Many people live with many regrets as they grow older. They would wish they did things differently when they could because they are not exactly happy with their current state. Some people regret choosing where to live, others regret their career choices and many more regret other life decisions they have made.
A good way to avoid having regrets is to plan ahead in life. By carefully planning the future decisions that you will need to make, you are setting yourself up for better chances at succeeding because you are also preparing for the possible outcomes early on.
Financial planning is essentially the same thing, as planning how to earn, spend, and save your money is just as important in being able to achieve your life goals. By being financially successful, you will have more options in life and mathematically more chances at success.
How Important is Financial Planning?
Financial planning helps you gain better opportunities to reach your goals and dreams, while also providing you peace of mind. With proper financial planning, you learn to give yourself a clearer direction in life, since you will be able to better understand what you need to do to achieve your goals.
To give you a better grasp of how important financial planning is, the following are a few benefits of learning this practice early in your life.
1. You are able to manage your income better
Having a financial plan makes you more aware of monetary values concerning your job. You don’t just know what your salary is, you also look into how much you earn through bonuses, interests, and dividends. You are fully aware of how much you can earn with your current status, and you can use that information to estimate how close you will be to your objectives after a certain time provided you don’t change jobs or positions.
2. You learn to understand and control expenses
There are several expenses in life, some are necessities while some can be called luxuries. People spend money on necessary expenses like food, clothing, and shelter to survive the world. For some people, splurging on luxury items is just as important as basic needs because it gives them a sense of happiness and satisfaction in life. There is nothing wrong with spending on luxury from time to time, but smart financial planning will teach you to control how much you spend on things you don’t really need.
When you plan your finances, your expenses are usually the priority when making adjustments. This is because it is easier to cut back on spending than to increase what you earn. If you go over your budget in a month, it’s more doable to lessen expenses in the following month to break even than to find other ways to earn money.
Expenses vary depending on one’s status and lifestyle. As such, the financial plans of people from different backgrounds will differ significantly.
3. You learn to save money
Learning how to save is a direct result of understanding the relationship between how much you earn, how much you spend, and how much is left. The remaining amount is usually put aside as you plan to reach your objectives, with the hope that the accumulated savings after a certain number of years can lead you to successfully achieve your goals.
Recording your income and expenses can give you a better idea of how much your savings should be. It can also help you set up a monthly budget so you can assess if you need to cut back on expenses.
4. You begin to think about investments
Sometimes, the financial plan can reveal that no matter what you do, as long as your current pay and expenses remain the same, you won’t be able to save enough for your goals. This is where investments come in.
A smart financial plan will help you choose the right investment by considering your personal circumstances, the current market, the risks that come with the business, and how it all supports your objectives. For instance, if your son or daughter shows promise in playing the piano and your family can afford to pay for professional piano lessons, that is a good investment to make because it has low risks and high upside. At worst, your son (or daughter) will have learned the basics of the piano. The financial plan essentially acts as a guide to find you an investment that suits your strengths, needs, and goals.
5. You can look forward to a relaxed retirement.
Nobody wants to work forever. As we grow older, we begin to imagine a stress-free retirement. This scenario is highly possible if you plan your finances early to guarantee that your desired lifestyle is attainable at the age of retirement. Medical expenses, insurance claims, and retirement settlements are all part of a good financial plan.
When making a financial plan, you encounter and learn about the economy and how relevant it is in your daily life. You learn about inflation and how to manage your money better so that you don’t fall prey to bad budgeting or overspending. You become more aware of how much life necessities cost and you get a better feel of how important money is. All these things can strengthen your plans for the future by giving you a glimpse into how finances could be like years from now.
