Hot girl paycheck routine: Level up your finances.
Do you feel like every payday is sprinkles with a bit of chaos? Like you are always trying to send money this way and that, making sure that everyone gets paid while still having money for yourself?
That was me before I started a paycheck routine. Every payday I wouldn’t know who to pay first. There were almost always unexpected expenses as well, which made things even more difficult.
I wanted to be able to manage my money with low stress while accomplishing my financial goals. That is why I started a paycheck routine.
It isn’t just me either. After doing a bit of research, I discovered that many people have their own paycheck routines, minimizing stress and helping them accomplish all of their financial goals with each payday that passes.
1. Retirement accounts
This is done automatically for most people, but if you are contributing manually, or if you have more than one retirement account, then the first thing you should do when you get paid is to fund those retirement accounts.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to not look out for your future self. Retirement accounts help secure your life in the future. Make sure to put those accounts first.
2. Emergency Fund
Your retirement accounts are fantastic, but they aren’t for immediate use. In case of a financial emergency it is imperative to have an emergency fund established. This covers all unexpected expenses and prevents you from being stressed about money the next time your car is in the shop.
Experts say a good emergency fund is 3-6 months of living expenses. This is in case of major emergencies as well. Losing your job or being injured, etc.
Don’t let that discourage you though, you can start an emergency fund with any amount of money. The important things is that you get started.
My first emergency fund was $1,000. I used a savings plan that I found on Pinterest to reach that number and it was a great way to start with building my emergency fund.
3. Necessities
After you’ve paid yourself, it is now time to pay for the necessities. Housing, car, food, and bills. We all loathe this part of managing our money but the good news is that you’ve already paid yourself so you aren’t going to be left with nothing at the end of this.
4. Extra debt payments
Do you have credit card debt? Want to pay off your car early or make an extra payment towards your mortgage? Use this money to take care of those things. I don’t like being in debt so I always try to pay off my bills early. Even if you don’t have much for extra payments, every little bit helps
5. Saving for your goals.
Do you want to travel the world? Renovate your kitchen? This is where you contribute to those savings goals. These are separate from your emergency fund and help you put some money aside for the non necessities that you still want to accomplish.
If you are feeling like you don’t have much left over for extra debt payments or saving for your goals, it might be time for a second job, a better paying job, or a side hustle.
Final thoughts
Creating a paycheck routine is the easiest way to streamline your finances and take the guess work out of paying your bills. It will give you peace of mind while you are saving for your future, covering your necessities and saving for your future goals.
Paycheck routines will also keep you organized. I love to be organized as it makes my life easier and stress-free.