Expression GreenExpressing the need for a healthy green lifestyle

Imagine setting out on a cross-country car trip with no itinerary, no maps, no money and no source of help. Jumping in the car, and heading across the country with no direction and no planning may sound like fun (and it might be for awhile), but what happens at the first sign of trouble? Living without a budget is a lot like that car trip.

It may seem easy enough to buy what you want, when you want it, use credit cards to handle those nuisance bills that come along very few months (like car insurance, vehicle tags and registration and even a prescription or two), but what do you do when something big hits? Would you find yourself in serious financial trouble if your income suddenly changed due to layoffs or a career-change; the roof needs to be replaced; or an unexpected baby arrived?

Spending plans, otherwise know as budgets, are just that: a plan for how you handle your money, to better prepare you for all of life’s twists and turns. Most people hate even the thought of budget. Why? Because they have been taught that a budget limits what they can have; what they can do; and what they can spend. Smart financial planners know that the opposite is really true. A good budget can be used to set the stage for financial security, and gives the freedom to spend money on honestly, anything.

Imagine the next time that bi-annual car insurance bill arrives in the mail: you open it, looked at the total and reach for your checkbook, knowing that the entire amount is there, just waiting to be paid. Whew! Sound too easy? It doesn’t have to be. Setting up, and living by, a good budget can free you of the stress and chaos of juggling paychecks and credit cards to meet the bills. It’s a way for consumers to break free from the bondage of debt and have the money for the fun stuff , without the worry of how to pay for it later.

What else can a budget do for you? Here are 5 important benefits of budget-based living:

1: Following A Realistic Budget Helps Free Up Cash For The Fun Stuff.

Budgets aren’t designed to deny the user from doing or having the things that are important to them. Budgets are an excellent tool to help stop wasting funds on little things that you don’t need, but sure can add up! For instance, one smart budgeter realized that if she just bought her favorite soda from the grocery store and took it to work with her instead of buying it from the machine, she could pocket nearly $400.00 a year! She took that soda money and used it for a weekend at her favorite spa! Instead of denying her of her favorite soft drink, her budget simply alerted her to an unnecessary expense, which ultimately allowed her to use that money for something she really wanted, yet didn’t think that she could afford.

2: A Budget Helps You Prepare For Emergencies.

Eventually something big is going to beak and need replaced. It may be a $400 washing machine, or it could be a $20,000 car. Are you ready for the inevitable? Budgets allow the user to see where their money is going, and to help them better equip them to both save for emergencies, and clearly see where changes can be made if an unexpected expense comes up. When Bob was suddenly laid off from his job, he and his wife Nancy had very little saved, but they used their budget figures to immediately see what temporary cuts could be made to get them through a few lean months with very little stress and worry.

3: A Budget Can Both Get You Out of Debt; and Keep You Out Of Debt.

The average American household owes more than $9,000 in credit card debt. That doesn’t even begin to account for the hundreds of thousands of dollars we each carry in additional mortgages, car, and student loans debt. Owing money is an American epidemic. It has even been cited as the #1 reason for divorce in the United States. Creating a budget the whole family can live with, will ease the burden of debt on the American household by teaching everyone in the household how to curb their overspending habits and live a more sensible, and stress-freeing financial life.

4: Budgets Teach Responsibility.

We see in every magazine, on every billboard, and in every commercial: you want it, you deserve it, go get it – no matter what the cost. The instant gratification of American credit has taken a severe toll on our sense of responsibility. After all, we can buy now, and pay later, much later, so who needs to think responsibly? Unfortunately, those bills eventually come due, and many people aren’t ready for them. Budgets help reign in over spenders, and teach them real financial responsibility.

5: A Budget Eases Stress.

Money concerns are a top stress inducer in today’s over indulgent society. It has been reported however, that those who live by a budget experience less stress in their daily lives. Surprisingly, that was true for both minimum wage workers, as well as high-income workers. It didn’t seem to matter how much (or how little), income a household reported, the fact that they knew how to best spend their money seemed to play a significant role in the stress they reported in their overall life.

Creating a budget may seem like an exercise in futility to some, but the statistics are clear: budgets are good for you! What do you have to lose except for a little worry? Try one and see what unexpected benefits you find yourself reaping.

Everyone spends his or her money differently. While one person may find eating out a necessity, another prefers to put a little extra aside for faraway vacations. How you ultimately spend your paycheck is up to you. However, when applying for a mortgage, or other large loan, you financial institution will be looking at some important spending ratios to determine if you qualify. It’s important to try and stay within these limits on certain spending items. Check with your particular lender for limits.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Spending Survey, most American consumers spend the following amounts on the following items:

Food: 14.1%

-At home: 7.7%

-Away from home: 5.4%

-Alcoholic beverages: 1.0%

Housing: 32.9%

-This includes mortgage/rent; utilities; insurances and upkeep/maintenance.

