7 Tips to Slay your financial goals in your twenties — The SM Blog (2024)

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Who’s ready to start making positive financial moves in your twenties? To start taking control over how much you spend and to create a better financial life for yourself and family? I may not have all of my financial habits in perfect order, but I do enjoy creating realistic goals and putting in actions. What matters is that you are starting now, in your twenties so you can live a wealthier lifestyle.

In our twenties, we are constantly going through the motions of figuring out life and who we really want to be. The pressure of being a responsible adult is REAL. I know. But during our twenties, it’s the perfect time to start practicing good financial habits! In which sets the base of your financial FUTURE and as well as achieving your best life. Holding yourself accountable and making sure your mindset is in the right place, will help you accomplish your financial goals effectively.

If you need some inspiration, I’ve got seven great financial goals for you to achieve. Take notes!

The 7 tips to slay your financial goals in your twenties

Enhance your credit score

The higher your score the better your loan and credit card rates will be. The first step in raising your credit score is to know where you stand with all 3 credit bureaus.

I use a free credit score company called Credit Karma. I have used them for years and I have had no bad experience with them. Definitely worth giving it a shot to see the status of your credit score and if you have any current debts listed. It also gives recommendations on getting a credit card that will help increase your credit score. Now if your credit score is not high enough, it will give you tips on how you can raise your credit effectively. After downloading credit karma my first year around, it really helped me developed better habits on raising my credit and it helped me be aware of what debts need to be paid. It’s just super important in your twenties to lay the financial boundaries down so you can focus on building credit. What are the financial boundaries? Take a look HERE to help better explain!

Eliminate all your debt

This pretty much speaks for itself. No one wants to bury themselves in more debt, yet they try and get approved for more credit cards such as victoria secret, bank cards, kohls card, etc. Especially in your twenties when you’re just now getting a hang of life and the financial aspect of everything! Instead of trying to add more debts into your baggage, consider paying off all the debts you currently have. This includes your vehicle, your student loan, your current bank cards, etc. This way you can focus on the more important things in life rather than feeling weighed down by all the stress of having to pay debts off.

Minimize your lifestyle

Minimizing your life is the perfect way for you to save money and make money! I love how easy it is to make money nowadays. There are so many apps where you can sell some of your things that you don’t find interests anymore. If your a shoe collector, fashionista, makeup fanatic I am sure you can reevaluate what you have and have not used and make a plan to sell or give away. The one thing I come to learn about making more money is that I need to stop being a hoarder. Not healthy and definitely not healthy for your pockets either! Another great thing about selling items is that you’re decluttering your home and life altogether. You’re developing a mindset that these “materialistic” things aren’t all that necessary. Put all your clothes on your bed and let that “feeling” sink in for a moment. A lot of that you probably don’t even wear. Shocking right? Think about how much money you can get back from selling the things you don’t wear. This is perfect to put towards your debt, savings, and bills. Can you imagine that?

Come up with a budget

This is always quite tough for beginners that normally just buy as they go, not thinking of the amount they are spending. So let me try to break it down for you on why it’ important and how you can make it happen.

Budgeting // This is an important method that tracks what you get (your income) against the money that is going out (your expenses). You will know exactly how much money you have and what you can afford and what you cannot afford. It will also help keep you out of debt and help work your way out of it “if” you are currently in debt.

Budget the following: Groceries, household expenses, gas expenses, child-care expenses, debts, current bills, and any other miscellaneous expenses.

Try couponing

I am sure you have heard about the krazycouponlady or have watched the tv show called “extreme couponing”. These are some dedicated and smart individuals hustling for their discounts! I think GOALS when I think of couponers. Using coupons is a serious way to save money.A lot of people feel “embarrassed” to use them because of how long it takes to scan it or the fact that it makes them look “cheap”. I am here to tell you this is the complete opposite. Your shopping smarter and hustling for the top expensive products for basically free. Why spend $200 on groceries when you can pay $15 and get the exact same amount? It’s a genius. If you do your research, this could be a great savings strategy for anyone on a budget!

Find your side hustle $$

This is my favorite one! Although blogging is my side hustle, I’ve developed different strategies to make money from home. These strategies alone deserve it’s on posts dedicated to them. COMING SOON! But why develop a side hustle? One of the biggest things about being a girl boss is that you hustle whatever you can get out of life! Your side hustle can help put money towards your emergency fund, savings account, student loans, kid’s college fund, etc. Everyone could use some side income. It does not have to be something that takes up ALL of your free time. Nowadays, it’s so easy to find these side jobs and it could even be something that you ENJOY doing. Such as freelancing, being a Youtuber, dog sitting, babysitting, lyft/uber, etc! I’ll definitely love to share more on this topic, so stay tuned for that!

