It is practically a fact of life that you’ll eventually make some financial mistakes, if you haven’t already. Everyone makes some money missteps at some point in their lives, and sometimes these seemly simple mistakes can be significant.
Here are some of the biggest financial mistakes people make can end up hurting them in the long run, that you can learn from and hopefully avoid making yourself…
- Not Developing a Budget
Regardless of how old you are or your level of income, just about everyone should develop a budget and savings plan. Not having an official financial plan is a huge money mistake! Yet, according to a GALLUP survey, only 30% of U.S. households have a financial plan. Tracking your budget and savings on a spreadsheet allows you to see where you might be overspending and where you could be saving more, and can help you make better financial decisions.
- Skipping Health Insurance
If you are looking to save money, you may think about stopping your health insurance, especially when you realize you hardly go to the doctor at all. If you want to lower your health insurance costs, you may consider switching to a high deductible health insurance plan and start putting money into a health savings account (HSA) each month. This lets you save money you can use to cover the occasional doctor’s visit while also protecting you in the event of an emergency.
- Relying on Credit Cards
When you rely on credit cards just to get from one paycheck to the next, you are going to accumulate a lot of debt. If you do use credit card, make sure you pay them off in full at the end of each month to avoid building interest.
- Not Contributing to Retirement Funds
Procrastinating saving for retirement only hurts you in the long run. You should be making regular contributions towards your retirement. When you are in your twenties, you have a long way until retirement and the more you contribute now, the more your money can build over time.
Unfortunately, it is all too common to see the mistakes that people make when they are handling their finances. Living paycheck to paycheck is no way to meet your long-term goals. Making sense for your finances is an important life skill that requires knowledge and discipline.