Make Saving Money a Family Affair

| July 16, 2013
saving and spending

saving and spending (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

If you’re trying to save money for a new home or car or your children’s education, half of the battle is avoiding the pitfalls that can tear holes in your budget.  Many of these holes come as requests or needs of your children or other family members who may not yet realise that money does not grow on trees in the backyard.  To be successful at your own savings programme, try to involve the children in a savings programme of their own so that they can see what they have coming in, where it goes, and how a savings account can impact their own quality of life even at a young age.  Today’s saver is tomorrow’s frugal shopper and successful family member who values money and how quickly it can change your life from a peaceful calm to the midst of a storm with an unforeseen emergency.

Develop a Budget

You should have a working budget in place for your income and expenditures combined with a savings plan so it only makes sense to ask the children to create their own budget from which to make their purchases and manage their funds. This teaches them early on that every financial decision that is made impacts your life in some way and can either create confidence or contribute to the financial emergency that arises.  Let them pay for the expensive sunglasses that all of the other children are wearing and see how his care of the items which he buys improves dramatically.

It’s a win-win situation for you and your family.

Explore the Savings Vehicles That Work Best for You

For your own savings programme, you’ll want to work with a professional so that you can glean from his experience the vehicle that will work best for you.  You may prefer a simple way to save that provides you with access to your money in case of an emergency.  Make sure that you have the correct amount for establishing an account, you keep the minimum balance to avoid any penalties, and that you can transfer amounts of money from other providers to your account as well.  Do your homework, consult with experienced professionals, put your plan in place, and update it when necessary to get the best value for your savings programme.  Learning all that you can about how your account works and how to manage your money will help you to achieve your goals faster and will furnish you with a confidence that meets any financial emergency head-on.

Choose Your Professional Team Carefully

Financial security for your family is key to the success that you’ll have in other areas of your life.  You’ll want to work with well-informed professionals that have expertise in all forms of vehicles that you can make work for your family’s savings plan.  From GE instant access ISAS to Easy Access Accounts you’ll want to work with experts who have their hands on the pulse of the latest and best trends for your money.  Keep updated on your programme and review it regularly to get the best value for your investments.

Being a good role model will also help your children learn valuable tools and tips to use for their own budgeting needs.  They’ll be informed consumers and savvy spenders at a young age which will lead to savvy shoppers later in life.

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Category: Budget, Saving Money

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