How I Manage My Money On A Low Income (Budgeting + Saving)
Vložit
- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- A step by step guide on how to get out of the paycheck to paycheck life and create a sustainable plan with your finances.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:59 My Income Situation
02:20 How I Organize My Money
06:24 How I Budget My Money
10:17 What I Do When I Get Paid
13:17 How I Manage My Money On A Low Income
Join My Patreon Page!: / austinwilliams
If you would like to support my channel!: www.buymeacoffee.com/williamsauQ
Mint Mobile (save on your cell phone): mint-mobile.58dp.net/rn6rJQ
Books I'm Reading:
Die With Zero: amzn.to/3IQ11XG
Out of Your Mind: amzn.to/3KFSbfm
That Will Never Work: amzn.to/40fa4Hn
Currently I am on a low income; however, despite being on a low income, I am still able to make ends meet, save, and invest my money. In this video, I want to walk you through a detailed explanation on exactly how I manage my money on a low income.
1. My Income Situation
In this video, I want to be completely upfront with you on my personal financial situation. I am currently living on about $2500 a month after taxes. My income is extremely unpredictable, but over the last year I have managed to live off of an income of about $30,000 a year. Despite this, I am not living paycheck to paycheck, but I have a large amount of savings and investments in case of an emergency.
2. How I Organize My Money
Organizing your money is the first step in gaining control over your personal finances. My personal plan consists of the following: (1) I put all of my money in a no fee bank account; (2) I organize my money in a checking account (which is for spending), a savings account (which is for emergencies), and an investment account (for growing my money); and (3) I put all my expenses on a credit card that I pay off at the end of the month. I find it extremely important to have your money divided in between accounts so that each dollar has a home and a purpose.
3. How I Budget My Money
Regardless of your income (but especially on a low income), you need to create a budget so you are not spending more than you are making. My personal budget plan consists of the following: (1) Track all your expenses, so you know exactly where your money is going; (2) See if your spending is sustainable, which means to see if you are spending more or less than you are making; and (3) Examine all of your expenses one by one and see if they can be lowered or completely cut out.
Regardless of what your financial situation is, we all have areas of our finances that can be improved. Creating a budget that is sustainable where you are spending less than you are making is extremely important.
Expense Tracker: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
4. What I Do When I Get Paid
I believe in making my finances as simple as possible and so I have created a simple plan to pay all of my bills in full every month without taking on any debt or taking money from savings. I do the following when I get paid: (1) Pay myself first, which is to set aside a specific amount of money each paycheck in my savings account; (2) Pay off my credit card which I put the majority of my expenses on and make sure at the end of the month the balance is paid; and (3) pay my non credit card expenses by manually paying them or putting them on auto pay.
Whenever I get paid I follow this simple financial process.
5. How I Manage My Money On A Low Income
I manage my money by keeping my money organization simple, creating a sustainable budget, and keeping my finances simple. When I focus on developing a plan, I am able to make living on a low income more manageable. It is important to remember that regardless of your income, you should focus on creating a good relationship with your finances.
**This video is intended for entertainment purposes only, none of it should be interpreted as financial advice. Links above are affiliate links where if you click and order, I will receive a commission at no cost to you. ** - Jak na to + styl
What are some other "how to" videos you are interested in seeing?
I’d be interested in seeing a video on ways to reduce housing costs.
I'd be interested in seeing a video about how to best plan an international trip. We are hoping to go to Ireland in a few years and would love some tips from an experienced traveler
How to control food costs. I don't buy takeout a lot but I somehow end up buying expensive and unnecessary groceries that get discarded without eating them.
I love the videos you do. I'm interested in your investment strategy and options on stocks/shares etc. Dividends etc.
I'd like to see more on time management with respect to chores or cooking
I learnt to manage my money through investments and it really works for me. They say money can't buy happiness but poverty can't buy anything.!
You're right!! I'm exploring different investment opportunities and would appreciate others' insights on this matter.
You are absolutely right about that, I totally agreed with that.
No one is falling for this scam.. stfu
Making money is not the same as keeping it there is a reason why investments aren't well taught in schools, the examples you gave are well stationed, the market crisis gave me my first millions, people shy away from hard times, I embrace them.. well at least my advisor does lol.
