The chief agronomist must calculate all the costs necessary for a successful sowing season, from fuel and labor costs to the cost of fertilizer, seeds, pest control, and other deductions. Mastering financial literacy personally will allow you to work more effectively in the managerial sphere. You can learn more about agronomy as a specialty from our article “What is the profession of an agronomist.”
How to manage your finances
First, you need to record all planned income and expenses for the current month. A detailed spending plan cannot be kept in your head, even if you have a good memory.
It will help create an overall financial picture.
How to do it? To begin with, on paper (or in Excel, as it suits you), we draw up a table with all receipts and expenses. It is essential to think over the aspects of life well and not miss anything. Although the first time, of course, there will be shortcomings. It is impossible to carry out precise and correct planning right away. If you find any defects, you should record them in notes. This approach will help improve the budgeting scheme for the next month. Then each subsequent account will be better than the previous one.
Steps to help you manage your budget:
It will help if you plan any trips to the store. A shopping list and following it as closely as possible will help save money. It is helpful to make a menu for several days, based on which it will be clear how many products you need to purchase and in what quantity. To a large extent, the ability to plan your expenses well is influenced by the skill of time management. We have talked about it in detail in our article “Personal time management or how to manage your time.”
Spending accounting. It helps to detect unnecessary purchases and avoid them in the future. You can write in a notebook notepad or use specialized applications on your smartphone.
There is always a risk of deprivation of a permanent income. It is vital that in case of an unforeseen situation, there is a reserve that will help stretch out for several months. It should be at least three salaries.
Family budget: planning and controlling home finances
The well-being of a family depends to a large extent on budgeting skills. Written planning rules are also needed here. Accounting for income and expenses, the ability to save – is no less critical.
There is an exciting way to organize a household budget: “10-20”. Its essence lies in the monthly saving of at least 10% of the total income. Financial experts advise you to set the goal of accumulation immediately—for example, a vacation, a significant purchase, or a reserve for a rainy day.
“Seven Envelopes” is another way to manage a family budget. On the day of receiving wages, you need to distribute the money in seven envelopes. Their purposes can be as follows (there may be fewer or more points, everything is individual here):
- Monthly payments.
- Nutrition.
- Money for children.
- Expenses for essential purchases (furniture, appliances, clothing).
- Cash for vacation, entertainment.
- Savings.
“Joy” – funds left from the previous month after making mandatory purchases and payments.
By the names, it is clear the family budget is distributed for what purposes.
“Four Envelopes” is like the last one. But here, each envelope corresponds to a week of the month. The disadvantage of the method falls in the difficulty of allocating funds for specific expenses.
When trying to maintain a household budget successfully, it is enough to follow seven basic rules:
- Avoid debt. Avoid debt, unplanned loans, and bad credit cards whenever possible.
- Reasonable accumulation and distribution of funds; don’t hoard just for hoarding. Choosing a specific goal (for example, buying a car) is advisable. Such motivation will improve productivity.
- Each family member must clearly understand how and why the budget is planned.
- Distribute income and expenses according to financial realities today.
- Be sure to set aside at least 10% of income in the reserve fund.
- At the end of a certain period (for example, a year), please the family with a trip, purchase, or entertainment.
- Regularly, preferably every month, plan and record. Only stability will help to achieve results.
Tools for efficient financial management
The way you manage your budget depends on your personal preferences and skill. It is more convenient for someone to keep a notebook or use a computer or smartphone.
If there is no possibility of using technological equipment, you need to have a “granary book” in paper form. The central part should consist of a table divided into three columns (expense, income, total). In the first two, a record is kept of the money that has come and gone. The last column is needed to compare the remaining funds with those in the pockets.
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