MANAGE YOUR TIME IMPROVE YOUR FINANCES
If the saying is correct that "time is money" then time management, can be an important aspect of financial management. Time is one of our most precious commodities. We never have enough time for everything, and finding free time is almost always a challenge.Keep in mind as you read further I am a wife, mother of a five-month-old infant, blogger and full-time employee. Time management does not come easy for me. This is exactly why I felt this post might be helpful for many others just like me. Working full-time you are constantly juggling work, family and personal life. As a parent you are also juggling schedules for your children, preparing meals, trying to make appointments and keep some sort of balance with everything. In every stage in life we need to find ways to manage our schedules and keep some sort of sanity. One of the hardest aspects can often be doing all of this and still staying on budget.
How Does Time Management Relate To Finance?
Can the lack of time management cost me money? Poor time management has many financial implications. The cost can affect just about any area of your life financially. Poor time management can affect your job. Not managing your time wisely can cost you additional time away from the office or even cost you a big promotion. The cost can be at college causing your grades to decline resulting in lower grades or even failing classes. No matter what stage you are at in your life learning to manage your time more effectively can play a huge roll in your financial life. The more you are in control of your life and time the more you can effectively stay on budget.Time management can be a huge challenge for so many of us, but learning to manage your time can be as valuable as an additional paycheck every month. This might sound like I'm talking crazy, but consider the amount of money wasted when you do not plan for things. Eating out frequently, stopping to grab a beverage, forgetting that thing at home and having to quickly stop and buy a replacement (you know many of us have done this) or forgetting to pay a bill or balance your checkbook properly resulting in ungodly fees.
Most Important Ways To Balance Your Time
Find out what is most important to you and prioritize those things. You need to ultimately realize that you cannot do everything and you must decide what is most important to you every day
Learn to say no. Learning to decline things and not take on too much is an important aspect of time management. When you have learned to prioritize you can start to learn to say no and not feel guilty. No one should make you feel guilty either when you have finally learned to say no.
Recognizing your time is valuable and you should prioritize and say no as a result. When you finally begin to look at your priorities and recognize your value saying no becomes easier. You cannot always do everything. Being the best version of you often means declining some opportunities or invitations along the way. This way you can focus your attention on where it needs to be and say yes when the right situations present themselves.
Setting A Weekly Schedule And Meal Prep
Plan for the week ahead on your first or last day off of the week. If you work a schedule that is M-F this would most likely be on Sunday. Take time to organize your time for the upcoming week and make sure you are aware of any unexpected plans or requirements of your time. Meetings at work, kids school or things your spouse may have unexpectedly planned are always a possibility. Make sure to include your children and or spouse in preparation for the week ahead. This can help to prevent any surprises due to miscommunication.
Meal prep is an important aspect of time management for many of us who are on the go all week. If your meal prep is complicated and requires additional time, this will be a very important aspect of your time management. I have found that simplicity in meal prep is often the best way to continue it effectively. I have also discovered that the more I prepare in advance the less time I will have to spend on preparing meals each day. Packing lunches is only as complicated as you make it. This can always be a more simple process depending on what you pack.
You Need To Keep Your Financial Life Organized?
When you are overwhelmed and busy it is so easy to get caught up in everything going on around you. When this happens what do you do about maintaining your finances and keeping everything organized. Well I am typically the last person to help you get organized because organization is not usually my thing. One thing you have probably learned about me so far is that I learn from my mistakes. I accept my failures as a lesson to learn from and I find a solution to my problem based on the lessons learned. I’m not sure why but I obviously learn best through the difficult times and grow more from the painful experiences that have shaped who I am today.
How Can A Disorganized Life Affect Your Finances?
Late fees
A mishandled budget
Overdraft fees
Excessive food waste
Overspending on convenience costs
Overspending on items that you should have researched the best prices in advance
Car fees for repairs and services that could be prevented
Overlooking bills that should have been paid that were sent to collections or have late fees
Not watching your speed and getting speeding tickets
Overspending in general- groceries (you need a grocery budget and meal plan, including a plan for quick meals)
I would love to hear from you my readers
Please feel free to share with us in the comments below any of your own tips and advice. I would love to learn from you my readers. Feel free to share ways that you have discovered to manage your time more effectively. I believe that we often learn best when we are open to learn from each other. You just might be able to offer some advice below that could really help someone else.