I stopped trying to predict market outcomes based on chart studying after 5 years of uncertainty. Not having a mentor caused me 5 years of pain. I learned to follow the market's direction and keep it simple with discipline.
@@LucasBenjamin-hv7sk Could you kindly elaborate on the advisor's background and qualifications?
The advisor that guides me is Vivian Carol Gioia, most likely the internet is where to find her basic info, just search her name. She's established.
Thanks a lot for this recommendation. I just looked her website up, and I have sent her an email. I hope she gets back to me soon.
My husband gets 2.600 $ in hand every month. I am a stay at home mom. I have no income. We live in Denmark. We have 4 kids and a cat. A cat. A small appartement. We live below the poverty line in Denmark. But we dont think we are poor. We are much hippier now. Have more freedom. We are minimalist and i make the most of our food. We are also saving 7.000 $ pr year. We are saving up to buy a house one day. We use 117 $ pr week for grocery and 15$ pr week for car diesel. In the beginning we think it was hard, but know its easy and fun to save money.
thank you for sharing this. So happy to hear your story
That’s perfect. When y’all have that house, you’ll know you made the right decision.
How much is your rent? Where I live most people pay 1500 and up per month
Usa är så mycket dyrare än Danmark hyra för en lägenhet är hämska
I'm on a "disability income" of $1100 a month n pretty much do the same thing as u do. My expenses, bills come to around $500 a month. I have no mortgage, no car payment or no credit card debt. I take $500 to pay "sinking funds n groceries, including savings account. So far in a yr I've managed to save almost $4000, so yes it can be done
Thank you so much for teaching me this
I didn't become financially independent till I was in my mid 40s after having a major financial setback during the covid , Thank God i'm now on my feet . In addition to buying my second house, I'm also making money on a monthly basis through passive income, and I've also met some of my goals. I really hope this motivates someone to know that it doesn't matter if you don't have any of these things yet; no matter your age, you can start today. Investing can help you change your future!
Thank you I'm 41 and I have been panic stricken because I don't own a home and have no savings with a low income 😢
Wow, interesting indeed! Currently I'm in need of investment ideas or tips. Earlier this year I hesitated and failed to take any action until now. However, I'm determined to try some new as I am very open to various investment ideas . I want to be retired in my forties or fifties. I really wish I can achieve what you have achieved and I believe it will happen
It's essential to comprehend the complexities of investing. Having a trustworthy support system, such as a financial adviser, who can advise you is crucial, especially when choosing assets.
Thank you for your advice, it's challenging to find a reliable investment advisor here. Seeing the success you have achieved through investing I would love to have access to your investment advisor.
Generally, investing requires higher knowledge. For this reason, it's important to have a solid support structure to guide you through especially in asset picking. I operate with (ALEX MARTIN TARLOR) an investment specialist who partners with a licensed wealth management firm. For the record, his experience has been the best for my finance
The thing to me is, if you invest and have other income outside of dividends then you will be able to live off dividends without selling. Which means you can pass that on to your kids which will give them a leg up in life. $52k dividends received in 2022.
I agree! That's why it is advisable that you have to invest while you still have a regular job or earning a regular income, and do it constantly. You still need to have something that will keep you going even if you're investing. Good financial planning and money allocation is the key.
I had my share of ups and downs when I first started looking for a consistent passive income so I hired an expert advisor for aid, and following her advice, I poured some money in value stocks and digital assets,i accrued over $80K in dividends last year
@@martingiavarini I’ve been down a ton, I’m only holding on so I can recoup, I really need help, who is this investment-adviser that guides you?
@@Oly_laura My advisor is ‘’Catherine Morrison Evans’’ she’s highly qualified and experienced in the financial market. She has extensive knowledge of portfolio diversity and is considered an expert in the field. I recommend researching her credentials further. She has many years of experience and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to navigate the financial market
@@martingiavarini She appears to be well-educated and well-read. I just ran a Google search for her name and came across her website; thank you for sharing.
I would love for you to extend on the idea of "don't use low income as an excuse to now create a plan" in a future video. I might not be gifted enough to know how to use the right words in order to make this statement come across to some people in my life and I believe you can.
Thanks for the idea!
