Healthy living includes healthy finances; Ronel Jooste shares a checklist to get yourself financially stable in 2019.
Many people set new year resolutions at the beginning of the year. Some aspire to lose weight, to exercise on a regular basis, to eat healthier, to spend more time with their loved ones, or to start a new business. It is also the perfect time to get your personal finances in order for the remainder of the year. Definitely a resolution that you want to turn into reality, because it will create financial security and stability for you and your family.
Your financial wellness has a direct impact on your physical and emotional well-being. Reducing financial stress will benefit your health, help you to sleep better, create a positive mind-set, and help you feel happier and more satisfied with your life in general. It’s also important to get your finances in order should your health deteriorate. You don’t want financial stress to add to the pressure that already exists during difficult times.
This checklist will help get your personal finances in order:
- Compile a monthly budget for 2019. If you already have a budget, ensure you update it for annual increases, new expenses and inflation. Most importantly keep to your budget as a budget provides the foundation layer to create financial stability and wealth.
- Analyse your actual expenses for the last three months and identify expenses that you can reduce or cut out completely.
- Review your retirement savings and update it for any increases in living costs.
- Ensure that your will is signed and up to date.
- Review your life-, disability-, dread disease insurance, income protection and funeral policies to ensure they still cover your needs.
- Update your short-term insurance policy by adding any expensive gifts you received, or new items/house improvements you added during the holidays.
- Review your debt, the interest rates and repayment periods, and compile a plan to repay your short-term debt (credit cards, overdrafts, personal loans and clothing accounts) as soon as possible.
- Ensure you have an emergency fund in place to cover any unforeseen events happening.
- Think about how you can create one additional income source in 2019. Maybe start a business on the side, rent out a vacant room in your house or buy an additional property.
- Allocate any excess funds you have available at the end of the month to repay your bond quicker. The quicker you can become debt free, the quicker you can create a secure financial future.
This checklist might seem easier said than done, but with the necessary discipline and dedication you can implement these 10 items. It certainly will have a positive impact on your financial well-being and give you peace of mind that your finances are in order, or that you have started taking action to get them in order.
MEET OUR EXPERT – Ronel Jooste
Ronel Jooste is a director at PhysEQFiT (Pty) Ltd, a company specialising in physical, emotional and financial wellness where she runs the FinanciallyFiTLife division. Ronel is a Chartered Accountant and helps individuals and businesses to become financially fit through financial coaching and consulting. She is passionate about fitness and is a qualified personal trainer.