7 Simple Ways to Improve Your Finances

 

I played RObert Kiyosaki’s famous cash flow game in one of my trainings.

I am an accountant by profession  so I thought it will be very easy for me to play this game. But this game is more than the numbers as I initially thought.

Cashflow  is a board game designed by Kiyosaki that aims to teach players the concepts of investing and managing money.

The rule is simple, to win the game, you have to get out of the rat race by building  income greater than your total monthly expenses.

The game teach the players to do the accounting of their finances by themselves. Instead of “score cards”, there are financial statements such as balance sheet and income statement.

The fun part is that  players can see more clearly what is happening with their money because they are recording and accounting for it.

It generally shows in simple terms how assets can generate income and how debts and liabilities affect expenses.

Based on my personal experience and additional  learnings from playing the cash flow game, here are the 7 simple ways on How you can improve your finances :

1. List down your income and expenses.

It is very important to make a list of your monthly income and expenses. It gives you a clear picture of your big expense items and left over money.

If the left over money is negative or too small then its time to cut down on some of your expenses or  increase your income through other sources.

Review your big expense items and identify your needs and wants. Start cutting down your spending on your “wants” and spend money only on things that you need.

As Warren Buffet said “If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.

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2. Find other sources of income.

In today’s world, there is no job security so you have to be prepared because if you lose your job today, expenses will still be there – food, house rental, mortgage and other monthly expenses.

As Warren Buffet said “Never depend on single income. Make investment to create a second source.”

You should use your leftover money to produce passive or other income.

Your passive income can come from 3 Es – Estate, Enterprise & Equity.  When you are earning money from passive income, this is the stage where money will work for you.

3.  Save money

Remember that it is not how much money you earn but how much you save.

I started investing in the stock market and saving money when reality woke me up that the housemaid of Bo Sanchez, a known millionaire missionary has more savings than I do.

I read Bo Sanchez book of “my maid invest in the stock market” and it was very helpful because I realized that stock market investing is very easy.

The housemaid secret to a 6 digit savings is by spending only a portion of her salary and allocating money for savings on a monthly basis.

Remember to regularly save a portion of your monthly income to save for the future – manage to spend only 70% of your income, multiply your 20% through investing and magnify the 10% by  giving  back to God:)

As Warren Buffet said, “Do not save what is left after spending but spend what is left after saving.

 

4. Educate yourself. 

Investing in yourself is the best investment you could do.

When you change, the life of the people around you will also change.

When you  learn , you will change your behavior, your choices and you will make  wiser decisions.

5. Take risk.

Majority of the regrets of  people are the risk they did not take. As Mark Twain said “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch thetrade winds in sails. Explore. Dream. Discover”

Similar to finances,  take risk but remember to risk only the money that will not affect your family life and lifestyle.

Take an informed risk by educating yourself and getting mentors before making a big decision on where to invest your money.

6. Change your mindset about money.

You need to make sure that you are comfortable with money.

You need to have the right mindset about money because money is good if it is use for good purposes.

Open yourself to abundance.

Believe that abundance is your birth right so open yourself to receive the unlimited blessings God has planned for your life.

Commit to earn more money so you can give and help more. Remember that the ultimate purpose of wealth is to help others.

 

7.  Give back to God.

God is the source of all things and giving back to Him will open up your life to more abundant generosity because giving opens the way for receiving more .

As Pope John Paul II said, nobody is so poor that he has nothing to give and nobody is so rich that he has nothing to receive.

Start giving money to God through church or charity. Do it for 6 months only, try and You will be surprised because  you will experience  the overflowing blessings from God – the right people will come to your life, resource will follow and ALL your needs will be Met,

 

P.S.

Life is a gift, to unwrap the present and enjoy every moment, Manage your Finances.. Commit to always give 100% in everything that you do, manage to spend only 70% of your income, save some money and invest it for the future. List down your income and expenses and find other sources of income. Take risk but Educate yourself first to find the investment that fits you. Change your mindset about money because it is good if it used to serve and bless others.. Most important of all, give back to God and you will surely be blessed in multiple.