We make about the same Austin lol except I make closer to 3k a month. This month I should be able to save 500$ after all the bills are paid. Thanks for the video Austin, really insightful 😊
My family of 5 has been living on just $1500/mo for most of this year. I have been focusing on my CZcams channel and hope I can get up to $2500+ soon. That would be life-changing for us ❤ Thanks for the motivation 😊
I really enjoy the content you provide on your channel; you are a very savvy young women, you and your family will do very well! Good luck on the reno btw : )
I hope your subs and views continue to grow, your channel is great.
Budgeting is different for everyone
I also had to re-learn how to live on a modest income after leaving my corporate job. What helped me was backpacking in Asia. After which, I realised how few material possessions I actually needed. That helped tremendously cutting down my spending.
2500 a month for one person is not low income. But I know location determines that. My husband and I choose to live soley on 2700 a month SSI. We have retirement and savings for emergencies. We live very frugally, but well. And, this is coming from 6000+ per month income when we worked! Sold our house, paid cash for another one and have no debt. Life is good!
I’ve been putting food expenses on my credit card so it’s easier to see how much I spend a month on food. Then I pay it off at the end of the month.
Moving money into my savings and keeping a minimal amout in checking account. To avoid unnecessary spending. Thanks for the tip implementing it right now!
I have a bad habit of paying other people's bill's and donating with my savings. So last year when i ran out of my savings and no one helped me. I made a plan to just spend all the money I have so I'm not tempted to waste it. I paid off all my credit cards, purchased a retirement property that I won't be able to live in until I retire😂 and worked with my student loan lender to pay it off in 3 years. Now that all my money goes into bills that I need, I'm not tempted to solve other people's problems with my money. 😅 it's NOT the smart thing BUT it's been working for me and my mental health.
Spend wisely & save wisely!!!
We live in a high cost of living area. We bought on the poor end so we could get ahead. My husband works for government housing in Philadelphia and covers all of our benefits. Our health insurance is only $18/week. His retirement account is growing like a weed. He works a side job so he hauls in cash for working on our driveway. My credit cards are $0 in interest charges. I'm attacking one card, the one I put my schooling on. I use a Yotta account. I have a life insurance category, new car category, emergency, pet care etc. It allows me to cover all categories. Yotta does a daily cash drawing which usually means you win less than $1/day. Those winnings are your interest rate. We make about 3%/month. I have 10 categories I consider the most important and put $10 in them every time I deposit into the account. One is emergencies, another is life insurance. I pay the bills that are due that week. I tell you this because my husband makes a moderate amount of money. Not a huge amount. We live like no one else so we can live like no one else. We invest in ETF'S. I like watching the money grow.
This is the video I’ve been waiting for. Almost all financial advice for disabled folk is “Are you really that disabled that you can’t get a part time job?” Muchas gracias, El Agustín!
I agree! I started living on disability in the recent years and I kept feeling my life would never be prosperous again :( It has been (and still is) a learning and acceptance journey.
I loved this topic! It's hard finding videos that tailor to the low-income group. So thank you for being so honest about your finances. I too make about the same amount and I do the EXACT same thing with my budget (checking>savings>investments). What I also do is put my savings into an account earning as high interest as possible. Many online savings banks now offer around 4% and some higher! For example...on 15k that's an extra $50 a month or $600 a year. So interest is a great passive income source that plays an important part of my budget too.
Building wealth involves developing good habits like regularly putting money away in intervals for solid investments. Financial management is a crucial topic that most tend to shy away from, and ends up haunting them in the near future… I pray that anyone who is reading this will be successful in his or her life!!!,.,.,
I’m celebrating a $30k stock portfolio today. I started this journey with 6k. I have invested on time and also with the right terms now I have time for my family and the life ahead of me
Wow, really. I was able to make my $25k on investment
@@zoeyswaniawski7306I’m looking for something I can venture into on a short term basis, I have $15k sitting in my savings
You’re right but a lot of people remain poor due to ignorance
Not because of ignorance, it’s because of the high rate of unprofessionalism in the cypto market
Thanks for the vid, my biggest win lately was shopping around for car insurance and going from $161 per month to $96 a month. An accident drove it from $107 to $161 but the new company (Progressive) didn't seem to care much about it. Pay 6 months at a time if possible for a cheaper rate.
