Financial Strategies

I have been trying to find out more about making money on the internet as a result of a little google ad that popped up next to one of my articles.

Since then, I have been sucked into the world of internet marketing and while I’ve learnt a lot, I can’t say I’ve really enjoyed myself. I like writing for the sake of writing and to have to keep adjusting my point of view to slant it a little towards a product I was trying to promote just took the fun out of the writing.

Not to mention having to think about these important things called keywords so google would find me. It drove me nuts trying to remember to mention a keyword, and not make the whole article sound like I was trying to mention the keyword.

But I ramble on. Actually, what happened was, I tried to create a blog on personal finance. I figured that maybe if my content was about money, maybe people would put all sorts of nice google ads about money on the site, and I could promote the internet products helping people to get rich.

I have since realised my flawed logic.

1. Money is an interesting topic. Personal finance is not. I was half-way through my blog when I learnt about this thing called doing keyword research and the number of people who actually search for blogs under personal finance are a tiny fraction of people who search for money blogs, of which there must be millions of them, mostly trying to sell something or other.

2. I don’t believe in the stuff I was supposed to be selling. I don’t believe in get rich quick schemes. But try advertising a product that tells people they can get rich slowly but surely, and in the most boring way, by saving, researching, investing etc and see how many clicks you get !

3. I changed my name of the blog from Why Money Matters – A blog on Personal Finance to Grow Rich Along With Me – The Best Is Yet To Be, and google found me ! Under “get rich blog”, google has decided I can come on its first page. Of course, once people come and visit and find out it isn’t something quick, they leave soon after. Oh well.

4. I failed a number of blogs created for the purpose of trying to make money. Actually, el cheapo me used blogger for most of them so google reviewed me and almost took one of my blogs off. Paid for another one but have since returned that !

5. My lack of savvy as a marketer became clear when I tried to sell Think And Grow Rich by Napolean Hill through Amazon.com, only to find after a few posts on it, someone else was advertising to give away a free version in the google ads next to my advertisement to sell the book !

Oh well. Have since become addicted to flooding cyberspace with blogs just for the fun of seeing them published. Have also littered the same cyberspace with articles meant to help promote my blog, but have found people read the articles, but don’t visit the blog ! Have also started a new blog on my internet marketing experience, separate from my personal finance blog, which is slowly gaining some regular readership.

We all know how stressful it is when you suddenly have no money, especially if you have a family to take care of. The worst part is when you don’t know where all your money went to, one day your purse carried some weight, a few days later its empty! Where did it go? You wonder. What did I buy?

All personal finance is, is the request of funds and economics processed through an individual or through an entire family. Personal finance consists of the following, saving, credits, the investments, overall budgeting, statements of your income and the insurance and taxes that need to be paid.

When you want to work out your financial planning and your budgeting there are five easy steps that need to be followed. First of all you should sit down (with your partner if you are involved) and evaluate the situation. Then you will need to set goals for yourself/yourselves, whether it’s to do with money, home life or work. Being able to create a plan is what comes next, create a plan that you or both of you will be willing to work on and succeed. Then taking action, carry out those plans that you made, do things properly and work together. After you have done all that you will need to observe the progress you are making. If you are making no progress at all then again you need to sit down and work it out or come up with an easier, more efficient plan.

Nine times out of ten people find that it is easier for them to work out their personal finance budgeting with an expert or profession that knows exactly what they are talking about. They will be able to help you and work out a plan that will help you in the future. The answers they will give you will be detailed and most importantly, accurate. Without accuracy you won’t know what you are doing which could make your situation worse. They will also ensure you how to spend your money wisely using all the available income.

There are many experts that you could use to help you work through your problem, you just need to find the right one. Do some research and make sure to find a good one that will be able to give you that professional help and advice on your personal finances that you need. They will tell you everything you need to know, from budgeting right down to investing, catering for all of your specific needs. You will learn things that you didn’t even know existed!

These are easy steps to follow, so if you are struggling follow these steps, sit back afterwards and admire the outcome!

If you are in debt, you need to reduce and eventually clear your debt first before anything else. The key to debt reduction and elimination is your own commitment and discipline. The steps for debt reduction and elimination are very simple. The challenge is to stay the course.

Stop Further Debt

Excessive borrowing is the cause of most debt problems. You should only borrow what you really need. Keeping proper records of your debt and do not lose sight of your objectives. Your debt should be for the short term and you should aim to clear them within a few months. Do not let your loans balloon into debt problem.

Reduce Your Expenditures

Make this an obsession. If you take the bus or train to work instead of driving, congratulate yourself on the money you are saving on gas and parking. If you have packed lunch instead of spending money at the cafeteria or expensive restaurant, congratulate yourself. You would have saved up to $3000 a year. Money which will go some way to reducing your debt.

Reduce Your Debt

Try to consolidate your debts and secure a lower interest rate. Start paying more than the minimum sum and set a target date to clear your debt. This is the only way to reduce your debts. To achieve this, you need a proper budget.

Make a Monthly Budget

One of the most effective and important money management tools is the budget. Coming up with a budget is fairly simple but you need to have the discipline to stick to it. A budget is simply a schedule of your earning and what you need to spend. The key words here are “what you need to spend”. Be prudent and frugal with your money, you are already in debt, what other reason do you need? The key to good personal finance management is to spend within your means. To curb impulse spending, try leaving your credit cards at home.

Get Into a Debt Settlement Program

If you a huge debt, think about getting into a debt settlement program. If you want to do it yourself, you just need to contact your creditors to inform them about your plan for debt settlement. Most financial institutions are open to debt settlement proposal so you should not hesitate to ask them for better terms. Most financial companies will allows up to 40% to 60% reduction on loans amount payable. Negotiations can be quite tricky so you can consider hiring a debt settlement company if you are not up to it.

Proper personal finance and debt management will allow you to get ahead in life. So make sure you are dedicated and motivated to do what it takes in order to provide a sound financial life for yourself and your family.