5 ways to control personal finances if you are a humanitarian

Although the economy - the humanities, everything connected with numbers and calculations, we, humanists, not very much. But this can not last forever. Humanitarians also "grow up" and start to think that the money should be considered. Otherwise, instead of creativity and idea generation, the brain will start looking for ways to save or borrow.

Habit control personal finances - plan a budget, take into account the income and expenses - formed hard. First you need to overcome your own settings, which do not allow to do this mercantile occupation. Then - to find a way that will not irritate and take a lot of time.

If you are a humanitarian, perhaps among these tips, you will find what you are looking for.

Method 1. Delegate

If you decide for yourself exactly that control personal finances - not for you, then simply delegate this task to another. Of course, this should not be the first man in the street. The method is suitable for people family.

For example, Maxim - the lawyer. It is clean and the humanities do not like to count. Fortunately, his wife Lena - accountant. Therefore fully responsible for family finances. Maxim every night just talks about his expenses, and of income too.

Or a journalist Marina. She has a son, Kolya, who 15 years. Finance is engaged in view of the son. Mom sends Cole voice messages via WhatsApp, and in the evening he listens to them, and records all expenses.

Pros:

• You do not have to force yourself to do something you do not like.
• Plan and conduct the family budget becomes easier, because all members of the family are involved in this work.

Minuses:

• Each family has its own unique method of accounting.
• You transmit information on the costs, but are building a habit to control the finances.

Method 2. Experiment

Suitable for those who might ask ourselves, hypothesize, and then conduct your own experiment.

Experiment - the one thing that best suits the humanities. Because the multi-variant - our fad. We are always interested to know, "what would happen if ...".

The key question of our experiment: "What happens if during a month to record their expenses every day?"

Doubted he could hold out for a month? Start with the week. For seven days, in any case you will feel the change. First, they will take place at the level of consciousness, and then become visible and at the material level.

How to learn to save up to 7 days to fix the habit →

The beauty of the experiment lies in the fact that it can be extended if the results are like, or complete if it does not work. It's just an experiment, rather than reinforced concrete promise from now on and forever plan a budget and consider the costs.

Pros:

• The experiment helps to make the first move, motivate to action.
• You draw your own conclusions about whether or not you know how much money you have and how you need to spend.

Minuses:

• As with any experiment, the result can be negative, be prepared for it.
• You have to allow time for an assessment of what is really going on and whether it is useful for you.

Method 3. Simplify

If every day have to carry the cost of 100 500 categories, this is unlikely anyone will cope. The main mistake beginners - for each purchase to invent a separate category.

Perhaps out of pure curiosity, I would like to know that in the past month did you drink milk in the 1000 rubles. But what's the point? Enough to know how much money is spent on food, utilities, Household expenses, transportation, health care, education, clothing.

The simpler accounting system, the faster it will become habitual. To control, do not need to think through all the details. In fact, all the money should be divided into three parts: the mandatory spending, accumulation and unnecessary costs at a ratio of 50/20/30.

Pros:

• If the general expense categories, they are easier to control and more difficult to get confused.
• You save time.

Minuses:

• You will have only general information about costs. Although it is not critical.

Method 4. Automate

There are three ways to keep track of costs: in a notebook, spreadsheet or application. In the first two cases will have to make all the items manually. That is, every day to open a file or notebook and write. One day you miss - and you will not notice, like last week. Then it can be difficult to find half an hour of time trying to write down the cost of checks and bank notifications.

With the majority of the problem is the same application. They differ from the notebook and the table only because the beautiful graphics are created automatically. The principle of operation remains the same: every day it is necessary to make the numbers. Eliminate manual entry, you can use apps that are synchronized with the banks - will only make a purchase, paid in cash.

10 best applications for doing personal finance →

Automation will help in drawing up the budget. Based on data for the last month, you can plan your expenditure for the next period of just 15 minutes.

Pros:

• On control of finances it takes less time.
• I do not have every day thinking about what to write down costs.

Minuses:

• There is no perfect application.
• Failures of the installed application can be very unnerving.

Method 5. Share your experience

You can read a lot helpful books about personal finances, but did not start to plan and to take into account. Humanities lucky in the sense that it is easier to talk and write about their experiences, and in return receive the motivation and advice of those who have already passed some of the way, tried to financial control methods and can tell you what is good and what is badly.

You need to use this advantage. We decided tomorrow to consider finances - tell the world about it. Write that you are planning to do and in what time frame. Describe your situation and the bright future that you want to come at the expense of the formation of habits to control the finances.

I do not want to tell anyone - Keep a journal. So you see your promotion and will be able in time to deal with the challenges that are bound to arise.

Pros:

• Help others and feel better.
• Find like-minded people - support never hurts.

Minuses:

• Not all people are friendly, be prepared for criticism.
• Need to set aside time to describe their experiences, formulate a question, communicate with peers and opponents.

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personal finance control - is one of the healthy habits. If you never have enough money, you will not have enough time and energy, will power to change the situation. Forming the habit, congratulate yourself for success and analyze the errors. Then you definitely will succeed.

see also

• How to clean up the personal finance →
• Life hacking for the budget: how to not spend more than you should →
• How to change your life, if you save for 3000 rubles per month →