Love low income budget videos. Im making 1800$ a month right now i still save 200$ in the end.
Good morning, Mr. Austin Williams! I'm watching your new video right now. I was just notified. I get an alert any time you have a new video. It's a great feature. Now, I'll excuse myself and watch this new video. Thanks, Mr. Williams!
Bold and honest video. Thank you. You've laid your cards on the table and your technique is wonderful.
Thanks, David! I make the videos and CZcams promotes the videos and we share the profits, haha.
Thanks for sharing. I recently reduced my income on purpose to have more freedom and I have a similar system. Being in control of finances means sleeping well. I have less money now, but I am happier with my freedom. I am also self-employed.
I like the way you explain your information. You were elaborate and detailed. You gave me hope.
This was great! I’m low income but I know I can scrape some savings together each month. I’m encouraged by these types of videos. Now, on to building wealth with low income.
Very helpful info! I love how simple you keep things. I'd love to know how you budget for occasional small luxuries on a low budget -- like going out for coffee or a meal with friends, travel, etc.
The best thing I like about you, Austin, is that you do not show off. Some of the minimalist youtubers start to show off fancy house, clothes or gadgets; but you remain simple and offer extremely good material in your videos. Keep on doing the great work. I have no problem, if you get sponsorships. Hey, you gotta make a living. Philosophy alone cannot pay your bills. Look forward to seeing more of your great material and your great sense of humour. Blessings. 🙏
My gosh...I watch several minimalist youtubers that I like and I see the same thing...oh this alarm clock is so minimal and sleek I ll post the link...its a $150 alarm clock. Oh this is my minimal wardrobe I ll post the link to this simple beige button up dress...$250.00 and on and on 😂😂😂
It's nice to see someone actually talking the numbers. Most people don't drill it down to hard facts. I hear people complaining CZcams doesn't make much, but if I was earning what you get I wouldn't have to worry about money ever again! This has been great. I'd love to see more videos like this. Thanks for your hard work! :)
Thank u for educating me and being very transparent ❤
Thank you for showing us!!! Great job! This is very helpful!
Austin,
Thank you for your transparency.
You are a wise and smart young man. Keep these videos coming. You’re going to well.
This was very helpful, thank you for transparency.
thank you so much for keeping it real austin!! you offer such a realistic window into living within your means
Excellent! Basic, thorough, inspirational! Thank you, Austin! 🙂
I'm proud to say that we spend less than Agustin!!
2000 to be exact.
We don't have a mortgage though
I like the format of the viideo. Concise to the point.
Thank you for this information. This is definitely helpful
Austin,you become genuine financial guru not by books but by personal valuable experience.Stay blessed
thank you for everything you do. love your videos
I like this specific format of video, well organized. Muchas gracias chico
Thank you soo much for these videos ❤️ I am 30 and just now learning about money and personal finance because it just was never talked about. And I really appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge and resources. -Kira
Love simple! Great video. I will be sharing with my 21 years old son. Thank you❤
i love ur honest videos austin
Thank you so much my friend ! Your videos are so helpful ! Thanks man !
Great video! I’m definitely going to try this method! Thanks Austin and God bless you!❤
I would love you to do videos on how to get out of the rat race once you feel you are already so far into it---have a house, cars, insurances, kids' college to worry about, aging and retirement age approaching faster that I care to think about, etc.
Thank you! I found that video very helpful. In mu opinion, these step by step videos are very helpful.
Thanks for numbering videos. It allows me to easily find videos and know if I've watched a video 😀
Smart man ! Great video. Thank you so much. Business has been slow but I definitely manage based on these types of helpful free tips 😊
That was wonderful, so informative! How kind of you to reveal your personal budget in order to help us! Thank you so much!🎉
I definitely found this video very informative and helpful. I liked this step by step format; too many times the videos I come across are too lengthy and filled with fluff and they are not straightforward with what people truly want to know. This is exactly what I was looking for - down to Earth, step by step directions. So, thank you and keep them coming!
Always learning something that helps from you . Thank you
Voce poem sorriso na minha cara.
Obrigadissimaaaa😊
Thank you so much. This has been the most comprehensive system I've ran across. I will implement your advise right away.
You’re doing a great job. Thanks for the video - very helpful advice.
