Your 2013 Financial Survival Guide

Ah if it were only that simple.  If only we could have a list of financial mistakes not to make and a list of things to do to fix a financial crisis.  I have made my share of financial mistakes from overspending to accumulating unnecessary debt to not living on a budget.  Sometimes I wish that I didn’t make any financial mistakes when I was younger because it has caused me a lot of grief over the past few years.  Sometimes I wish that I learned to be financially responsible when I was a teenager and then I wouldn’t have been in debt as an adult.

However I honestly believe that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger as long as we learn from our mistakes.  I know that financial struggles seem to be the end of the world as we know it when they are happening, but trust me once you overcome them you will be a better person.

MSN recently published a financial meltdown survival guide for 2013 and I would love to know what you think.  I don’t think that we can ever be fully prepared for the unexpected and I do think that it’s ok to give into temptation some times (like when you are on vacation). However as a financial planner and a girl who is a little OCD I also believe that we should try to be as organized as possible and as prepared as we can for any of life’s financial curve balls.

Survive 2013 and get your money right with these tips:

1. Face your money problems. This is absolutely true, we can’t face the problem if we don’t admit there is a problem (um hello, raging alcoholic step mother anyone?).  We will never better ourselves if we ignore our less desirable qualities. I have done this with my personal finances and now I am doing it with my health.

2. End the money blame game in your relationship.  I used to be notorious for blaming other people when it came to my own defeats, but that is all in the past. No one is perfect but it is easier to fix a problem when we own up to it.  Your financial struggles are not your fault and they are not your spouse’s problem – they are both of your responsibilities.  Your relationship will be a lot better if you stop blaming each other and work on improving your finances together.

3. Prioritize your problems.  I am a big believer in lists.  You can’t accomplish anything if you don’t know what has to get done.  Make a detailed plan with dates and goals, and then check in on your progress regularly to keep motivated and stay on track.

4. Simplify your finances and your life.  I find that people always try to complicate their lives when they don’t need to.  Why should we make something more difficult when it can be very simple? Find a money management system that works for you but the system should also be time efficient.

5. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses.  So often we see young adult’s spending money on a lavish lifestyle that they can’t afford just so they can look good in the eyes of their friends. This is a huge financial no-no, you friends may be around when you are spending money but they for sure won’t be around when you have to pay off the debt.

Photo by Rachel H

Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.