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4 Budgeting methods for a debt-free life

Summary: Running into debt can lead to ruining your financial future. Follow these 4 budgeting methods to achieve a debt-free life, save money and even learn how to create an emergency fund today. Read the article below.

11 Jan 2023 by Team FinFIRST

If you have to explain debt to a child, the best way would be to compare it to rust. Debt is like rust on your money. It erodes its value and shakes its very foundation. The more debt you have, the more you will struggle to manage your expenses. It is far wiser to build one’s savings and live stress-free lives. Thankfully, you can achieve this by following the right budgeting techniques.

Here are four useful budgeting methods to make yourself debt-free.

1. Envelope Budgeting

In envelope budgeting, you take different envelopes for different purposes and allocate money to each. These can be for rent, gas, food, etc. You can also have envelopes for non-essential wants, such as a week’s vacation, a new phone, etc. This budgeting method allows you to save money for all your needs and reduces the temptation to resort to loans.

 

2. Zero-based Budgeting
 

Zero-based budgeting is a method where your income minus expenses equal zero. In this budgeting method, you allocate all your income to expenses, savings, and debt payments. The value of all these should be the same as your salary, bringing the difference to zero.

For example, if you earn Rs 50,000 a month, your zero-based budget might look like this:

Heads

Amount

Essential expenses (rent, utilities, etc.)

Rs 25,000

Investments

Rs 10,000

Emergency fund

Rs 5,000

Debt repayment

Rs 10,000

Total

Rs 50,000

 

 Zero-based budgeting ensures that all your needs are met and that your debt payments are made every month without fail. It also guarantees optimal utilisation of your salary, where every rupee is accounted for.

3. 20/30/50 Budgeting

This is a simple yet practical personal finance rule. According to the 20/30/50 method,

· 50% of your income goes towards necessities

· 30% towards your lifestyle needs

· 20% towards debt, savings, and investing

When you earmark all your financial goals and allot a specific percentage of your salary to them, you ensure that all your needs are met, your savings and investments are on track, and your debt payments are made on time.

4. Pay-yourself-first Budgeting

With a pay-yourself-first budget, you set up an automatic monthly payment to your savings accounts. Each month, when you receive your income, a fixed portion is paid towards your savings account for your future financial security. You can then use the remaining balance for your monthly expenses. This ensures that you always have an emergency fund and never have to borrow in times of need.

However, when selecting this method, choose a high-interest savings account such as an IDFC FIRST Bank Savings Account, offering interest rate that is one of the bests in industry. This will help your savings grow and beat inflation.

Conclusion

Knowing how to be debt-free is essential to ensure your overall financial well-being. The four budgeting techniques outlined in this article will help you strengthen your savings and repay your debts on time, eliminating any financial hassles.

Budgeting Basics

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