Transportation: 19.1%

-Vehicles: 9.1%

-Gasoline: 3.3% (In 2003)

-Insurance: 6.7%

Apparel and Services: 4.0%

-The cost of new clothes, dry cleaning expenses, etc.

Healthcare: 5.9%

-Doctors, dentists, eyewear expenses; over-the-counter-medications, medical co-pays and deductibles. This does not include healthcare premiums.

Entertainment: 5.0%

-Movies, outings, vacations.

Personal Care products and Services1: 1.3%

-Haircuts, salon fees, etc.

Reading: 0.3%

-Magazine subscriptions, books, etc.

Education: 1.9%

Tobacco Products: 0.7%

Miscellaneous: 1.5%

Cash Contributions: 3.4%

-Religious tithes, charitable contributions, etc.

Personal Insurances and Pensions: 9.9%

-Health insurance premiums, 401K contributions, life insurance, disability insurance, etc.

Every family’s expenditures will be different. However, if you notice one of your own spending accounts in excess of these national statistics, it may be time to reevaluate why you are spending so much in a particular area.

Some areas that may be cut, according to most financial experts include:

Transportation: if your transportation (car) costs are much higher than the 19.1% national average, the odds are you own too much car for your budget. Try downsizing to a less expensive vehicle. You’ll not only save on monthly loan payments, but also on insurance premiums, upkeep and gas.

Miscellaneous accounts can be a budget killer for many. This is where we spend on the most frivolous items: morning coffee; specialty items; expensive gifts; etc. Try and keep this percentage under 1.5%, warn experts.

Entertainment can be a budget buster for some. While the average percentage is 5% f your annual bring-home salary, that amount can be excessive, especially for higher wage earners. This is an easy area to bring down expenses. While it’s fun to g out every weekend with friends and pick up the tab, try staying at home or having a quieter, more low-key (and less expensive), get-together with friends instead.

Food. Most Americans spend more than 14% of their monthly income on food – regardless of their family size! Considering that more than half of that amount is spent eating out at restaurants and fast food joints, it ma be time to hit the grocery store and eat at home in order to save a bundle at the checkout.

Saving money doesn’t have to be difficult. Taking the time to see where the money waste in your household is spent can be a great way to streamline expenses and learn to save.

Debt Management used to fix directors personal debt issues

Frequently directors of a small business borrow in their own name to invest in the company. If the business subsequently fails, the director will be responsible for this debt. As a result, directors of failed businesses often find themselves struggling with personal debt which they cannot afford to repay. Business Recovery services such as a company voluntary arrangement or phoenixing can be used to try and save the business, but these do not resolve directors personal debt.

As I have discussed in previous articles, one solution for a Director who is struggling with personal debt could be an individual voluntary arrangement (or IVA). However, in order to make an IVA work, there needs to be either a sustainable income from which monthly payments can be made, or a lump sum available which could be used to offer creditors a full and final settlement. Without this, an insolvency practitioner who is required to implement an IVA would be reluctant to put the arrangement in place which might then be at risk of failing.

A regular income or lump sum of money is unlikely to be available if the director’s company has recently been closed. Given this situation, the answer for many directors is not IVA but to consider a debt management plan. Debt management can be a very useful way to manage a personal debt problem particularly for a temporary period.

So what is a debt management plan?

In simple terms it is an agreement with creditors to reduce the monthly repayments that they receive. Importantly, the payments required to operate a debt management plan can be significantly lower than those required for an IVA. In addition, even if the reduced payments turn out not to be sustainable, the plan can be re-negotiated. Were this to happen in an IVA, the IVA could fail and the director may be forced into bankruptcy.

What are the advantages of a debt management plan?

Property is not put at risk in a debt management plan as long as you keep up with mortgage payment. The director is also free to take up other directorships which might be an important part of the strategy for rebuilding income.

However, there are of course downsides to debt management. Creditors do not agree to write off any of the debt owed. As such, if the reduced monthly payments cannot be increased or a lump sum to settle the debt cannot be found, the time that it takes to repay the debts in full could be substantially increased.

Debt management is generally seen as a temporary solution to manage a difficult debt problem until an individual is back on their feet. As such, this type of solution could be perfect for a director after a business failure while they are looking for a new contract or starting a new business venture which cannot afford to pay an initial salary. However, debt management will not necessarily be suitable for all situations. As such it is important to get advice from a specialist debt expert before using this kind of personal financial solution.