Anything that is combined with discipline is most likely to yield positive results. Discipline always comes to mind when people discuss making improvements to their lives, habits or health. Here, we focus on a certain aspect of discipline that will equip anyone for financial independence: financial discipline.

Financial discipline is the practice of developing a set of rules to achieve one’s financial goals. It involves making informed decisions for spending and saving. It is a skill meant to make one have control over money rather than the other way around. We listed down helpful tips you can take for a more stable and secure financial future:

1. Set a realistic budget. To start, determine how much of your money comes in and goes then set a practical monthly budget. Utilise a budget journal, an online spreadsheet or an app that can track your budget and try your best to adhere to this.
2. List your debts and settle them. Identify your debts and how much it will cost you to settle them. Make sure to include outstanding loans for credit cards, mortgages and medical fees among others. Inclusion of debt payments into your budget guarantees funding for every month.
3. Build an emergency fund. Save up at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses for emergencies or unexpected eventualities. This fund will serve as your safety net so it’s not for that dream getaway or the luxurious item you’ve been eyeing for a while now.
4. Cut down on spending. Make wise spending habits by cooking at home, sticking to a shopping list, reconsidering your subscriptions and reducing household expenses like electricity use.
5. Look into the future. Create a savings plan for retirement and seek sound opportunities for investments. Keep in mind that there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to money and your rules may need to change as your priorities and goals do.

By embracing financial discipline, one can achieve a stable and secure financial status. Anyone who observes self-discipline along with financial discipline will be able to successfully manage their finances, prevent accumulating debt and handle unexpected expenses.  With these five simple steps, we hope to establish money discipline and grow on them as you acquire more knowledge and experience