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Guest article provided by Ted
Recessions are one of those anomalies that occur every so often, resulting in dire consequences for consumers and businesses alike. Desert Financial and Tax Services reveals what to do if a recession looms, and you want it to have as little impact on your finances as possible.
Budget frugally
Since a recession usually has an impact on your available spending money, it pays to have a revised budget in place to take this into account. Here, we are referring to being money-wise if your paycheck were to take a knock. For example, Lifehacker explains that you could cut out unnecessary expenses such as buying generic clothing instead of brand clothing, purchasing at discounted supermarkets instead of premium stores, and reducing entertainment expenses to help reduce your total expenditure overall.
Focus on building a contingency fund
Financial Express notes that a contingency fund is extremely valuable to have to help tide you over if your regular income were to suffer from a recession. Here, it’s about putting away some of your money to cater for unexpected expenses instead of having to dip into your regular savings account or credit card to pay for them. Moreover, it should be substantial enough to help support you financially for at least three to six months if you don’t have your regular income to depend on.
The home refinance option
If money issues have depleted your savings, choosing to refinance your home mortgage is a very doable option. If you’re wondering what does it mean to refinance a house, understand that refinancing essentially replaces your old loan with another featuring a higher balance. The difference between the two is then “cashed out,” and you can use this money to cover other expenses. First, learn how the process works; then, evaluate the pros and cons for your situation. The experts at Desert Financial and Tax Services can walk you through the steps that you need to take.
Keep an eye on lowering your debt repayments
Looking out for how you can lower your debt repayments is a good idea during a recession, especially if you can focus on settling these debts quicker to reduce paying higher interest rates over time. Here, you will want to focus on paying debts with the highest interest rates first and then tackling the smaller ones so that you get out of debt sooner rather than later.
Look at ways of earning an additional income
Nowadays, most people have a second form of income to fund a dream holiday or retire early, for example. It’s about figuring out what you can do as a side hustle to keep that revenue stream coming in. Also, side hustles can be a lot of fun as they tend to be less of a commitment (at the beginning at least) but yet can still bring in a decent passive income if you play your cards right.
Staying on top of your health
If you want to minimize your doctor expenses, then staying on top of your health might just alert you to certain health issues before they become problematic (and costly). So, you want to ensure that your checkups are regular and that you keep up with any prescribed medication you have to take to prevent your health issues from getting out-of-hand. The top benefits of having an online doctor are many and can result in significant cost savings just by virtue of the fact that you don’t have to travel there, and you don’t have to pay for those minor expenses such as parking expenses, for example, which can add up over time. Furthermore, many telehealth options accept major health insurance schemes, which can also save you upfront co-payments.
Spending more wisely
Spending more wisely during a recession means purchasing with intent and avoiding impulse buys as much as possible. Furthermore, it pays to look into what you are getting by researching the products or services carefully online before jumping into making a purchase. For example, if you’re looking for the latest pet care products that are great on your pocket and beneficial for your pet, check customer review sites online for more information on how you can make wiser decisions regarding buying quality pet products.
The above measures should help you attain that peace of mind should the economy take a turn for the worse, as your finances should be protected to a large degree.
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