with debt should be at the top of your money priority list, especially if you have some high-interest debts to manage. Every month spent paying back interest is costing you money unnecessarily, and you should aim to do something about it.

Make a list of your debts, putting the ones with the highest interest at the top. Allocate more of your money to paying off the highest interest debts first, paying the minimum payment for the ones at the bottom of the list for now. As you clear your debts, you can work your way down the list to help reduce your overall repayments and pay them back quicker.

If you’re struggling to manage your debts, make sure that you do something about it. While you can help yourself to manage your debt, there is advice and services available to help you cope with debt.

Cut your spending

Getting a better grip on your spending can change your habits for good, ensuring that you have some money to put into savings each month. Some simple tips for reducing your spending overall include:

Reduce your monthly bills by switching utility providers or cell phone services. Use comparison sites to help you find the best deal.
Get rid of any services you rarely or never use such as gym membership, subscriptions to on-demand services or magazine subscriptions.
Adopt a wiser approach to shopping by using discount codes and coupons.
Reduce your weekly grocery spend by planning your meals in advance and avoid picking up items you may not want or need simply because there was a deal.
Take time to mull over purchases. Sleeping on a decision might make you realize you don’t need the item at all, saving you money on those typical impulse buys.
Entertain at home instead of going out - take turns with your friends so that everyone can get involved.
Avoid putting things on a credit card simply because you couldn’t wait to buy it. Wait until you’ve got the money or sacrifice something else to buy the things you really want.

Start saving

Whatever your saving goals, having a savings plan is a good way to help you become smarter with money. Whether you’re hoping to save for a house, to go traveling or for a new car - it’s wise to have a plan of how much you need to save each month. Having some rainy day savings is also a good idea, and is something that will keep you in the habit of saving - even when you’re not saving for something specific.

Familiarize yourself with different ways to save money, using the savings you make to put into your funds to help your savings grow even quicker.

Invest

Once you’ve got some savings in the bag, and an overall healthier financial picture, you can start thinking about making some investments. Investing your money is a good way to help it grow, and you don’t need to be a financial expert to get started.

There are plenty of ways you can invest your money, including apps designed for first-time investors. Starting off with lower risk investments can help you to develop your confidence in this area, growing your money slowly before you move onto larger scale investments.

As you grow more confident with investing, you can look at other ways to invest your money. It’s worth searching for more info on what you should be investing in to help you get started while talking to an expert or a broker could also help you get the most from your investment. Investing is something that can come with many risks - so you need to make sure that you’re prepared for that before you proceed.

Getting a firm handle on your money situation can help ease stress and concerns about your future. While you can still enjoy your money, being sensible and realistic with your spending can help you to avoid getting into debt and being left with nothing to show for your earnings. Start thinking about your financial future and change your money habits for the better now.

April 16, 2018

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April 12, 2018

Common Issues Any Of Us Can Still Struggle With In The Workplace

This post has been contributed.

These days, we expect that going to work will be straightforward. Offering a safe and happy environment in which to do our jobs in the required time qe are allocated to do with. There is so much talk about equality, treating people the same, rising talks about pay, and even the way we talk to people being scrutinised, it might be surprising to hear that there are still common issues that have much to do with some of the above happening today.

It isn’t just women who face this problem either. Although it is reported far more about women in terms of some of the most common issues, but men can struggle in this environment as well. Dominating managers, employers that don’t care too much in terms of the welfare of their staff, it can be quite a toxic place to be if you are not careful. In some cases, you may not even feel there is an issue. You just might have that gut feeling that makes you feel uncomfortable, but yet, won’t say anything about it through fear of your job or making more from something. It has to stop. If the media are prepared to report everything there is to know about pay gaps, harassment and bullying, then people need to realise what is happening in their own workplace and take action. I wanted to share with you some of the common issues any one of us can still struggle with in the workplace today, and hopefully offer you a little insight and advice of what to do if you are feeling the pressure.

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Sexual harassment from colleagues or managers

Sexual harassment is such a big area and it isn’t as obvious as you may believe. In the workplace, especially in make or female dominated areas where you feel like a minority. You can find that sexual harassment can be something as trivial as remarks or phrases of a sexual nature directed at you. It can be inappropriate advances, being hassled on a regular basis by phone or email, and can even be physical if you are not careful. Sexual harassment is serious, and it is something that your managers and your employers should take very seriously. There is more about what you can do online if you want to take matters into your hands. Of course, one of the first instances should be to discuss your concerns with a line manager, although, in many situations, the manager is possibly the culprit. Feeling that role of “power” can give them some sort of sway over what they do and how they go about it. Find someone you trust and communicate your issues. If something has made you feel uncomfortable then it probably isn’t right, and definitely something you need to discuss further.

Being targeted online

The online world can be a great place to communicate with your friends, reconnect with people you haven't seen for a while, and share your pictures and your lives with your nearest and dearest. But it has also become a platform where people are stalking and harrassing people, and this can be extremely common in the workplace where colleagues will look at your profile. Of course, friends and follower requests are there for a reason, and you can pick and choose who sees what you put up online. However, if your privacy settings are not set right, then you could be leaving yourself wide open. People who don’t have a fully private account and check in places are allowing people who they don’t know seeing what you're doing and where you are going. If you want to be involved in social media, then ensure that you have tightened up your privacy settings so that you can’t be targeted and harassed online.

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Made to feel alone

When you are in the workplace surrounded by people, you may be surprised to read that actually some people can feel very much alone in the workplace. Evn in today modern society we can naturally divided into groups and connect with people we have more in common with. This can happen at work very easily as you tend to spend a lot of time with these people, but what it can also do is isolate people, and some people who haven’t confirmed in some way can then be left out and made to feel alone. Perhaps you feel that way. Not party to the inside jokes or the plans being made for after work drinks. If you do feel alone in the workplace try and reach out to people and gain some confidence to step out of your comfort zone and communicate. If you do notice people being left out be the bigger person and include them. It is never a nice feeling to feel lonely.

Pay gap differences

There has been a lot of coverage about gender pay gaps recently in the press. So much so, that people with celebrity status are speaking out and making the issue more known than ever before. It is calling upon big corporations to disclose what they pay people, and some of the results have been staggering. But on a more normal level, this is still a very prominent issue. Sure companies have a duty of care to be equal to both men and women, but the pay gap can still be evident. Of course, there are other reasons why someone might be paid more than you for a similar job role, and that can be down to experience and skills. But in the same breath, if you are being paid considerably less and there is no rhyme or reason as to why then make sure you raise it with managers and above to get what you deserve.

Job description not being adhered to

Finally, there can be some employers that can take advantage of people in terms of their kindness and generosity, especially in the workplace. For example, having people take on extra responsibility for things that are predominantly not their area or in their job description. Furthermore, expecting these things to be done without any reward or remuneration. It can still happen today, and so if you do find yourself in this situation make sure you speak up.

I hope that this has made you more aware of what can still happen in todays workplace.

April 12, 2018

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April 16, 2018

So You Want To Change Your Money Habits?

April 12, 2018

Common Issues Any Of Us Can Still Struggle With In The Workplace

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