Start a fund

Retirement Fund // When you’re in your twenties, this is the perfect time to get ready for your retirement. Time flies and 65+ will be here quicker than you know it. The earlier you are prepared, the better. I’ve been told that the more money you start to save now, the more money you’ll earn in interest by the time you turn 65. Plus, if you’re like me I have goals to “retire” by age 45 and hope the rest I could enjoy traveling and checking off my bucket list. Yes, these are “goals”, but they can be realistic!

College Fund // This is normally something you will start saving for AFTER you have taken care of paying all your debts off, started an emergency fund, and started a 401K savings plan. I have two little ones and they have changed me. When you have children, it’s not about “YOU” anymore. Now is the perfect time to get their college fund ready for when they turn 18. This is the future you are preparing for. I encourage you all (if you have children) to start a college savings fund for your children. The earlier the better! Like mentioned before, time flies and your children will be 18 before you know it. Sadly, I know.

Make financial Boundaries

Setting financial boundaries early in your twenties can shape your future for the better or for the worse! Ever had a family member who mooches off of you like your made of money? How about ones that only contact you when they NEED something. Don’t undermine your worth as a human being. If you don’t have the money, don’t get it. Set those healthy boundaries with friends and family. And, don’t give things if you really don’t have anything to give. This will only affect you the most at the end.

Also, Don’t focus on what your friends/family members have. Better yet, don’t let social media influence you. Other people who have “nice” things and buys whatever/whenever is like peer pressure. We all want “nice” things. But we also don’t know other people’s financial problems. It’s possible they are just spending money they don’t even have. The best thing you can do in your twenties is to have a financial plan and do not fall under the peer pressure of what other people have. Like the saying, “Successful people, don’t worry about what other people are doing.”

Welp, there you have it! I hope that these 7 tips will help motivate you on slaying your financial goals one by one! I know the transition to adulthood is a struggle and having everything weigh on your shoulders can be quite overwhelming, but anything is possible. Stick with these financial goals and watch your life transform before your eyes!

Now, go slay them financial goals one by one! You got this!

7 Tips to Slay your financial goals in your twenties — The SM Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

What are the four walls? ›

In a series of tweets, Ramsey suggested budgeting for food, utilities, shelter and transportation — in that specific order. “I call these budget categories the 'Four Walls. ' Focus on taking care of these FIRST, and in this specific order… especially if you're going through a tough financial season,” the tweet read.

How much should a 30 year old have saved? ›

Fidelity suggests 1x your income

So the average 30-year-old should have $50,000 to $60,000 saved by Fidelity's standards. Assuming that your income stays at $50,000 over time, here are financial milestones by decade. These goals aren't set in stone. Other financial planners suggest slightly different targets.

What age do people peak financially? ›

Peak earning years are generally thought to be late 40s to late 50s*. The latest figures show women's peak between ages 35 and 54, men between 45 and 64. After that, most people's incomes typically level off. Promotions favor younger people with longer futures*.

Is it normal to struggle financially in your 20s? ›

Most people, even in their mid-to-late 20s are still struggling to establish themselves. That can be hard to do if your job isn't paying you enough, you're struggling to make rent, have no savings, and are being crushed by debt.

Is 32 too late to start saving? ›

It is never too late to start saving money you will use in retirement. However, the older you get, the more constraints, like wanting to retire, or required minimum distributions (RMDs), will limit your options. The good news is, many people have much more time than they think.

What is a 50/30/20 budget example? ›

Applying the 50/30/20 rule would give them a monthly budget of: 50% for mandatory expenses = $2,500. 20% to savings and debt repayment = $1,000. 30% for wants and discretionary spending = $1,500.

Is the 50 30 20 rule outdated? ›

However, the key difference is it moves 10% from the "savings" bucket to the "needs" bucket. "People may be unable to use the 50/30/20 budget right now because their needs are more than 50% of their income," Kendall Meade, a certified financial planner at SoFi, said in an email.

What is the disadvantage of the 50 30 20 rule? ›

It may not work for everyone. Depending on your income and expenses, the 50/30/20 rule may not be realistic for your individual financial situation. You may need to allocate a higher percentage to necessities or a lower percentage to wants in order to make ends meet. It doesn't account for irregular expenses.

When should you not use the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50/30/20 has worked for some people — especially in past years when the cost of living was lower — but it's especially unfeasible for low-income Americans and people who live in expensive cities like San Francisco or New York. There, it's next to impossible to find a rent or mortgage at half your take-home salary.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Corie Satterfield

Last Updated:

Views: 5943

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Corie Satterfield

Birthday: 1992-08-19

Address: 850 Benjamin Bridge, Dickinsonchester, CO 68572-0542

Phone: +26813599986666

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Table tennis, Soapmaking, Flower arranging, amateur radio, Rock climbing, scrapbook, Horseback riding

Introduction: My name is Corie Satterfield, I am a fancy, perfect, spotless, quaint, fantastic, funny, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.