在当今世界, things are more expensive than ever before and our market is unpredictable, but 利记app官网 is here as your trusted source of financial advice during a time of financial instability. Our credit union believes in ensuring our members and community are well equipped to successfully maneuver their financial journey.

We’ve identified best practices for spending, saving, and borrowing smarter:

消费行为

Your traditional spending habits may look different right now with the rise in food, 住房, 还有运输成本. Here are two of our favorite ways to track your spending and find places to trim your budget:

刷卡的挑战

Do you find yourself swiping, inserting, or tapping your credit or debit card often? 如果是这样，我们的专家建议你试试“刷屏挑战”. 它是如何工作的??

• Keep a log of every time that you use your credit or debit card for one week.
• 在第一周之后，将总使用次数加起来. Subtract any essential purchases such as a utility or cell phone bill that you may have used your card to pay.
• 然后, set a goal for the next week to cut down your number of ‘swipes’ by 25-50% and keep another log of your spending.

This challenge will put spending patterns at the forefront of your mind and help you determine which purchases are essential and which could be eliminated. 在减少你的借记卡或信用卡刷卡次数之后, be sure to take any excess money and put it in your savings or use it to pay down debt.

两周消费日志

Our financial wellness team recommends that you keep a two-week journal of all of your spending if you’re looking to cut down your budget. From grabbing your morning coffee to ordering a late-night snack for delivery, keeping a log of each purchase get a grasp on your spending habits and better understand wants versus needs.

Download a template for our 两周消费日志 that guides you to categorize your spending into four categories:

1. 固定费用: This is an essential expense that typically costs the same amount each time that it is paid. 一个例子是每月的租金或抵押贷款.
2. 变动费用: This is an expense that occurs regularly but may adjust in cost each time that you pay it. 一个例子是基于使用量的电费账单. 
3. 周期性费用: This type of expense occurs somewhat regularly but does not happen consistently every week or month. 一个例子是每年支付两次汽车保险.
4. 一次性费用: This expense is something that does not occur on any kind of schedule and will likely never be the same again. 这方面的一个例子是在快餐店买晚餐.

一旦你列出并分类了两周的开支, 考虑一下减少开支的选择. 我们的专家讨论了在我们的预算中削减预算的策略 削减开支 建议文章. 

下载我们的两周消费日志

储蓄行为

把钱存起来比以往任何时候都重要. However, a savings account without categories can be difficult to manage. We recommend that you divide your savings into these three buckets to avoid spending it on unnecessary expenses:

1 000美元应急基金

This should only be used in the case of a completely unexpected emergency, 然后尽快更换. You would use this cash if you had a situation arise such as a flat tire on your commute to work.

3-6个月的费用

This should only be accessed if you have experienced a significant financial difficulty that has left your income lower than usual. 希望, you won’t need to use this cash but if you were to lose your job or be forced to work reduced hours – this cash could supplement.

多元化长期投资策略

这笔钱是为你的未来准备的. It’s important to contribute to this category to have savings for long-term goals including retirement or major purchases such as a new home. You’ll want to devise a careful and individualized plan for these funds, 所以利用LPL财务顾问的知识 元素财富管理 能成为有用的资源吗.

One of the best ways to kick off your savings is with the 52 Week 储蓄 Challenge. 下载一份这份文件，每周划掉一个数额. By the end of one year, you’ll have $1,000 saved to put in your emergency fund. 然后, continue the challenge and add money to your other savings accounts in future years.

下载我们的五十二周储蓄挑战

借贷行为

Taking out loans for major purchases can help you buy items like a home or car without draining your bank account. 想要钱包里有更多的钱? Ensure that you’re getting the best rates and deals each time you apply for a new loan. 另外, you can borrow smarter by continuing to monitor the rate environment and your credit score to see if you qualify for better rates even after opening the loan. In many cases it makes sense to complete a loan refinance to save on your monthly payments.

利率的调整

Watch for rates to drop or promotional rates to be announced before considering a refinance of your mortgage or auto loan. 您可以在我们的网站上探索元素提供的有竞争力的价格 利率页面. Contact our team to inquire about saving money from a refinance today!

监控你的信用评分

你的分数, 300-850, tells lenders how likely you are to repay your bills and impacts the interest rates that you’re charged. 监控你的分数 元素利记 and as you work to increase it, see if you qualify for a better interest rate on your current loans.

计算你的储蓄

如果你对如何在贷款上省钱感到好奇，可以考虑使用 元素计算器 快速预览估计你每月的汽车, 抵押贷款或信用卡付款将在我们的信用合作社.

考虑余额转账

Credit cards typically have the highest interest rate of any lending product. 如果你的卡上有余额, consider completing a balance transfer and moving the amount you owe to a lower interest rate. 比较元素信用卡选项 to learn about how a balance transfer could save you from paying extra interest in the future. 

有问题? 我们的信用合作社为您服务. 联系要素 在你财务生活的各个方面给予支持. 

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.