Last week, I let you know that April is Financial Literacy Month. If you missed that blog post, you can read that here. Now that you know what Financial Literacy Month is, you can get started establishing and maintaining healthy financial habits for yourself. If you are afraid of anything financial and not sure where to start, here are some easy ideas.
Pick one article or short video per week (or month) that deals with a topic area you want to learn more about. It could be anything from basic budgeting, to savings tips to reach a goal, retirement, Social Security, real estate, charitable giving, personal taxation… you name it. It’s your choice!
Read the article or watch the video and if you don’t understand everything the first time through, no problem! It’s not about grasping all the details the first time, it’s about making the effort to learn more. You can always re-read, look up terms you don’t know, or ask a professional.
Another idea is to pick a favorite finance app, social media site or blog (like mine), website, magazine or even look for broadcasts on your cable package dealing with personal finance. Find what resonates with you, in a format that you like, with content that is manageable and that you enjoy. Approach the content in small doses so you don’t get overwhelmed.
To recap: make it personal, take it slow and start with a topic of interest to you; commit to learning one new concept at a time and don’t overload yourself; pick an area that is interesting and applicable to you; use technology if that helps, or go old-school and find a magazine, book or newspaper. Put the personal back in personal finance and make it enjoyable. Once you do, you’ll be on the road to establishing and maintaining better financial habits.
Now that you know what to do, and how to get started, make it a weekly or monthly habit. You can apply this new skill beyond Financial Literacy Month and make it a year round activity. This will really help you build your financial literacy knowledge and put you on the path to establishing and maintaining healthy financial habits.
Remember, you can always reach out and ask a professional. As an independent Certified Financial Planner™, I can help you establish and maintain better financial habits. Contact me and let’s get started! #talktometuesday #education #Hireaplanner #FinancialLiteracyMonth