Learning how to stay in control of your money is one of the most important skills you can master in your adult life. We need to pay rent or a mortgage to keep a roof over our head, we need to pay utilities for things like water, gas and electric. We have to budget for food, our car, travel and other crucial things in life- and if we start to fall behind it can lead to disaster. Being organized with your money stops you getting in a pickle, everything you need to pay for is always paid on time, and you only spend on additional items out of money that’s not accounted for elsewhere. But how do you stay in control of your money?

Write up a Budget

Each and every one of us should have a budget in place. It stops  us from overspending and important outgoings are paid first. You know what comes in, what goes out and on what date, and you know how much you have leftover. There are lots of budgeting apps and online programs you download so find out that works for you. If you notice you’re overspending in some areas, make an effort to cut these back so that your money is always being put to good use.

Get Debt Under Control

Debt is easy to get into and hard to get out of, and can cause all kinds of worry and stress. If you’re already in debt, getting it under control is so important. One option would be to consolidate using one card or a loan to pay off everything else. Another option would be to speak to a debt management company. They could recommend a debt management plan, or let you know if an IVA or bankruptcy is most suitable for you. If you really can’t afford your debts, seek advice from a bankruptcy attorney and work out what your next plan of action is. If you have any assets, you’re likely to have to sell these to raise money.

Plan For The Future

So many of us live paycheck to paycheck, and then when we’re hit with an unexpected expense, we can struggle to pay it. Planning for the future means you at least have a buffer there to help you if you fall upon difficult times. You could start a savings account, so you have access to cash, or you could stockpile things like food, cleaning products and toiletries in case you ever have a few weeks without money. You could take out insurances so that if something happens to your home, possessions, health or anything else you won’t end up out of pocket.

Earn Some Extra Money From Home

Another way to make things easier financially is having a way you can earn extra money when you need it. How about starting a home business, or signing up to some freelancing websites? You could start a blog and will eventually get paid opportunities. These are all things you could work around your regular job, but give you the chance to earn some extra money when you need to.