Great video! I like to share your videos with my young adult children, and this one is a must watch!!
Thanks for your honesty Austin
Love the video. I to am on a low budget . Started tracking my expenses and cut way back on eating out.
Love this video Agustin 🎉❤and would enjoy more of these. Thank you
Thanks for the video, really helpful and I look forward to watching more of your videos ❤
I found the expense tracker! Thank you! Love your videos and benefit from them.
Excellent video! Watching it again now. I appreciate you honestly sharing your nunbers. Gives me hope that I can do this! Have a blessed day!
Great video! Austin..Muchas gracias for share it😃
Great video Austin. I’ll be honest $2500 post tax is probably average income in the UK with many on much lower salaries.
same here, I was thinking that is not a low income.
Very good video today on managing money on a lower budget. I make a little less than $2500 per month, but as long as your needs don't exceed 50% of your pay, it gives you the capability to budget wisely. I am a fan of credit card usage in the right capacity and within reason. My shortcoming is not having an emergency fund built up, which I need to rebuild again. Also, I do try to keep my finances as simple as possible as well, since complicating finances tends to become a bad situation more often than not. I'd say another great idea for a how to video is how to save up an emergency fund, or how to built a savings fund for a car or trip on a lower budget.
I recently went from making over 1k a week to about 4-500 a week and it’s been tough! You definitely get used to a certain lifestyle when you can afford more.
❤ the format! Thank you!
Wise words. Planning is all important. Implementing that plan is essential.
Very sensible video. Thank you. Diane
Underated vid. I rarely comment on videos but you have the same budgeting, and investing philosophies which I do: keeping checkings with stable amount of money and put the difference in a savings. It is nice to see as I feel that others don't talk about this sort of philosophy.
Love this step by step video! Thank you ❤
Thanks for sharing 😊. This is such a highly valuable video
Yes please and thank you. I find this type of video particularly useful.❤
Thank you for the transparentcy you did not have to do that you now have a life long follower
Thank you for the insight 😊
Great plan, thanks for sharing it with us!
I love these videos! I hope you continue to creat content for many more years to come...
This video has been very helpful. Thank you.
This is excellent advice and a great video 👏🏽 thank you
This was a great video, thank you.
Appreciate you throwing out real numbers and the transparency. You don't see that much nowadays.
Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you for making this video and sharing your numbers Austin. I was crushed when my life changed and I had to live on disability in one of the most expensive cities in Canada. But as you, when you live simple, organize your expenses, manage your savings, it is possible. I still miss my life healthy and with higher income, but this is where I am and gotta make the best of it. I count every blessing and celebrate even the little steps. Keep sharing this type of videos.❤ Gracias Agustin 🙂
The video is very organized and easy to understand and follow. Thank you for your transparency 😊
Thanks! Once you write 125 video scripts, you get a little better at writing!
Great video Mr. Agustin! And yes, I would like to see videos of this nature from your channel👍 Thank you !
I thank you for your help and being transparent and taking it step by step.So yes truly believe that you need to make a at least two more videos like this one.If don’t mind sharing.Cause you are helping me with this personal finance and you are helping me and you are keeping it simple. Thank you again great day.💯👍🏾
Thank you so much for this information
I love this easy and simple video.
Great job! Very well explained!
This is really useful video. Appreciate you sharing some of your finances - transparency is getting more and more rare these days. Cheers.
Well done on transparency - really good content.
Thank you for your help on this video
So informative, amazing video , thank you! Xx
Very well done thank you. I hope a lot of young folks will see this.
Love step by step! Keep them coming
Excellent video I like the real deal on budgets yes would love more videos like this it's the every day bleed that destroys me.
❤ Awsome, yes more of this, you are very easy to listen to and and this is such a simple approach 🎉
Excellent and simple. Really helpful advice. More of these, Augustin. P.S. I liked the last one too! (Video No. 121)
Up until 6 months ago, my monthly take home pay was a bit less than yours and I got by using a lot of these money management methods as well. My rent was ~$1,000 a month and utilities were another $150 so that alone was half my take home pay. But I always have lived pretty frugally so I was just fine. I guess never thought of myself as low income during that time- just on a tight budget. I think of low income as qualifying for gov assistance like Medicaid, food stamps, etc.