It’s almost the end of “Januworry” – the month of festive season overspending recovery and the pressure of New Year’s resolutions – many of them financial.

But setting financial resolutions is a proven way to make money work better for you, and January is still a great time to implement the right habits to meet your resolutions in 2020. Here are six top tips to meeting your financial resolutions and ensuring you end 2020 far better than you started!

Budgeting 101

Proper budgeting halves the work done when it comes to reaching financial resolutions. Budgets provide you with a clearer view on where your funds have potential and where you need to focus more. This should look like knowing what money comes in and what goes out, segmented by bills, essentials and luxuries.

Save yourself

South Africans save a miniscule – 0.10 percent of their incomes – yet saving can enable you to  reach your financial milestones sooner or afford to fund your next micro dream. When saving is done proactively, it works alongside your trusty budget to more effectively track and curb your spending.

Hustle

Thanks to the freelancing revolution, more flexible jobs exist now, plus many opportunities to earn money from hobbies and passions. Just be careful about how you supplement your 9 to 5.

 “There are many secondary income-generating options now, but many are unprotected by law and industry best practices. So, protecting income has become just as important as earning more,” says Liberty’s Boitumelo Mothoagae, Financial Adviser at Liberty. Fortunately, you can insure your side hustle, thanks to Liberty’s Income Protector Enhancement.

Emergency room

“Consumers operate in an unstable job market and the unexpected tends to happen – for example disability, critical illness and even death. You should protect your life and lifestyle and ensure that your loved ones feel the least impact in any of these scenarios,” says Mothoagae.

Enter the emergency fund. It’s easy to set up and every little bit helps. You can even involve your family, whether deposits to the fund jar comes as a punishment for not doing homework or from change saved on a shopping trip.

Invest in yourself

Investment can seem like a daunting saving method. Unsure of where to start? Speak to a financial adviser about whether it’s the best channel for reaching your financial resolutions and what products will work with your goals.

Luckily, several technologies and innovations have simplified investing. For example, Liberty’s recently re-launched tax-free investment app, Stash, enables consumers to continuously contribute to and monitor their investments.

Get un-debted

A staggering nine million South Africans have bad credit records due to debt, according to the National Credit Regulator and the average SA household spends 72.6 percent of its disposable income on servicing debt.

Thankfully, there are ways to manage your out-of-pocket debt and credit situation to save more. Paying your highest interest debt first saves on your total outgoing funds per month and having a little extra wiggle room for what you need, or for saving for your next important purchase. You’ll also be able to put those savings towards nixing other debt.

Ultimately, there are many roads to financial happiness – and the best time to start the journey is now. Want to know more about reaching your financial resolutions? Speak to a Liberty financial adviser or your broker about great tools like our Lifestyle Protector with Disability or visit Liberty to find out more.

This article does not constitute tax, legal, financial, regulatory, accounting, technical or other advice.  The material has been created for information purpose only and does not contain any personal recommendations. While every care has been taken in preparing this material, no member of Liberty gives any representation, warranty or undertaking and accepts no responsibility or liability as to the accuracy, or completeness, of the information presented. Please consult your financial adviser should you require advice of a financial nature and/or intermediary services.  Liberty Group Limited is a Registered Long-Term Insurer and an Authorised Financial Services Provider (FAIS no 2409).