Extracted from: http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/top-5-tips-whip-finances-092356145.html

Here are my top five personal finance tips to help you get your finances into shape:

1. Pay yourself first

This is the most important. You will often find this advice in finance books, newspaper articles and magazines. For me, at the current moment, I pay myself 40% of my net income (after 20% CPF deduction), leaving the reminder for expenses. And this amount paid (40% of my net income) will be left untouched till my financial objectives are met.

I keep records on how this is used. Should it be used for share investment purposes, it will be recorded in my personal financial books as “Accounts Payable”, meaning it will be paid off once profits are realized or from other income streams.

2. Monitor your budget for key areas and place limits if necessary

I do have a budget limit for my credit and debit card expenses. Unless there is a one-off need to spend (for example medical bills and checkups, travel, etc), it will be adhered to in my day-to-day life.

On the other hand, I do not like the idea of living too cheaply. I delight in spending on things that can enhance my life, for example, dinner together with my spouse at some fine restaurants (We love to eat!). But I will ensure that my budget is monitored so there will not be any overspending.

If you have a habit of spending unnecessarily (i.e. spending that you regret later), you can try putting sticky notes in your wallet to remind yourself of your goals.

For discretionary expenses such as mobile phones, I have a ceiling amount to cap the maximum amount that I can spend on such things.

3. Create multiple streams of income and assets

At the moment, my income streams comprise the following:

- Full-time employment

- Career coaching

- Dividends from companies

- Others (which accounts for about 1% and comprises things such as affiliates program etc.)

My portfolio income (liquid assets) consists of company shares and unit trusts. What income streams and assets do you want to develop?

4. Design your personal financial tracking system and ensure that you follow it diligently

I have a system to record my fixed and variable expenses on a regular basis. Every month’s end, I will do a consolidation of my income, balance sheet and cash flow statements. From there, I will review my financial profile.

Prior to this, I will do a personal financial stress test. I will plan and have checklists to remind me to stay focused on my goals.

You can use Excel spreadsheets, Word documents or buy external software. Just choose a tool you are comfortable with.

5. Develop a strong sense of financial discipline and positive habits

Both the hardware and software have to be well-integrated. The software refers to your mental abilities, financial beliefs, values and attitudes. Once this is conquered, you can slowly cultivate the discipline to track and monitor your income and expenditure patterns.

The development of good financial habits comes after a period of strict discipline. My attitude towards finance has matured from the time of my polytechnic days where I did not care two hoots about accounting and finance to now where it is part and parcel of my daily check.

These habits have helped me to become a person who is now financially capable to buy assets and create businesses that can help to generate future wealth.

Extracted from : http://moneymatters.sg/3-ways-to-save-more-money/

Savings for Singaporeans is a must do – it is something we need to accumulate. If not, we will be unable to fulfill the below needs:

Car

To be able to afford a car, you need to have savings to cater for at least a few months worth of installments. Apart from that, there is a need to cater for maintenance cost, insurance cost and road tax. If you intend to cut down on your monthly loan payments, you need to put down a larger down payment.

House

To book a new flat at HDB, you need pay $1,000 to $2,000 of option fees. If you are buying a resale flat, you need to cater for the agent’s commission of 1% of the purchase price, plus an option fee of $5,000 will be required to exercise the option. Not to mention the down payment of 20% of the flat’s valuation. Lastly, there is the renovation cost required, which could easily to around $30,000 (it is not advisable to take a renovation loan due to the high interest rates).

Marriage

You need money to buy the engagement ring, be it a Lee Hwa or Cartier. The price could vary from $500 to $12,000 based on the carat size and the requirement of your partner. A pair of wedding bands can also cost more than $500 for a mid tier brand. There is also the photography package that costs around $4,000. We have not even included the honeymoon cost, ang pow money for the in-laws (for guys), and lastly to standby the money to repay the difference for the wedding dinner package should the ang pow money received fall below the average cost for each table.

Starting a Family

The Government encourages family planning but the cash perks offered are simply insufficient. The cost for a delivery package by a gynecologist is around $3,000. There is also the cost of the pre-natal gynecologist visits. Apart from that, other major expenses include the confinement nanny and tonic food for the wife. We have not included the baby expenses like baby cot, pram etc. With enough savings, we can breathe better when it comes to the expenses required.

3 Ways to Save More

1. Force yourself to save automatically

Pay yourself first. Create a separate bank account, budget a fixed amount to be transferred to the account once you receive your pay check. Save any other additional income you get.

2. Cut down on expenses and practice delayed gratification

Be frugal. Do not be influenced by peer pressure for luxury items and learn to say NO to salespeople.

3. Monitor your expenses

Do this for to up to 3 months to understand your spending habits and make tweaks. After many months, you will see your savings being accumulated slowly and steadily.

Have other ways you use to save more money? Share them in the comments below!