The Really Simple Way to Create a Financial Toolkit (2024)

One part of setting yourself up for success is having a financial toolkit that works for you.

Everyone needs a financial toolkit – an arsenal of financial products and accounts to help you meet your end goals. Regardless of your financial standing in life, these products are so important, especially if you want to take control of your finances.

The Really Simple Way to Create a Financial Toolkit (1)

What is a Financial Toolkit?

A financial toolkit is everything you need to get your finances in order. Basically, it’s your budget or financial tracking system, spending accounts, and saving accounts.

Financial Toolkit Examples

Budget

The first step to building your financial toolkit is to start using a budget.

Get the printable Organized Motherhood Budget Binder to use a done-for-you budgeting template (with step-by-step instructions).

More tips to create (and update) a budget that works for your family:

Spending Tools

Once you have your budget nailed down, you need evaluate your spending.

Spending tools are methods to spend your money (yes, I’d much rather save my money and work by candlelight, but even candles and food cost money).

Cash

Cash is one tool you could use to spend money, but you can’t use cash for everything (and do you really want to?).

While I understand the desire to carry cold, hard cash with you at all times, after having my wallet stolen on multiple occasions (and hearing horror stories from people who lost huge sums of money when their house was broken into), cash isn’t a perfect solution.

Not only are you unable to pay cash for everything, like utility bills, but cash is so dirty (I have “dirty cash” stories from when I worked in a bank that would churn your stomach).

However, many financial experts recommend using a cash envelope system for budgeting to make it impossible to overspend.

If you’re interested using an envelope system for your budgeting, I highly recommend the Cash Fueled Life course. You’ll learn everything you need to stop overspending, start saving, and create a budget that you can actually live with.

The Really Simple Way to Create a Financial Toolkit (2)

Checking account

When I worked at a bank, I was shocked by the number of people who didn’t have a checking account (and had no desire to open one).

Instead, many people used a savings account and paid fees every time they withdrew funds.

Sometimes, people refused to have any account at all, and instead paid for everything with cash or with money orders that they purchased (for a “small fee” that quickly added up over time).

By opening up a simple checking account (most banks offer a free account), you have peace of mind knowing that your money is safe.

You also can safely send a check as a gift for things like weddings (again, I’ve heard so many horror stories about cash getting stolen or lost). Even sending cash through the mail can be scary. Have you ever mailed anything only to find out that it never reached its destination?

Credit card

As long as you faithfully make your payment (in full) each month, credit cards can be a wonderful addition to your financial toolkit. In fact, they’re my favorite part! I love knowing that every time I pay for something, I’m earning cash back and “making my money work for me.”

Credit cards can even be used to help finance large household projects. For example, when we remodeled our kitchen, we put the majority of our expenses on a store credit card. We had a year to make payments with zero interest charges, and then we paid off the balance in full at the end of the year.

We used the credit card like a savings account to pay for our kitchen. We planned our kitchen remodel with our budget in mind, and each month we used our remodel funds to pay down the credit card until it was paid off at the end of the year.

Do you use these “spending tools” in your financial toolkit? Check out the second part in this series formore tools to include in your financial toolkit!

The Really Simple Way to Create a Financial Toolkit (2024)

FAQs

What is a financial toolkit? ›

A comprehensive learning program that provides basic information and tools to help adults manage their personal finances and gain the confidence they need to make better financial decisions.

What simple steps do you take to create a financial plan? ›

The 5 Main Steps to Creating a Financial Plan
  1. Determine your financial goals.
  2. Pull together any relevant documents and account statements that paint a picture of your current financial situation.
  3. Create a short- and long-term plan to reach your financial goals.
  4. Begin putting your financial plan into practice.
Aug 23, 2023

Is the 50 30 20 rule realistic? ›

For many people, the 50/30/20 rule works extremely well—it provides significant room in your budget for discretionary spending while setting aside income to pay down debt and save. But the exact breakdown between “needs,” “wants” and savings may not be ideal for everyone.

What is included in a toolkit? ›

A toolkit structure has multiple categories, including tools related to definitions, engagement and communication, assessment, planning, training, evaluation, policy and procedure, and finance.

What is the common financial tool? ›

The Common Financial Tool (CFT) is used to assess household income and expenditure with a view to setting a contribution across all statutory debt solutions. It uses benchmark expenditure levels known as trigger figures to assess reasonable levels of expenditure.

What are the 4 basics of financial planning? ›

Use this step-by-step financial planning guide to become more engaged with your finances now and into the future.
  • Assess your financial situation and typical expenses. ...
  • Set your financial goals. ...
  • Create a plan that reflects the present and future. ...
  • Fund your goals through saving and investing.
Apr 21, 2023

How do I create a financial plan like a pro? ›

There are many different ways to create and follow a budget . Some popular methods include: The 50/30/20 rule: This method suggests allocating 50% of your income for needs (such as housing food, and transportation),30% for wants (such as hobbies, eating out, and shopping), and 20% for savings and debt repayment.

Can you live off $1000 a month after bills? ›

Bottom Line. Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.

How to budget $5,000 a month? ›

Consider an individual who takes home $5,000 a month. 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.

Is 4000 a good savings? ›

Are you approaching 30? How much money do you have saved? According to CNN Money, someone between the ages of 25 and 30, who makes around $40,000 a year, should have at least $4,000 saved.

What is your biggest wealth building tool? ›

“Your most powerful wealth-building tool is your income. And when you spend your whole life sending loan payments to banks and credit card companies, you end up with less money to save and invest for your future.

What is the easiest budget method? ›

1. The zero-based budget. The concept of a zero-based budgeting method is simple: Income minus expenses equals zero. This budgeting method is best for people who have a set income each month or can reasonably estimate their monthly income.

How do you start a budget when you're broke? ›

How to Create a Budget With a Low Income
  1. Step 1: List your income. Every budget starts with your income, no matter how much you make. ...
  2. Step 2: List your expenses. ...
  3. Step 3: Subtract your expenses from your income. ...
  4. Cut out extras. ...
  5. Skip the restaurants. ...
  6. Don't buy new clothes. ...
  7. Sell your stuff. ...
  8. Save money on expenses.
Oct 17, 2023

What does toolkit mean in business? ›

A business management toolkit refers to a collection of strategic tools and frameworks that assist organizations in making informed decisions, formulating effective strategies, and managing various aspects of their operations.

What are the three most common tools of financial analysis? ›

Several techniques are commonly used as part of financial statement analysis. Three of the most important techniques are horizontal analysis, vertical analysis, and ratio analysis.

Why use financial tools? ›

One of the primary benefits of using a financial management tool is the improvement in accuracy and efficiency. A financial management tool automates various financial tasks, such as invoicing, expense tracking, and payroll management, thereby reducing the possibility of errors.

What are financial analytics tools used for? ›

Financial analytics software allows users to collect, analyze, and interpret a company's financial data and financial statements (the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements). It helps businesses monitor their financial performance, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.

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