Your Personal Finances Should Not Be A Mystery To YouThe first step towards improving your financial situation isn’t making more money. It isn’t even getting into the habit of saving. Before you can do anything about your financial situation, you first must learn how to manage money appropriately. Read on to learn the basics of good financial management. Consider using a re-loadable check card. If the thought of your credit or debit cards getting lost or stolen on your trip makes you too nervous, you can always use re-loadable check cards. You can find them at most retail stores. It is arguably safer and easier than carrying around cash. If the time doesn’t seem good, don’t sell. If you see that the earnings potential for a stock is there, refrain from selling for a short time. If you have stocks in your portfolio that are not performing well, you may wish to change them up a bit. To assure you always have money when you need it, create an emergency fund. It is best to have between three and six months income in a savings account that you can easily access. Doing this will assure you have money set aside in times when you absolutely need it. Your credit score might even go down as you work to increase it. A drop in your credit score does not mean you have done something wrong. Stay dedicated to accumulating positive information on your credit report, and your goals will eventually be within reach. A great tip for anyone interested in finding extra money each month to put toward existing debts is to make a habit each day of emptying your pockets or purse of change received during cash transactions. It may seem like a small thing, but you will be amazed by how much money actually accumulates over time, and you may find yourself paying down that stubborn credit card balance faster than you ever thought possible. Set up an automatic overdraft payment to your checking account from a savings account or line of credit. Many credit unions and banks do not charge for this service, but even if it costs a little it still beats bouncing a check or having an electronic payment returned if you lose track of your balance. An income tax refund is not the most efficient way to save. If you get a large refund every year, you should probably lower the amount of withholding and invest the difference where it will earn some interest. If you lack the discipline to save regularly, start an automatic deduction from your paycheck or an automatic transfer to your savings account. Instead of going to a car dealership and signing a lease for a new car, take a look at all of the used cars in the lot. Sometimes it is better to purchase a used car, as you will pay a much lower price and have resale value in the end. Heating can be the largest household expense during the winter months. Some heating types are more expensive than others. If you live in an area where the winter is cold, don’t rent a place with electric heating. As electricity is the most expensive energy source, stay away from rentals with any kind of electric heating system. Adding your credit card issuer’s account management site to your list of daily online stops is a good way to keep up with your credit card purchases. It will also help you to spot possible problems, irregularities, or new account charges early on before they affect your spending and payment behaviors. If you are traveling overseas, be sure to contact your bank and credit card companies to let them know. Many banks are alerted if there are charges overseas. They may think the activity is fraudulent and freeze your accounts. Avoid the hassle by simple calling your financial institutions to let them know. Be honest with your friends and loved ones about your financial challenges. By being honest about your financial situation you do not have to feel guilty about saying no if they invite you to dinner and you cannot afford to go. If you don’t let people know the reason you can’t afford to go on a trip or purchase a gift, they may start thinking they have done something wrong. Maintain friendships, simply allow them to have a clear understanding of your circumstances. Save a little money where you can. Look for substitute goods. For example, this week at my grocery store, I could have bought a pound of beef for stew, precut into neat little cubes from the scrap trimmed off of beef round, for 3.50. On the other hand, I could have chopped it myself from the beef round roast for $2.50. Financial management is a matter of education, as you can now see. Now that you’ve learned the basics, you’ll probably come up with an infinite number of ideas to help improve your financial situations. Experiment with your finances to see what works best for you. Soon, you’ll be in charge of your money instead of the other way around.