平衡省钱与省钱. 清偿债务

无论是学生贷款还是信用卡账单, debt can be a downer – and many of our members struggle to balance 偿还债务 with meeting savings goals. You might be unsure how to use whatever money is left over at the end of the month – should it go towards your debts or into your savings account? You may be worried that focusing too much on one goal will hurt you. 好消息是:你可以同时追求这两个目标.

And if you want some more specific guidance after reading these steps, our 注册金融专家 are here to listen and help you come up with a workable plan.

1. 每月支付 首先是必需品和最低付款

Before you begin making decisions about your discretionary money, 支付你的生活必需品——包括房租/抵押贷款, 公用事业公司, 每月费用, 还有你债务的最低还款额. 每月按时支付最低限额很重要，因为:

• On-time minimum payments prevent negative effects on your credit report
• Many lenders charge late fees if you miss a payment or are late on a payment
• Some lenders charge a penalty APR (a higher interest rate) if you miss making a minimum payment

It can be helpful to create a list of bills and monthly payments, organized by 到期日期 这样你就可以看到每张账单的到期日. 您还应该注意 频率 each is due (some bills are due every other month instead of once a month) so you can figure out how much is due per month. For example, a $150 bill due every other month costs $75 per month.

2. Contribute to your emergency fund each month – even if it’s only $10

Having an emergency fund is the single best way to protect your financial health. And having an emergency fund in place means it will be easier for you to continue 偿还债务 在紧急情况发生时积累储蓄. Your goal is to have three to six months of expenses saved up. 如果这看起来是一个不可能实现的目标, save anyway – even a small emergency fund can make a big difference in an emergency.

即使每个月只存10美元也会有所帮助. Consider this: if you saved $10 each month for a year, you’d have $120 at the end of the year. This would be enough to cover the cost of repairing a flat tire, buy a one-way ticket to a nearby city to see a dying relative, 或者为你的孩子支付紧急护理费用.

查看我们的文章 如何建立应急基金 ——它有几十个创意来增加你的资金.

3. 设定限制 可变费用

Once you’ve covered the necessities and allocated some money towards an emergency fund, 看看你目前的消费情况 可变开支 比如外出就餐, 买电子游戏或去看电影, 或者给你的孩子或孙子买玩具.

Establish a reasonable monthly spending limit for these expenses. This amount will vary from person to person depending on what you can live with – but remember that this amount will affect how much you have left to allocate to debt and savings.

There are a couple of ways you can help control this type of spending. One is to have a dedicated checking or savings account just for these expenses. Another idea is to charge only these expenses (and no other purchases) to a specific credit card, 让你更容易追踪你花了多少.

4. 想想你的目标 和个性

The reality is that money plays a big part in many of our goals – whether that’s sending a child to college, 和爱人去欧洲旅行, 买房, owning a classic car or simply having the peace of mind that comes from being debt-free. 在进入步骤5之前, 你将在哪里决定如何分配你剩下的钱, 想想你的大目标.

In addition to considering your goals, think about your personality. Are you someone who will get more satisfaction from completely paying off a small debt – even if it means taking longer to pay off a larger debt with higher interest? Or will you be more motivated by paying off the larger debt with higher interest – knowing that you’re saving more money in the long run? Think about the actions that you’ll be willing to take when it comes to saving and paying off debt. 最终, 为了保持自律，你需要有动力, so consider what will motivate your individual personality to stay disciplined.

5. 决定如何 分配剩余的钱

记住你的目标和个性, decide how to allocate any remaining money between debts and savings. 这可能很困难, 但是如果你已经完成了上面的步骤, you’re already ahead because now you have discretionary money to work with. 对大多数人来说, a balance of saving and paying off debt is wise because it allows you to cut down on some of the interest expenses of debt, while you can also start enjoying the benefit of compound interest.

通过专注于偿还债务(例如), 将剩余资金的60% - 70%用于偿还债务), you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in interest charges over the life of your loans. Paying down debt can also improve your debt-to-income ratio, which can boost your credit score and your chances of qualifying for a car loan or home mortgage.

通过专注于储蓄, 另一方面, 你会有更多的现金用于意外开支, 也许能够更快地实现目标, whether that’s paying for a child’s education or 买房. 有时, 某些储蓄也有税收优惠, 比如向401(k)或个人退休账户缴款. (Check with your tax advisor about your individual situation, 因为Patelco不是税务顾问，不能提供税务建议.)通过现在的储蓄和投资, you will also be able to take advantage of compound interest over a longer period of time than if you waited to save until you were debt-free.

If you want some specific guidance about how to 分配剩余的钱, our 注册金融专家 are here to listen and help you come up with a workable plan.

6. 自动化你的决策 在可能的情况下

Now that you’ve made a decision about how to handle your remaining funds between 偿还债务 and saving up cash, 是时候实现自动化了. Many lenders – including Patelco – allow you to set up automatic payments or transfers to loan accounts each month. 你也可以用你的存款做同样的事情 Patelco在线™ – including transferring money from external accounts to your Patelco savings account each month. 查看我们的 资金运动 更多详情指南.