Earning money and actually not spending all of it can be really hard. A lot of people lack good financial habits from childhood because not many parents teach their children how to manage money. It gets harder to develop these habits when you’re older, but it’s not impossible if you know where to start and which steps to take. Try to learn how to protect your finances and become financially stable before you do something reckless and loose everything.

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” 
― Epictetus

 You should save as much as possible

Rich people didn’t get where they are by spending all of their money without saving some on the side. You need to learn how to spend less than you earn. If you’re making a lot of money, that’s great, but you don’t need to spend all of it. The smart thing to do is to open a savings account, just in case. You never know what will happen next, and whether you’ll always have a lot of money coming in. Therefore, don’t spend more than you need to because if something unexpected happens, you’ll have money saved until you find a new way to make more.

 You should budget your income

When you use a budget, you are able to establish where your money is going to and make sure that it goes where you want it to. You can download an app like Mind and You, for example, that will help you take charge and keep your budget in line.

 You shouldn’t spend impulsively

Money can engage a person in a very tempting way. When you get paid, you probably have an instinct to go out and spend it all on things you don’t necessarily need such as new clothes and the expensive gadgets you’ve always wanted. When you start spending impulsively, it’s hard to stop. Therefore, do your best to get some self-control and monitor how you spend your money. If you can’t do it alone, ask a friend or a family member to help you.

 You should track your spending

It’s not necessary to do so every day, but it’s good to occasionally review how much money you’ve spent and on which items. If you do this once a month, for example, you can see where you’re spending more money than you should and change it. For example, if you’re getting coffee from a coffee house every day before work, and you realize it’s making you spend more than you thought on a monthly basis, start drinking coffee at your own home instead.

 You should eliminate all the existing debts and prevent new ones from arising any way you can

Being in debt is one of the worst financial moves ever. Even if you have time to pay them off, most of your debts probably have a high interest rate. Therefore, as more time passes, your debt increases. As such, if you have any debt, pay it off as soon as you can and avoid debts in the future if possible.

 You should invest

Investments can be another good way to have financial security for the future. If you invest in a successful company, you can get a lot of money back. Still, always choose your investments wisely.

 You should respond as soon as possible

Your financial responsibilities are one thing you should never procrastinate. Pay your bills as soon as they come in, to avoid landing in debt that would keep growing. If you run a company, pay your suppliers and ask for payments from your buyers with no delay.

 You should give up all of your bad habits

This is something that takes a lot of discipline and strength, but as soon as you realize that your bad habits are responsible for much of your spending, it will be a little bit easier to get rid of them. For example, if you’re a smoker, just calculate how much money you spend on cigarettes every month. Then, think about what you could do with that money you spend on a habit that’s costing you not only your money but also your health as well. Your wallet and body will be grateful if you quit.