Future-Proof Your Finances: A Practical Guide to Management & Planning

Improve your money smarts with small changes that lead to big gains.

Financial Management & Planning for the Future | What Does a Groundhog Know About Money?

By Julie Jaggernath Wouldn’t it be great to roll out of bed in the morning and know exactly what the day holds in store for you? Financially speaking, wouldn’t it be great to know what the next several months or years might mean to you? While a groundhog’s shadow can’t predict our financial future, it can remind us of some valuable truths.

Don’t Outsmart the Future

Failing to plan is planning to fail. Imagine knowing that you’ll be going into hibernation with no reserves and no safe place to spend that time. Imagine what retirement would be without enough income and so many monthly payments that you’re forced to sell your home just to make ends meet. Saving for the future is storing up one small reserve after another. Each deposit to your savings account is one step closer to ensuring that you have what you need when you need it.

Keep Your Money Safe from Yourself

Being a small animal, groundhogs have many enemies. Financially speaking, your money has enemies – the biggest of which is you! Implement strategies to keep your money safe from yourself. Try making your savings account inaccessible on your debit card, or lower the limit on your debit and credit cards. And speaking of credit cards, if you really think that you only use your credit card for emergencies or planned expenses, stay true to your resolve and don’t carry it in your wallet unless you’re traveling out of town. The last thing you want is to have to deal with an overwhelming amount of credit card debt.

Out of Sight; Out of Mind

It’s okay for a groundhog to stick his head in the sand because he’s just heading down to his burrow. Many people try this strategy when they’re dealing with debt, and it only makes life harder. With debt, the longer you avoid it, the worse it gets. The good time for this strategy is on payday. Automatic payments and transfers on payday keep your money safely out of sight so that you don’t spend it on things you hadn’t planned on buying. The next time you see your own shadow, use it as a reminder to think about your financial goals. Whether you’ve got a long time or a short time, you’ve still got time and it’s never too late to start! << Back to the Blog  

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