How to Reduce the Stress Associated with Finances

​Life is stressful, and all of our many responsibilities can add up to be truly overwhelming at times. One of many people’s biggest stressors is personal finances. All too quickly, your finances can spiral out of control, and you may feel that you’ll be trapped in debt or living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of your life. Thinking this way can be deeply upsetting and may even completely change your outlook on life.
 
If your current financial situation has you feeling overwhelmed, take things one step at a time to help get yourself back on your feet. Below are a few steps you can take to help set yourself on a path for financial success.
 
Educate Yourself
 
The best thing you can do to help alleviate feelings of stress surrounding money is to learn as much as you possibly can about money management. From opening a bank account, to applying for a credit card, to setting up a savings plan and more, there is so much to learn about the very basics of money management.
 
 A strong option to get you started on your financial literacy journey is learning about how your credit score affects your finances. Your credit score will be the foundation of your financial journey over the years as it impacts your ability to be approved for loans and lines of credit. The higher your credit score, the higher loan amounts you can be approved for, and the higher credit limit you can be granted.
 
Building up a high credit score increases your potential to be approved for personal loans specifically. Personal loans are useful if you need a certain amount of money to pay for something important or want to consolidate your debt. Debt consolidation helps you simplify your monthly payments and can even reduce your interest rate depending on your credit score and other financial considerations. Consolidating your debt with a personal loan is a great first step to taking back control over your money and building better money habits. 
 
Set a Budget
 
Once you’ve implemented a few new strategies to help you better manage your personal finances, it’s time to create a budget. Creating and sticking to a budget is a fool-proof way to feel less stressed about money. A budget determines how much of your money can go toward your various expenses and savings, making it easier and more predictable to manage your income every pay period.
 
Start by recording all of the income you can expect to receive on a monthly basis. This will be the foundation of your budget. From there, list all monthly expenses you have, including credit card bills, groceries, gas, other necessities, and free spending money. Once you’ve determined how much you spend on a monthly basis, you can then allocate any leftover money to savings and sinking funds to help you save money over time. If you find that you have little or no money left over after paying your monthly expenses, reevaluate your monthly costs to see if you can cut down on spending, and increase the amount of money you have left over for saving.
 
Without a budget, it can be easy to spend too much money on items you need or want, leaving you with not enough money to pay your bills or put away for saving. This can easily lead to a stressful situation that only snowballs each pay period if you don’t correct this behavior.
 
Seek Support From Those You Trust
 
If you find that your financial stress is not something you can alleviate on your own, look to those around you for help and guidance. From your friends and family, to financial professionals, there are a variety of ways you can get help from others to learn how to better your financial situation.
 
Perhaps you choose to confide in a family member by disclosing your financial circumstances and ask for their advice on how you should proceed. If circumstances allow, you may even ask your loved one for some financial assistance to help you get through an extremely difficult time. Your mental health and livelihood are much more important than money, and if you find that your financial situation is deteriorating your quality of life, rely on the help and advice of your family and friends to help you through a tough time.
 
If asking for help from loved ones isn’t something you're comfortable with, a financial professional is a great option for taking charge of your financial situation. If you are struggling with low income and high debt, a credit counselor is a professional who can help you better understand your financial standing and assist you in creating a budget. While these services do cost money, if you are in a particularly difficult situation, the cost would be worth your investment. Learning how to better manage your money from a professional will help you be in a better position in the years to come.
 
Managing money is a stressful task for just about everyone. Without the proper education and management tools in place, digging yourself out of debt can be nearly impossible. To help take back your finances and make your money work for you, try out these tips.