Managing your money can be an extremely stressful affair. There are many moving parts and often professional financial advisors are brought in to make sense of the chaos. But this is not always necessary. You do not have to pay extortionate rates for advice if you practice common sense and be sensible when overseeing your finances.

Whether you are a first-year student struggling to keep your finances under control or a bona fide money-maker, the basics can never be forgotten. Here are some quick beginner’s guide tips to managing money:

Audit

You cannot manage money blindly. To oversee your situation more thoroughly, you need to make sure that you have a crystal-clear view of everything that is happening with your expenses. Start from a place of strength and begin the process of managing your money through some self-auditing.

When you accumulate the data from your personal audit, you will know everything about your finances. Are you spending too much here? Too little there? Can you account for every instance money has left your account? The answers to these questions are vital for you to ground yourself in your present situation by delving into your past. Assess your financial history and see if you can afford to make any necessary changes that’ll help you save.

Budget

Once you have a firm grip on the present, it’s time to wrestle with the future. This is where budgeting comes in, the process of mapping out your finances for future expenses. Everything should be featured; rent or mortgage payments, debt repayments, bills, insurance, holiday plans, automobile management, etc. The list goes on and on, so make sure you have a complete rundown of everything you are pumping money into.

If you budget effectively, you will know what you can and cannot afford in the future. Should you find yourself coming up short, you can then reshuffle your expenses and decide to fund the things that are most important, such as healthcare and bills, and then side-line other things like luxury items and holidays. Put simply, budgeting enables you to prioritize and retain control.

Avoid Bad Credit

Your credit score is essentially a representation of your financial behavior. Are you reckless as soon as pay day arrives? Do you stash and store your money away safely? Do you pay rent and loans back on time, or ignore what you owe? In the end, banks do not give out loans to people who squander every coin that comes rolling their way. So, it is important to be responsible with your money. The more responsible you are, the better your credit score.

If you find yourself contending with a bad credit score, then companies such as Likely Loans can help you. After all, an important part of managing money is accepting help. No bank account is an island. Be sure you are willing to pull from different and trusted resources to better manage your money. If you find yourself in an unfavorable situation with your finances, ask for help.