你入不敷出的7个警告信号

Do you ever feel like no matter how much money you earn, you're always living paycheck to paycheck? If so, there's a strong chance your lifestyle isn't one you can actually afford.

Here are seven warning signs that 你入不敷出了, 以及你可以采取哪些步骤回到正轨.

1. 你每个月都有信用卡余额 

信用卡是获得奖励的好方法, pay for emergency purchases when things are extra-tight and build a strong credit history. Unfortunately, they also make it far too easy to fall into the spending trap. 事实上, 41% of Americans are currently digging themselves out of credit card debt⁠ — with 7% doubting they’ll pay it off in their lifetime.

If you have an outstanding balance on one or more credit cards and you’re only paying the minimum payment each month, you may end up carrying this balance for years while paying hundreds of dollars (or more!)感兴趣.

如何解决: 幸运的是，有 有很多方法可以逃避你不断增长的信用卡债务. For starters, try to doubling down on your monthly payments or pay more than the minimum amount. 如果你被利息费用淹没了，考虑一下 巩固债务 或者把余额转到年利率为0%的信用卡上.

2. 你为支付账单而感到压力 

没有人喜欢付账单, 但如果你因为账单而失眠, you need to take a step back to review your monthly budget and spending habits. Bills should be fixed into your budget and you should be able to pay them easily without any stress or nail-biting involved.

如何解决: Take a long look at your monthly budget to find ways of cutting back. 取消订阅 you never use, trim impulse purchases and tighten the belt in any other way possible.

3. 你不可能把月收入的5%存起来 

Financial experts recommend putting 20% of your monthly income into savings, 如果你能摇摆，甚至更多. 至少, you’ll want to stash away 5% of your monthly take-home pay to fund your retirement and other big-ticket financial goals. If doing this leaves you with little or no money at the end of the month, 你入不敷出了. 储蓄 aren’t lagniappe — they're a necessity that should be fixed into your budget.

如何解决: If moving money into your savings account puts you in a financial bind, fix the problem by trimming  expenses and restructuring your budget to include a minimum of 5% for savings. 你可以先仔细看看 习惯会让你付出比你意识到的更多的代价.

4. 你没有应急和应急基金 

你一定听过这句老话吧什么会出错，什么会出错.” 意想不到的费用, 比如汽车损坏, medical bills or your AC going out in the middle of summer, 可以完全破坏你的每月预算吗. 如果你总是花的比赚的多, you're gambling on the assumption that nothing will go wrong. Having an optimistic outlook is great, but the reality is that emergencies can’t always be avoided. 至少有1美元,000 of emergency cash set aside can help take the financial sting out of having to pay for unwelcome emergencies.

如何解决: Start building your funds now by putting away as much as you possibly can each month. 再往前走一步 开设多个储蓄账户 通过你的信用合作社或十大网投官方入口. 这肯定会改变游戏规则.

5. Your 抵押贷款 payment eats up more than 30% of your monthly income 

Most financial experts agree that your monthly 抵押贷款 payments should not exceed 30% of your take-home pay (after taxes). 花几分钟计算一下. If your 抵押贷款 is more than 30% of your income, you may be in over your head.

如何修复它(选项1): 寻找增加收入的方法. Seek a raise or promotion at your current job, freelance for hire or 找一份副业 把多余的钱带回家. 研究表明 换工作 涨工资最快的方法是什么.

如何修复它(选项2): Alternatively, you can scale back your 抵押贷款 payments by considering a refinance. Many homeowners refinance their 抵押贷款 to secure a lower interest rate. 计算数字 carefully and see what you have to gain from refinancing. If you can reduce your interest rate by at least 2%, then it’s worth it.

6. 你租了一辆你买不起或买不起的车 

Leasing lets you live the life of a high-roller without the huge bills. The problem is that many people can’t really afford their leases. 你可能会支付你的月供, but if you can’t do that while also putting money into savings and meeting your other expenses, 你的车太贵了.

如何解决: Downgrade your vehicle to one you can actually afford, or take advantage of the 优秀的汽车贷款利率 由你的信用合作社提供. 

7. Your financial decisions are influenced by your friends’ spending habits 

Thanks to social media and the hyper-sharing culture it introduced, the 跟上有钱朋友步伐的压力 比以往任何时候都强大. If you find yourself making financial decisions — from what kind of footwear to buy to where you vacation — based on your friends’ choices, 你花的钱可能超出了你的承受能力.

如何解决: If you find yourself constantly wondering how much money your friends have, our top-viewed article, 克制住想要跟有钱的朋友看齐的冲动，可能有助于改变你的心态. Ultimately, its better to focus on your own financial goals, not the spending of others. 一个人的财富不会使你变穷. The next time you feel the creeping feeling of jealousy, remind yourself that there is plenty of money and success to go around.

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