When it comes to money, it is very simple to start contrasting yourself with others. On account of social media, the lives of others are just a couple of photos away. Along these lines, when you see others being more ‘successful’ than you are, it is super easy to start begrudging them and craving to live like them while you can’t afford to. The negative impacts of this are spending considerably way more than you make, unnecessary obligations and yet getting depressed.

Try not to concentrate on the lives that others are living on the internet. Set up some money related objectives and endeavor to accomplish them.

Although It requires some level of commitment and work to make sense of something as confusing as money and personal finance, it’s even mind-boggling to attempt to comprehend it without getting some grounded information and guidance.

So I have decided to help you clear a tangible part of your money-worry or anxiety by making a rundown out of the twenty things you generally need to know about money.

When you have these things down, you’ll have a strong base of information and comprehension from which to work. Learning the nuts and bolts is the initial step to turning into a personal finance expert — and those things are listed down below.

1. You need a spending plan.
I couldn’t care less if this sounds over-flogged. You need to realize the amount you make, where you spent it, and what you have left’. Monitoring your ways of spending money will allow you to take responsibility for your money so you can better invest it.



2. Get out of debt.
And don’t get trapped again! Debt is the worst of all the money mistakes you can make, it will gradually consume all the cash you endeavored to acquire. The more you have it without taking care of business, the more you accumulate it, the more the interest you will be paying. Make an arrangement to begin taking care of your debts today, and stick with it until it’s gone. At that point, learn from your errors and abstain from obtaining more debts later on.



3. Understand why you need to save NOW.
I get it, we only get to live once. Hopefuly it’s a long fullfiling one — However, don’t bank on your early demise to get you out of your responsibility to put something aside for your future. Funny and ridiculous, but in reality some people think this way! So make good use of the present advantage you have right now, which is TIME.

Acknowledge what savings can accomplish for you, and figure out how to find a fine balance between having too much ‘enjoyment’ now and saving up to appreciate it later on.



4. Have the ‘money discussion’
If you and your partner mean business, you need to find a way to have healthy discussions about money. It’s important to understand the financial philosophies you both have and whether or not you’re on the same page as far as financial plans and goals are concerned. You need to understand what debt-lugagges you both are carrying and must find a way to work together and ensure you eliminate it as soon as you can.



5. Manage your use of credit card.
No, I don’t think credit cards are evil, Lol! And Yes, I do think credit companies also take advantage of millenials that don’t care to understand how credit, interest, and debt work. Don’t ever charge something to your card unless you have the cash to pay it off, never carry a balance on your card, and ensure that as much as you can, you pay your bill on time or early enough. Treat your credit card like cash and don’t make plan to live on credit.



6. Save for emergencies.
I know you are probably raising your brow at this one, but honestly life is a badass. You have got to prepare for anything and one effective way to do that is to start an emergency fund. Anything is better than nothing, but the rule of thumb is to have between three to six months’ worth of expenses saved in case the sky fell tomorrow. The exact amount you need in your emergency fund will largely depend on your income and your spendings.



7. Pay yourself first.
Now this one is way important than it sounds and you’ve probably heard it before but yup, this amounts to more savings. As I like to say, save early, save often! In addition to your emergency fund, you’ll need to save for big ticket items, such experiences like travel, and retirement. And really it doesn’t have to be 50k every month; just save what you can, even if it’s just 5 or 10k.

The easiest way to make sure you are saving for these things every month is to treat your contributions to savings just like any of the other bills you’re responsible for paying. You must pay yourself before you do anything else with your income. If you can set up an auto-withdraw from your bank account every month, even better! You won’t even have a chance or an excuse to miss it.



8. Work together with your partner.
If you’re serious with someone, you have to do more than talk about money (although it’s a good start, as I said in #4). Be able to talk about finances without getting upset or angry; learn to communicate in a constructive and positive way. Arguments over finances are a great way to ruin your relationship. Be aware of this early on, and make an effort to work together on money matters as the team that you are.



9. Put first things first.
In other words, delay instant gratification. Yeah, maybe you’re dying for new clothes or there’s a new I phone you’ve been eyeballing all season. Have you paid your bills? Have you contributed to savings? Have you taken care of all your financial responsibilities? Did you buy groceries and do you have enough money to keep the home up and running?

All of these things are priorities, and they come first. Hold off on buying more things and ensure all the important stuff is taken care of first. Then realize things aren’t that important and go find a fun an frugal experience instead.



10. Practice giving.
Yes it’s very important and you can’t take this out. With your inbox getting spammed by the latest offers from all your favorite retailers, it’s easy to forget that your money can serve a greater purpose, they can actually make a difference. Make charity part of your budget. Always make an effort to give ‘something’ even if you are low on cash, give your time.



