Ingresos en efectivo: qué hacer y qué no hacer con Cash Management
Mis primeros empleos fueron en cafeterías y restaurantes.
Según el trabajo y la temporada, los ingresos eran irregulares de una semana a otra y de un mes a otro: por lo general menos pago de nómina y más en propinas. Por momentos, ganaba el 100 % en efectivo, con cheques de pago por $0.00 (por culpa de los impuestos).
With unreliable income and cash habits you might call "scattered," I didn't develop a good system for saving or budgeting until I was out of school and dealing with debt.
Here are some simple dos and don'ts, from someone who learned the hard way.
Take these highlights as a few Don'ts of Cash Management.
Durante la mayor parte de mi adolescencia y años universitarios, si me hubiesen preguntado, hubiera dicho que tenía un sistema. Pensaba que el sistema funcionaba. (Spoiler alert, it didn't.) Remember, cash management doesn't have to be complicated.
1. Don't store cash in a random jar or drawer.
Los ingresos en efectivo iban de mi bolsillo a casa, donde dividía todo en dos partes. Colocaba una parte de las propinas en el cajón de los calcetines y el resto en mi billetera. Then, if I needed the cash to cover a check I wrote, or if the sock drawer felt overstuffed, I'd take a trip to the bank and make a deposit.
Una historia graciosa (bueno, quizás no tanto). While sharing an apartment in college, one of my roommates stole over $200 from my "secret" bedroom stash, but I had lost track of my money so badly that I didn't even know it was missing until he confessed months later.
2. Don't ignore your checking account.
When I received substantial paychecks, I'd deposit them in the same place I'd put my rare cash deposits – into my checking account. By depositing there specifically, I figured I was less likely to write checks I couldn't cash. The catch is, I didn't bother reviewing my accounts or balancing my checkbook.
I found myself repeatedly overdrawing my account, discovering that I've maxed out my overdraft protection and got hit with fees. I'd just go on using my checking account to pay off my credit card, buy gas, pay rent – and go weeks without depositing payroll. Y luego, ¡ay! Más cargos por sobregiro. Se acumulan más rápido de lo que uno espera.
3. Don't spend money without tracking it.
My monthly costs were minimal, so I didn't worry about them, track them, or budget for them. Estos incluían el alquiler, gastos de telefonía celular y combustible para el auto, y todo lo pagaba desde la cuenta corriente. Otros gastos eran costos diarios flexibles, como alimentos, entretenimiento y ropa. As long as I didn't feel like I was overspending, I would probably be fine.
For my flexible expenses, I'd use whatever payment method, based on a whim. Cash, credit, or debit – it didn't matter how I paid (because I wasn't tracking it anyway). If a card was declined, I'd just try another method and hope for the best.
Here's the result of those financial habits: my money disappeared and savings did not exist.
I eventually discovered that my money management system wasn't working for me. I had more monthly bills than before, including a new auto loan and student debt, and I kept dipping into overdraft protection due to "insufficient funds." The issue with my money management had been simple – I wasn't managing anything!
Tengan en cuenta estos ejemplos de qué hacer con Cash Management.
During those early years, I didn't know what money I had, so I didn't know where my money was going. Luego, descubrí hábitos que funcionan.
1. Mantener el dinero en un lugar seguro.
When you deposit money with a financial institution, you get the peace of mind that it's secure and protected. Accounts are usually insured (like the share insurance at Visions) and often come with support teams that can help you with theft, fraud, and financial wellness.
I even make regular deposits into a share certificate, where I won't touch it for months and months – making it not only secure from theft, but also safe from my own impulse spending.
2. Hacer el seguimiento de los ingresos.
If you don't know how much money you have coming in, how can you control what's going out? Sean específicos. Sepan exactamente cuánto dinero ingresa y en qué momento fluctúa. Algunas épocas pueden ser más difíciles que otras; conocer las tendencias ayuda a planificar. Pro tip: Ask about the Holiday Club, Summer Savers, and Lucky Savers to plan your savings on a seasonal/annual basis.
En una observación más personal, recientemente compré una vivienda; y el comprobante de ingresos fue una parte muy importante del proceso de aprobación. Without claiming my full income and tracking it thoroughly, I wouldn't have qualified. I'm glad I did. Y eso me lleva a…...
3. Crear un presupuesto.
Have a system to stay on top of bills, expenses, and savings. When you budget, you're prioritizing your necessary payments. That way, you'll know exactly what you can spend on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis on everything else.
At first, when I started using a traditional budget, I realized how I was overspending on food and entertainment in December, for the holidays, then again in April and May, apparently excited about the nice weather. Antes, cuando tenía siempre efectivo a mano, no tenía idea. If you're like me, you'll catch onto your spending habits and feel empowered to adjust your budget as needed.
4. Primero, pagarse a uno mismo.
Cash Management implica que uno tiene el control. As long as you have a good foundation of savings, you're likely to keep that control, even in the face of an emergency. Practiquen ahorrar dinero para el futuro antes de gastar dinero en el presente.
Al tener seis meses de ahorros reservados en una cuenta de ahorros, supe que podría manejar una situación inesperada sin temer por mis finanzas. De repente, también tenía el control de mis facturas, por lo que mi calificación crediticia comenzó a mejorar. Now, anytime I have money coming in, I'll first make a deposit into my savings before I consider any new expenses.
Una vez que organicé mis ingresos, pude hacer el seguimiento de mis gastos.
Fue un pequeño paso que tuvo un enorme efecto expansivo para mis finanzas. Si tienen ingresos en efectivo, quizás deseen guardarlos en un solo lugar. Hagan el seguimiento de lo que ingresa y de lo que sale y recuerden que el comprobante de ingresos puede ser útil a largo plazo. ¡A mí me ayudó mucho!
- JMS
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