I have received quite a few emails from readers requesting that I go into more detail on the term “found money” strategies. I was introduced to this term long ago from my days as a financial advisor. Found money is anything that you can add back into the inflow side of your spending plan. This article will offer you specific strategies that support this practice.
1. Check with a tax advisor to see if adjusting your tax exemptions makes sense. This could mean more take home pay, ergo giving up a substantial refund at the end of the year.
2. Open an online interest-bearing savings account (I talked about this in my previous article).
3. Scouring for discounts, promo codes and signing up on various coupon or manufacturer websites are great strategies. Whether the goods or services are discounted by $20, 20 percent or 20 cents, it will really add up.
Hello! Have you seen the Extreme Couponing reality television show? Now I’m now suggesting that you adopt such extreme measures, but you can certainly commit to a scaled-down version. The more you incorporate discount strategies into your plan, the more substantial your inflows become. This will lead to abundance and freedom.
4. Learn to negotiate, but first believe that most things are negotiable. This will take practice, and it wouldn’t hurt to read a book on the subject. This skill will carry you far in several financial opportunities.
5. No offense to my two darlings, but children tend to monopolize the outflows (endless expenditures) in your plan but unfortunately for them, they at times may neglect their household responsibilities. In our home, we refer to this as “rights to citizenship” and I will enforce taxes. This simply means less pay in their weekly stipend.
You know what this means; less expenditures to me equates to more inflows. Discipline starts young but so should reward and bonus.
6. Consign or resale items you have not used for a year. There are several stores that will offer you immediate cash.
7. Sell you intellectual property. If you are endowed with writing, tech support, organization, training/tutoring or cooking skills, these talents could make for substantial increases to your cash flow.
8. Omit or pay off quickly those high-interest credit cards. For illustrative purposes, here is a rough example: $20,000 of debt, 13 percent interest rate, $500 minimum monthly payment. The outcome is over $26,000, which is more than $6,000 of interest.
9. Hold dividend income-producing investments.
10. Take advantage of your company’s retirement plan match. Make sure you are capturing the entire match.
11. Go paperless. Many companies still offer discounts.
Personal cash flow strategies will always need to be a part of your financial plan.
“Found money” strategies are always wise and should be part of your financial plan. Regardless of your current income, seeking out these sorts of cash flow strategies will allow for additional monetary freedoms.
Freelance writer, financial consultant, entrepreneur and mom, Tamela Saulsberry brings a combined 16 years of experience in business, finance, sales and coaching. She is delighted to receive your questions and feedback. She can be contacted at tamela@liveshero.com or 612-269-2341.
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