11. Investments? stocks?
Young people can be gun-shy when it comes to the stock market. Don’t be. The market has always had highs and lows — when it crashes, it’s proven that it will recover. If you start saving now, you’ll be in great shape when you’re ready to cash in those investments. You’ll have given yourself enough time to ride out the rough times and make up for losses. Over time, history tells us your returns will average about seven or 8%.



12. Don’t be scared of credit, either.
Be warned about credit and learn how it works — but don’t be too scared to use it. Credit cards help to build your credit score and can offer a variety of useful rewards. Think of them as just one of many tools in your financial toolbox. Credit cards aren’t out to get you, but if used improperly they can do real damage. Use them responsibly.



13. Diversify your investments.
It’s always good to have a diverse portfolio, but what I really mean is to invest in a variety of different things outside the stock market — like yourself. Invest in yourself by furthering your education or taking part in a seminar or workshop. Learn something new, then put your skills to work for you. Money spent this way is often worth the cost and can provide a good return on investment.

Just make sure you do your research first, like you would with any other investment (for example, don’t go back to school for a Master’s degree if it’s going to put you N1, 500,000 in debt unless you have an excellent reason for doing so — otherwise, it’s a poor investment).



14. Understand some rules are meant to be broken.
Yup, even some of this list. The important thing to remember is that everyone’s financial situation is different, so what works for one person may not work for you. Do your own research, continue asking questions and seeking answers, read everything you can get your hands on — and then formulate your own conclusions as to what will work best for you as an individual.



15. Chose quality over quantity.
Almost always, you want to invest in the quality of something, even if that means you can afford less of it. Don’t waste your money on cheap goods that are low quality, don’t buy low quality processed food products, and don’t try to save money for paying for a low quality service. The saying, “you get what you pay for,” is true more times that it isn’t, and trying to save money by skimping on quality items and services may cost you more in the long run when you have to buy replacements or have a job redone.



16. Sometimes, saving isn’t enough.
If you feel like you’re stuck in a financial rut despite carefully managing your money, trimming expenses out of your budget, and trying to live frugally, it may be time to work on increasing your income. Building wealth is comprised of two very simple concepts: 1. spend less than you earn, and 2. earn more.

Cutting your spending is the easier of the two, but it’s not always enough. If you still aren’t reaching your financial goals despite eliminating all the expenses you possibly can, establish a side hustle and create an additional income stream.



17. Looking rich is not the same as being wealthy.
Forget about the Joneses and trying to keep pace with them. People who put their money into material goods do so for the benefit of others — in other words, to show off — and are not reaping any real benefit themselves. Saving and investing your money is how you build wealth, not buying expensive things. Your friend who just bought a fast, good-looking car may look richer than you in your ten-year-old sedan, but if you take the money you saved by not buying a similar vehicle and invest it, you’re the one who is far wealthier.



18. Waste less, want less.
Stop wasting things, even if it’s just paper towels. Get the most out of everything you use, reuse what you can, and sell or give away unwanted items before you just chunk them in the trash. When you quit producing so much waste, it means you’re using more, and when you’re using more you won’t need to buy so much. Learn to want less, too. It’s amazing how much more money you’ll suddenly have at the end of every month if you opt out of consumerist culture and only buy what you truly need and what will actually bring more value and happiness to your life.



19. Understand your credit score.
Regardless of how you personally feel about credit, you need to take a moment to at least understand how it works and what your credit score means for you. Essentially, the financial world uses it to judge you. Your credit score indicates to lenders what kind of investment you are for them. If you have a low credit score, they see you as risky, and will slap you with a high interest rate on a credit card or loan. Maintain a good score, and you’ll be thought of as a safe bet and you’ll earn yourself a better rate.

Your credit score may even start influencing opinions outside of financial institutions; more and more employers are using credit scores to try and determine how responsible a potential hire may be. It may not be fair, you may not like it — but that’s the way the world is going. Educate yourself about your credit score and all the ways it’s used, and look to improve it if it’s low.



20. There are things more valuable than money.
Undoubtedly, money makes the world go ’round. But you should value experiences and relationships over piles of cash. In other words, don’t become cheap, miserly, or paranoid about hoarding money. It’s easy to inadvertently slip into a mindset like this if you’ve worked very hard at building wealth and you’ve made the most of your money by living frugally.

Understand that there is a line, and you can toe it — but try not to cross it and enter cheapskate territory. Your health, your time, and your loved ones are all worth a whole lot, too. Tend to these areas of your life with just as much care and attention as you have given to your finances, and you should be all right.

If you can stick with these essential 20 tips and money rules, you should be in a good place.

All I care to know is that the abnormal love for money begets all injurious things.

The best write-up I have read this week.