Financial Freedom Through Personal Cash Flow

personal cash flow management

Personal Cash Flow For Financial Freedom

The vast majority of us are feeling battle fatigued by ordinary life and frustrated that we are not happier and more successful. Most of us want more control of our lives, and for many of us that means the quest for more financial freedom.

“Arhhh… if only I had more money I’d be able to do what I really want in life” I hear almost everyone mutter to themselves. Is it just me, or is everyone chasing the lure of fast money and big profits?

But it can be a vicious cycle.  More money can mean more work which can mean less time and therefore less control again.  It’s frustrating – but what’s a better solution?

I constantly see queues of sheep for lottery tickets and hear of stories of gambling problems all stimulated by the quick-fix mentality of “How can I make heaps of money quickly?”  And even if you are one of the freakishly lucky one-in-a-gazillion people who over a lifetime invested the equivalent of a house into scratchies and won – are you happy anyway?

Do you ever wonder if the rich are really happy ? I used to. Most nights in fact! Not that I’m envious. Well, err, OK, maybe a little. But, it’s always fascinated me – does money really make you happy?

Social analysts have studied Lotto winners years after their windfall and found that these people, in general, weren’t happy with their lives. The research shows that having very little money can make you dissatisfied, but having heaps of money doesn’t actually make you more satisfied.

 

Are You Taking Control?

Part of taking more personal responsibility for our own life is being prepared to take control and better manage our financial situation, no matter what that may currently look like.

At every phase in life, not just in times of uncertainty, taking control of our cash flow is one of the most vital things that we can do to reduce stress and create a sense of peace of mind.

A personal cash flow is a key tool for planning and controlling an organisations financial success. So why not do the same for your own lifestyle so that you have greater control and security around your future.

 

Financial Security is a Matter of Choice

By taking a few simple steps, the cumulative effect of your actions could have a dramatic impact on your sense of financial well-being.

The people most likely to succeed are those who have the most control over their financial situation. How much do you feel like you have control over your finances right now?

 

Put Yourself in the Top 3%

Personal finances is one of life’s top stressers, but amazingly only 3% of the population have a cash flow and budget to gain more financial control and reduce stress. So why don’t more people take better care of their financial situation?  Either they don’t know how to or they haven’t made it a priority.

MYOB, Quicken, Microsoft Money and now Xero are all great financial software packages, but for many a complete over kill for what is needed for having practical peace of mind that puts you personally back in control of your cash flow situation.

Putting together your own simple cash flow is easy to do and only takes about 45 minutes!  The problem is that it is easier not to invest the time to do it. The choice is yours.

 

Have You Given Yourself the Best Chance?

Why keep struggling, hoping one day you will have financial freedom – when you can dramatically improve your cash flow situation now?!

I was sick of always playing financial catch, I wanted positive cash flow, but didn’t know how to get started either.

Can I let you in on a secret ….?

I’m pretty lazy – but putting together your own cash flow is absolutely by far the quickest and easiest way to get control over your finances that I know.   I use this exact process myself in my business and my life, and have for the last 5 – 10 years – so I know it works!

If you want my cash flow template, it’s all part of my cash flow video course called Financial Freedom Through Personal Cash Flow Management

Why not get started now and reap these benefits?

  • More financial control and freedom
  • Peace of mind and vastly reduced stress
  • Greater clarity around options and future strategies
  • Improved short & long term planning
  • Increased awareness of spending patterns

 

Maybe look at it this way:-

It Can Give You a 10% Pay Rise Without Having to Ask for One

By having a cash flow it is estimated that you can save 10% of your income as you are more aware and in control. So based on this theory, if you want the equivalent to a 10% wage increase, do a budget and cash flow. If you are earning say $90,000 per annum, your annual 10% saving could be as high as $9,000. Therefore $9,000 divided by the 15 minutes a month (or three hours each year) to maintain your cash flow is $3,000 per hour tax free!

 

How Would You Like To Earn $3,000 Per Hour & Reduce Financial Stress At The Same Time?

Many people also find it difficult to start a budget and cash flow because they don’t want to know the bad news. But awareness is the first step to any improvement. Why not have more control over whatever situation you are now in financially, and then be able to make better informed decisions about your future?

If you’re the type who would rather not know where the valuable money you earn is really going, ask yourself this question: Are you controlling your money, or is money controlling you?

The most important time for you to be up front about your financial situation is right now!

 

If You Are Serious & Want To Take Financial Control

First, if you are keen, register for Financial Freedom Through Personal Cash Flow Management and download your very own cash flow template.  It’s simple and easy and the short sharp video modules help you can get started straight away.

Then, fill in your cash flow template considering the steps below, and remember, no need to be a perfectionist as the first draft may only be 60-70% accurate. But this is a great start and will help immensely!

  1. What is Your Cost of Living?
    How much does your lifestyle cost? This includes the basics, like food, clothing, transport, and rent/mortgage. It also includes things like holidays, magazine subscriptions, and gifts/donations. Some expenses are almost unnoticed, or unaccounted for, like the cost of the morning coffee, magazines, or cigarettes. It can be a surprise to find out how much these items can add up!  The aim is for you to be clear on where your money is going
    Tip: Underestimate income and overestimate expenses when doing your cash flow.
  1. What is Your Income?
    How much will you earn this year? Will you be paid in weekly, fortnightly or monthly sums (PAYE)? Or, are you paid sporadically, with larger sums coming in less frequently (such as for a consultant, or an artist)? It is possible you will have more than one source of income. Income sources include salary, commissions, bonuses, royalties, dividends, tax returns, even inheritances and birthday gifts of cash. The aim is to be clear on where money will be coming from, how much, and when. If you’re not sure – just estimate to start with. Close enough is a great start!
  1. Earn More Or Spend Less!
    If you are in a negative cash flow situation, you have two positive choices – to increase revenue, or to spend less (or a bit of both). It’s as simple as that. A lot of people these days make a third choice, which is to continue spending more than they earn and putting the rest on credit card. But it doesn’t take long for credit card debts to get out of control, so we don’t advise it! You are the product of your choices about money expenditure.
  1. Make Informed Decisions
    Now that you know your cash flow, you can make more informed decisions about your expenditure and earnings. You may decide you need to take on more work or ask for a raise. Or on the other hand, you might realise you don’t really need that promotion and can take some time off! You can see how buying a new sofa this month will impact on your cash flow and maybe even your retirement savings plan. Or you may decide to do a few extra odd jobs this month so that next month when you buy the lounge you will have the money to pay for it. Then again it may raise questions – Do you really need that lounge? Would the money be better put into superannuation? You may be able to arrange to pay it in instalments, which in turn may keep your cash flow looking more healthy. To help my cash flow a few years back I started paying my car insurance monthly instead of one big hit during the year. It really helped my cash flow.
  1. Make Your Cash Flow Work For You
    Make a note in your diary for a little time each month (5-15 minutes) to update your cash flow to ensure that it is still reasonably accurate. Have you got some overtime coming up where you will be bringing in more money? Have you had an unforeseen expense, like getting the car fixed? Your cash flow will work best for you if you make the commitment to first do it and then keep reviewing it.

 

Remember, A Successful Life Doesn’t Come To You – You Have To Go To It

Doing a cash flow can immediately benefit your life. Similarly, not tacking action can have a huge negative impact on your life stress levels and being out of control financially.

The choice is now yours for the taking!