sincerely budgeting

It’s Income Season

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You read that right. Income season, not income tax season. I pray for the spirit of waiting all year for increase, to be removed from our minds and hearts. You can have increase at any given moment. All you need is the opportunity, expectancy and a renewing of your mind. Renewed mindsets brings about great abundance. Don’t wait all year for tax season to get a quick increase in your finances, income season can be yours all year long!

This year, try focusing on you receiving income and increase on a regular basis. Income, if we’re talking financially and increase when speaking of any and all areas of your life. Increase your self-awareness, self-control, relationships, health, peace, etc. Anything that is in coming, that you can receive is what you can train your mind to think of. I guess I could’ve named this post “Incoming Season” but it doesn’t have the same depth to it. Look up the definition of income and increase and seeing the definition might just change your mindset or life.

If you focus on lack or areas of your life where you are lacking something or there is a deficit, that lack could remain. Focus on increasing any area of your life where there may be a lack or where improvements can be made. This could range from anything like, your response when you’re mad or upset to improving your arrival time at work. Don’t limit yourself! We should always aim or desire to be better as a person not only for ourselves but for those around us.

Since it’s a new year, I have to provide y’all with money tips for the first quarter. Check out the new podcast on money with Eric Lewis from the IKG podcast.

It’s time for increase in your incoming funds. These tips are only here to give examples of how to cash in on some extra dollars. Do what works for you! Income is the key word so the goal is to have in coming funds! Lets start to cash out on some things we utilized last year.

  • Cash out survey or referral programs points for Zelle, PayPal or Visa Gift Cards (ex. Rakuten or Fetch )
  • Redeem your credit card points for cash or gift cards (ex. 25,460 points, could equal $254.00)
  • Any interest that you may have gained on your savings accounts can be used to keep compounding or to move to another account for spending. You earned it. (Your savings account shows $5,138. The $138 is most likely interest earned (check your bank statement for interest earned total). Cash out the $138)
  • Your stocks may be doing well. It’s time to check them and possibly cash out your initial investment to reinvest or use elsewhere. (You initially spent $500 on Apple stock, it’s currently worth $1,200. You could sell the shares that would equal $500(your initial investment) and keep $700 worth of Apple shares.) Remember, stocks are a long game, so only think of cashing out the initial investment if you really need the extra or if you deem it worth it.

Please note that anything that I have ever suggested when it comes to money and saving, I have done it personally or I have seen the benefits of it first hand. Happy saving, investing, cashing out and INCREASE!

Sincerely,

Angie

Financial Worksheets Explained

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Calculating Your Net Worth Worksheet: Knowing your net worth isn’t just for millionaires. It’s for soon to be millionaires like you. Yes, you! Calculating your net worth will help you to determine if you have more assets than liabilities or vice versa. The goal is to have more assets than liabilities. Assets are items you actually own while liabilities are what you owe. Debt free is the goal for most and for some, good debt is the goal. Debt free means you owe nothing to anyone. Good debt could be considered minimal credit card debt.

Monthly Budget Worksheet: This sheet is used monthly to organize your income and bills/expenses. This also will determine if you have money left over to save. You’ll find out if you have more bills than income and what you’ll be able to cut out.

30/31 Day Spending Tracker: For 30 days, you will jot down how much you spent or how much you received that day. At the end of the 30/31 days, you will add up each incoming entry and each outgoing entry. Write in the totals and subtract the outgoing funds from the incoming funds. Doing this will show if you are spending more than you receive and what you are spending too much on.

Once doing all or some of these worksheets, you should be able to determine if you are on the right track financially or if there are necessary changes to be made. Writing things down makes them more realistic. This also gives you a place of reference. You can come back to the worksheets and see how far you have come on your financial journey.

To download your free copies, visit the budgeting tab or click here.

My Method for Saving pt.2

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March 9, 2017 was when I posted part one. I have posted many other blog posts and podcast episodes since then on how to save but part one has been the most popular. Since then, I have tweaked a few things. While writing this post I went back and read that post, I see that I will have to revisit a thing or two. I hope that part two will be as short and to the point as the first.

A lot has changed in 4 years. Mostly everything is digital now. This could make it easier or harder for some people to save. No worries, I hope my suggestions will help you out. First things first,

  • Open a savings account if you don’t have one already. Try to find an account that is high interest yielding (An account that will pay you a higher interest rate than a normal savings account for your money sitting in the bank).
  • Do an evaluation of your finances so that you’ll know realistically how much you can potentially save. (Calculate your income minus your bills, to determine how much is left over)
  • Set a goal. (Try to save $100 for the week, pay period or month)
  • Try doing a money challenge to get your savings ball rolling. (i.e. 52 week money challenge or $5 challenge)
  • Cut out unnecessary spending. (Take a break from coffee shops, fast food restaurants, shopping for a while)
  • Search online for class action lawsuits that may have affected you or unclaimed funds from the Treasury dept. (Once you get the check, put it into your savings account)
  • Fill out surveys or utilize cash back websites when shopping online. (They pay you for referrals also like Rakuten)
  • Redeem your cash back points for cash from your credit cards. (7,000 points could equate $50-$70cash depending on the company)
  • Transfer small amounts into your savings account randomly. (If your account has $443.76, transfer $3.76 or 43.76 into savings. Do that weekly or as often as you check your account.)
  • Use coupons when shopping for necessities (Put the amount you saved into your savings account. If using coupons caused you to save $15.88, put that amount into savings).
  • Put any change that’s laying around the house or in piggy banks/coke bottles (large amounts i.e. $50 worth) into the bank. (Cash them out at the coin machine and deposit the money into your savings account.)
  • Sell old clothes and/or shoes to a consignment shop or online and use the money you made to add to your savings account.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for monetary gifts for special events instead of gifts. (This unexpected money goes into savings)
  • Use the interest that you’ve earned on your savings account to achieve any additional money goals or to pay down debt.

Saving small is still saving. Don’t despise meager beginnings. These small gestures will create bigger gestures until saving is no longer foreign but a lifestyle for you. Check out my podcast, YouTube channel and other blog posts for even more savings tips.

Listen to the most recent podcast episode here!

Watch Dear Finances part 3 here. Featuring Eric Lewis from the IKG podcast.

Visit sincerelyangiem.com under the budget tab for all things money.