How to Take Control of Your Finances

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Coming from a single source income family, we had to make a lot of adjustments when it comes to handling our finances. My husband works fulltime while I stay at home and run the household. and although I earn a little from part time freelance writing and social media content creation jobs, the bulk of our income comes from my husband’s salary.

This wasn’t always the case for us. I used to work full time but when my mother died and I got sick, I resigned from my job. We were then living in the metro which means cutting our income in half was a huge blow in budget so we had to make adjustments in order to manage it.

Here are some of the things that we did on order to take control of our finances- shifting from dual to single income family.

Cut the Expenses

Even before submitting my resignation letter, we already planned how we were going to cut the expenses. Number one on the list was moving back to the province where cost of living is more affordable. Living in the metro was no longer practical for us – food, rent, school fees for the kids, and everything would be too expensive for us if we stayed. The plan was for the kids and I to move first and my husband to stay in the city to continue working for a year or so and then follow us once he gets a different job in the province. This set-up allowed us to continue to afford a quality life for our kids without breaking the bank. Being away from the extremely busy life in a metro city allowed me to relax and recuperate from my medical condition. There are many ways to help you cut down expenses depending on your situation, you just need to find out which one will work best for you and your family.

Pay Off Debts

We incurred debts in our number of years living in the city so we made sure that a loan we took out under my name was paid off before I left my job. I suggest not leaving a job that pays the bills until loans are paid off or until you’ve secured another job that will allow you to continue paying loans off. We also paid off a loan taken out under my husband’s name and that gave us a lot of financial relief.

Look for Other Streams of Income

Although I do not have a job, I accept writing and content creation jobs to help augment our income. The best thing about working from home is that I get to stay with the kids and still be able to help my husband put food on the table. Running a small business that you can operate mostly online is also a good idea these days.  Online marketing is booming and if you find a business niche that you love, it becomes a fulfilling way to earn additional income.

Save Up

Avoid spending money on things that you do not need. This is actually better said than done so what I do is after taking out the budget for our expenses and savings, I allot a certain amount for items that we like but not necessarily a need. It is important to pamper and indulge once in a while but make sure that it is within your means. My husband and I keep a certain portion of our income for savings, but we also set aside a little amount for family fun.

Debt Consolidation

If you find taking back control of your finances very challenging, do not hesitate to look for resources, tools, and programs to help you manage your debts. There are financial professionals out there who can help draw a doable financial roadmap for you. If you are interested to learn more about consolidating debts, you can go here.

Battling financial struggles can be an uphill battle but with proper planning, discipline and perhaps a little help from a pro, it can be done.

How do you take control of your finance? Share them with me in the comments!