8 Simple Ways You Can Be Smarter About Your Money

Are you having trouble keeping your finances under control? No matter how much you make, you can’t help ending up with an empty wallet before the end of the month? The problem might be how you are managing your money matters. Contrary to popular belief, the amount of money you make is not proportional to your financial security. Take a look at these 8 simple tips that help you discipline your money spending and saving ways.
1. Saving Is The Best Investment:It is a norm to go for the career paths that ensure you a great salary these days. However, while chasing down big bucks, we tend to forget that it is necessary to be careful with our income, regardless of what we make. Logically speaking, the sum total of all your savings is more important than what you make each month. Even a low salary can go a long way if it is spent in a systematic manner.
2. Live Below Your Means:The best and most effective way to save is to consider your earnings lower than they actually are. Just keep in mind that you should spend your money not on the things you can afford, but on the things that cost lower than that. Instead of investing your money, consider saving first. Keeping your money in a bank account with a high interest rate is perhaps the best investment option you have.
3. Use debt Cards Wisely:It is important to avoid the temptation to use your credit cards on everything you buy. Credit card debt is a reality that can destabilize your financial situation faster than you can imagine. However, it is okay to use them as long as you do not get yourself into credit card debt. Being able to pay off your credit card bills monthly gives you a high credit score. This helps you lower your borrowing costs for student loans, house loans, car loans etc. A higher credit score helps you shave off thousands of dollars of interest while paying back loans.
4. Analyze Your Spending Habits:A useful way to understand the flow of money in your life is to note down how much money you are spending each day. Take a good look at the amount of money you take with you when you go out every day and how much you have when you return home. Figure out how much money you spent on food, utilities, transport etc. Prioritize just one or two things that you have to spend money on, but control what you spend on other things. Do this for a month and see how much you can save. You can adjust this as your priorities change.
5. Be Cautious With Luxury Items:The next thing you have to be careful about is the luxury items you buy. It is quite okay to indulge in a few luxury items as long as you are mindful enough to make up the money you spent on it. But it is equally not okay to go beyond your means to make such purchases because they do you more harm than good in the long run.
6. Make Frugal Friends:Do not make impulse purchases because of peer pressure. Choose frugal friends instead of people who have expensive habits. Having neighbors who are always showing off their new car or the latest LED TV will motivate you to attain the same things. Surround yourself with people you are smarter about money so that you can follow their examples. Remember, having expensive things does not guarantee lasting happiness. It has been proven that you get used to the expensive items you own very soon. Just as soon as these products stop giving you that extra happiness, you will start craving the next feel-good-item you must have. Instead, invest in learning, developing skills and other such wholesome things.
7. Talk About Your Money Matters:Feel free to talk about your money matters. Talk to your parents, talk to your partner and talk to your friends. You’d be surprised at how much you could learn from these conversations. It is time we stop avoiding this topic like it is the plague. Especially when you have problems with your credit and debit, talking to others can be a great way to change your spending habits. Keeping your worries to yourself will only delay their solutions.
8. Educate Yourself On Economy:Educate yourself on managing money. It would have been awesome if they taught us how to do your taxes in school, but sadly they don’t. Take matters into your own hands and start from the beginning. Read the easiest books you can find on managing your finances and doing your taxes by yourself. After learning the basics you can move onto reading more complicated aspects of finances. Understanding how to best use your financial assets can go a long way in helping you become economically competent.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DRINK NOTHING BUT WATER FOR 30 DAYS?

Every cell in your body relies on water to function properly. Water is an effective form of therapy as well as a great way to live a longer and healthier life. Water has an effect on specific bodily functions and is necessary to stay in good health. When you use water as your primary source of hydration you’d be surprised at the good it does. Here’s 7 things that you can expect to happen to your body when you drink only water for 30 days, without even changing the rest of your diet or exercising more!
1. YOU’LL BECOME MORE CREATIVE AND THINK BETTER:Drinking nothing but water for thirty days causes your brain to react faster, according to research published in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Journal. The brain requires oxygen to function properly and water is a great source of oxygen. More water means more oxygen which means more brainpower. Water helps you to think and focus better. It also makes you more keen, clever, and a quicker thinker. Drinking between 8 and 10 cups of water a day has the potential to improve cognitive ability by up to 30%.
2. YOU AGE SLOWER:Drinking water also slows down the aging process by hydrating your skin. It’s a way to keep your skin moisturized, healthy, glowing and, best of all, free of wrinkles. Water can also help you retain your muscle tone. The Daily Mail published an article detailing how a 42 year old mother looked ten years younger just by drinking water for 30 days. It began initially when she started drinking three liters of water a day to battle her headaches and digestion problems, but she was genuinely shocked by the results she saw after just one month. Her headaches and digestion problems were gone and she was also able to overcome her chronic dehydration.
3. YOU BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:

There is a Slovakian proverb that says that “Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.” It’s really true too! Water renews our bodies and ensures they perform at their peak. Drinking water boosts the performance of your liver and kidneys. These are the organs in charge of removing toxins, waste and salt from your blood and body.
4. YOUR HEART WILL BE STRENGTHENED:Water keeps your heart healthy. Drinking water reduces your risk of having a heart attack by stopping blood from thickening which in turn brings down your blood pressure. Drinking a glass of water an hour before bed is said to be enough to significantly reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke as it makes it easier for your heart to pump oxygenated blood to your organs. A study spanning six years was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that showed people who drank more than five glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to suffer from a heart attack than people who only drank less than two glasses a day.
5. YOU STRENGTHEN YOUR BONES:Drinking water helps to rebuild cartilage in your bones. Cartilage is the shock absorber of the body, ensuring that joints move smoothly and don’t suffer from any more damage as a result of tension. There has been a lot of evidence to support the idea joints are helped by drinking water.
6. YOU LOSE WEIGHT:Your body is flushed of harmful toxins and waste products, especially in the vital organs. This keeps your body clean and helps get rid of pesky belly fat. When you start drinking water consistently you may find you put on a pound or two in retained water weight while your body adjusts to the new levels of water consumption. However water is a great appetite suppressant that helps you eat less, therefore taking in less calories, which means you lose weight and keep the weight off. Water flushes out your system to cleanse your body and bring down your hunger to more manageable levels.
7. YOU BOOST YOUR METABOLISM:Studies have shown that drinking water on a daily basis boosts your metabolism no matter what your diet is. The Health Fitness Revolution suggests drinking 16 ounces of water first thing in the morning can raise your metabolic rate by 24%!