Tips that pay off: 5 August goals to make you richer by September
Feeling broke? Between sweet weekend escapes, rooftop bars, lobster rolls and endless expensive indulgences that define the ideal summer, the season’s damage to our finances might make it more bittersweet in retrospect.
If you’re low on cash right now, you’re not alone. Summer temptations abound and it’s dangerously easy to buy one too many Negronis (or Aperol Spritzes) to enjoy on an open-air deck — or to opt for an air-conditioned Uber to escape the sweltering heat at the end of the night.
But because August already has us anticipating the summer’s end, it’s the perfect time to set some financial goals that will erase summer spending guilt by September — and even make you richer (no matter how difficult it is to imagine right now).
Want to get wealthy already? These five tips will get you started right now, so you can start enjoying the remaining days of the season without an ounce of regret: Fall riches are made in the summer.
Tip No. 1: Get started on saving serious money this year
We’re talking $10K worth of serious money — that’s more than $800 by September. You don’t even have to restrict your diet to cereal to pull it off!
First, you need to face what you spend. Seeing the total of your discretionary spending just might be what you need to rein in those numbers. Once you know what you are spending (or saving), you can begin to formulate your $10,000 plan. Whether you go with one bold plan or you mix and match strategies, here are seven moves to help you reach your goal.
Tip No. 2: Learn how to properly pay your credit card bill
You may think you’re paying your credit card bill the right way — after all, how much is there to it? You might be wrong — and it could be costing you some serious $$$.
When you go to pay off your balance, you may find something weird online. You’ll probably have two different balances listed: current balance and balance on last statement. And, when you make your payment, you may have to choose which balance to pay.
Knowing which to choose is vital to properly paying off your balance and avoiding steep interest and/or late fees. We detailed a thorough explainer to save you from making this expensive mistake.
Tip No. 3: Don’t be lazy at your own expense — hunt for the deals
When shopping, it’s tempting to opt for convenience and indulgence. The only problem with that is it could be costing you a giant chunk of money. Hunting for deals takes time, but it’s worth it. You can have your good-time cake and eat it frugally, too — whether you’re hitting up summer sales, shopping for a fun vacation destination or simply looking for cool stuff to do close to home.
Don’t worry, we crowdsourced the seven best deals in America to get you started.
Tip No. 4: Switch to a job with a better work-life balance that’ll still pay well
If you want to get out of your current job by fall, it was time to start looking yesterday.
Don’t sweat — we researched 10 top-paying jobs that will let you work from home and/or part-time. Just add resume and perfect cover letter.
Tip No. 5: Read some rich-spo from the richest
If you need inspiration to kick you in the butt, here’s what seven millionaires — including Sheryl Sandberg, Jeff Bezos and Tim Cook — were doing in their 20s to get rich.
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