From the day I got my first job as a cart pusher at a supermarket, I spent years living from one paycheck to the next. I hovered around the poverty line, hoping that I would last until next month's rent. At the time it felt normal. It wasn't until after I started making more money that I realised the psychological scars that living the poor life left on me.
When you're examining your salary, you probably compare it to your current (or future) expenses. To really get a feel for how comfortable you'll be, calculate how much of that income you'll be able to save.
At the end of every month, you run out of cash and wonder where it all went. You decide you're going to finally save this month. Before you start cutting expenses, track what you're spending money on to begin with.
Friendly PSA: remember to consider the long-term cost of your purchases. There are some items that initially seem affordable enough, but over time, they're actually quite costly. And Apartment Therapy offers some useful examples.
You don't need most of your crap. I'd usually say "probably" there, but for most people, this is a safe bet. Give yourself a lifestyle purge every once in a while to save yourself money and declutter.
While the general guidelines for emergency funds are up for debate, most people agree it's a good idea to at least have one. While you decide how much money to put in yours, make sure you incorporate all of your small, essential expenses -- not just the big stuff.
When you're filing expenses at the end of a work trip, there will often be quite a few meals on the list. Is that entirely reasonable, given that you'd have to eat anyway?
iOS: Receipts are ridiculously easy to lose, so I always try to snap a picture of important ones with my phone. From now on, I'll be taking those pictures with Piikki.
iOS: Priority #1 for any mobile expense tracker should be speed, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a faster app than Next.
iOS: Got a wallet or drawer full of receipts you need to track? ExpenseMagic is a service that lets you photograph them on your iPhone and then has the data from them typed into a monthly expense report for you.
Having the company pick up the tab on the road is great, but searching through the bottom of your suitcase for a receipt isn't. In our last main Business Travel Week post, we look at how to make expense management less of a hassle.
If you have a wallet (and a briefcase, and a suitcase) brimming with unclaimed travel receipts, then you may need to consider this simple three step hack for keeping on top of your travel expenses.The Corporate Hack blog recommends that you start your trip with a letter sized envelope tucked into one of the bags you keep with you at all times (like your purse or briefcase, *not* the suitcase which will be sitting in your hotel room). Next, ensure that every claimable receipt from your trip goes into this envelope, as soon as you get it. If it's not clear what the receipt is for, make a note on the back of the receipt to save yourself the pain of trying to identify a bunch of mysterious receipts at the end of your trip.Finally, put aside half an hour the day you get back to fill out your expense form. This way the trip is still fresh in your mind, you get the paperwork out of the way, and you'll get your expenses paid ASAP. Hack your expense reports while traveling
