There aren’t many things that impact your life as much as your spending patterns. Understanding how you manage your money can decrease your stress levels, 帮你省更多钱, 为未来设定目标. 如果你不知道自己的消费模式, you won’t know which financial habits to change to make the most of your money. 

Why is it we often spend money on things we know we don’t need or can’t afford? There are three key aspects to the psychology of why consumers spend:

• 情感诉求 玩弄我们的感情. 我们经常购买那些我们认为会让我们快乐的东西, 会给别人留下深刻印象, 或者防止不好的事情发生.
• 填补空白 with spending is a common tactic when placed in unfortunate circumstances. The choices that are involved in shopping (and not just in browsing) can bolster your sense of personal control.
• 存在偏见 及时提出挑战. The appeal of acquiring something today is always stronger than the appeal of acquiring something in the future. 

每一种策略都通过广告得到加强. Advertising can be beneficial to consumers – introducing you to new products and showing potential discounts or deals. But if you’re not careful, advertising can also make a large impact on your spending patterns.  1990年，一个城市的消费者每天看到大约2000条广告信息. Thirty years later, consumers in a city see about 5,000 每天的广告信息. 零售商使用品牌忠诚度之类的策略, 重复, and glossing over costs to lure consumers and convince them to spend their money. 即使广告是下意识的, this can later have an impact on your choices when selecting products or brands.

How do you avoid making unwise purchases, influenced by advertising versus your own true needs? It’s important to understand these techniques and implement them in your financial life: 

记录你的开支

It’s impossible to know if you’re spending too much money until you know how much cash is actually leaving your account. 一些常用的追踪开支的策略是支票登记簿, 电子表格, or budgeting apps — it’s most important to find the way that fits into your lifestyle. 

You should first include fixed expenses such as your mortgage or rent, 汽车贷款支付, 健身房的会员卡, 保险, 儿童保育费用.  下一个, 你需要考虑汽油等可变费用, 食品杂货, 信用卡账单, 和娱乐. 最后, take your periodic expenses into consideration such as medical bills, 汽车维修, 礼物, 和休假制度. It’s important to plan ahead for these expenses to avoid unnecessary debt.

一旦你收集了所有的费用, compare those costs to your monthly income and see how your spending stacks up with your paycheck. Consider meeting one-on-one with a budgeting professional from 好的赌博软件推荐 to create a customized strategy that works for you. 

应急计划

Setting realistic goals is an important part of any good savings strategy. A great starting place is to set the goal of saving $1,000 as a dedicated emergency fund. 然而, once you reach the goal it can be tempting to use that money for items that may not be a true emergency. 在元素, we recommend asking these three questions before taking any money out of an emergency account:

• 这笔费用出乎意料吗??
• 这笔费用是绝对必要的吗?
• 这笔费用紧急吗??

如果你能对所有这些问题都回答“是”, 你可能有一笔支出值得动用你的应急基金. 否则, consider other ways to pay for the item or put it on hold until you’ve saved dedicated funds for it.

建立你的储蓄

While being confident you have the financial stability to handle an unexpected expense is important, it’s also critical to plan for future life events and milestones such as your child’s education and retirement. 

We highly recommend creating two separate savings accounts so your emergency fund and standard savings account are in two different places. 给你的账户贴上标签也能帮助你走向成功. Most online and mobile banking tools (including at 元素) allow you to give each account a name to serve as a constant reminder of your goals. 

我们最喜欢的一些储蓄策略包括:

• 直接存款: Send a portion of your paycheck to a savings account without even having to think about it.
• 48小时的规则: 花两天时间考虑是否要购买大宗商品或超出预算的商品.
• 重新分配截止日期: 调整你的账单到期日期，使之与你的薪水保持一致.

仔细记录你的开支, 为紧急情况制定计划, 建立一个储蓄账户, you’ll take better control of your spending and make your money work harder for you!

此信息仅供参考. 它不构成法律、税务或财务建议. Consult with your tax, legal or financial adviser before taking any action.