Finance: Pay Yourself First

July 23, 2008

What is the one piece of personal financial advice you wish someone had given you?

Great question. My parents, as with many parents of their generation, never talked about money matters…so, I had to learn about personal finance matters on my own.

My answer: I wish that someone had told me to pay myself first!

It’s a strategy that my husband, Ken, and I religiously follow…but if we had started sooner when we were married in 1971, we’d be even more financially comfortable now.

Americans are among the worst savers in the world, but you can separate yourself from the pack by taking 10% (at least) off the top of your paycheck and start by putting it in a savings accounts — or even a money market account or mutual fund.

YES…you may have to deprive yourself of some nicety that money might have purchased. (That’s why you want to create a doable budget.) But, years from now, when those frivolous purchases are long gone, you’ll be enjoying the benefits of saving and investing!

-Daria Dolan, guest blogger

Filed under: Finance, Managing, Success

Tags: Dolans, Finance, invest, money, savings