Nowadays, cryptocurrency has become the new hype, being a global phenomenon known to most people. The growing understanding and usage of technology has led to an acceptance of this particular currency, thus increasing its popularity significantly.

With this accelerated interest in cryptocurrency, there is also a need for support and management of cryptocurrency in order to better keep track of your finances. We are thrilled to announce that CashControl now provides full support with an 8 decimal precision and dynamic exchange rate for the following coins: BTC (Bitcoin), ETH (Ethereum), XRP (Ripple), BCH (Bitcoin Cash), XMR (Monero), LTC (Litecoin).

Cryptocurrencies are distributed digital currencies, much like a form of digital cash, having full control over your payments and balance without needing a central authority to validate your transactions. In addition to this, with cryptocurrencies the transactions can be processed extremely quickly without having to wait hours or days for a simple exchange. Cryptocurrencies, often referred to as coins, are stored in digital ‘wallets’ protected by a very private key that you use to manage your payments.

There hasn’t been a single time in your life where you didn’t have to worry about money (other than when you were a kid), isn’t that right?

If you can agree with this, then you’ve come to the right place.

Money management isn’t rocket science. We’re confident that every one of you who are reading this article will be able to achieve financial bliss by following a few simple rules.

We want you to start this no sooner and no later than tomorrow, so be ready to take some notes.

The Golden Rules For Money Management And Financial Bliss

1. Talk about money

Even if it’s not the most pleasant topic to discuss, you have to do it.

Are you living with a significant other? Then you need to discuss it with them. If you’re living by yourself, then you can ask a financial consultant, your parents or some of your friends that have more knowledge when it comes to money management.

Whatever the case may be, you need the opinion of someone from the outside. They can probably help you see things differently or come up with a strategy you never thought of.

2. Start with one goal

This is so important when you want to reach financial bliss.

If you think that you want to save up money for several things at a time, you will feel overwhelmed and end up not doing anything about it.

Instead, you should start only with one goal at a time. You will see yourself making progress month by month if you approach money management like this.

For example, you can start with a goal that’s more urgent than others, such as paying your debt or saving up for buying a house.

3. Take small steps

After you have decided on your goal, it’s time to figure out how you can get there in the shortest amount of time.

The best way to do this is by creating milestones or steps along the way which are easy to accomplish.

If your goal is to save money so that you can buy a house, then figure out some ways in which you can cut your spendings. Then, see how much money you can put aside without affecting your monthly budget too much.

4. Keep investments simple

There are all sorts of investments you can make nowadays. Some of them are easier to understand, and some of them sound way too complicated.

If you already have experience with investing, then, by all means, do what you think it’s best.

But if you don’t have a lot of expertise in this area, it’s best to be cautious and invest only in something you truly understand.

5. Buy experiences

Here’s a fact: tangible goods don’t deliver happiness.

Instead of buying the latest smartphone on the market, a TV for each room in the house, 20 pairs of jeans and so on, we should all focus more on investing and buying experiences.

The moment you start focusing on experiences and not on material things, that is when you will achieve financial bliss.

Financial Management Has Never Been Easier

How is that possible?

Because you can now track and control what happens with your incomes, expenses, and bills with the CashControl app.

If you want to get detailed reports and know where your money goes, then create your free account today.

We’re all guilty of making money management mistakes. The first steps towards fixing the mistakes is acknowledging them so that we can change our life for the better.

Money management isn’t and doesn’t have to be complicated.

In this article, we will point out some of the most common mistakes that you should stop doing when it comes to your finances.

You Pay The Bills Late

This is such an easy mistake to make, and one that you probably think will not hurt your finances too much.

But the truth is, by paying your bills late, you will spend way more money on them because of penalties.

You can stop making this mistake by automating your bill payments every month.

You Don’t Know Where Your Money Goes

If we were to ask you how much you’re spending every month and your expenses list, you would probably give us a brief and rough approximation off the top of your head.

The chances are that you don’t know for sure where your money goes and this causes you money management issues.

If you would start keeping track of your expenses and bills, we’re positive that you will be surprised on some of the payments you make.

You can use an app, such as CashControl, to manage your money and keep a detailed history.

You Spend More Than You Need To

Once you have a clear idea of where your money goes, you will be able to reduce your expenses.

Perhaps you will find out that you’re paying for memberships and subscriptions you don’t actually use, so it’s best to put a stop to them.

Or you’re buying things you don’t need, such as another TV, more clothes, or random stuff for your home that don’t prove to be a necessity.

Doing small budget changes will add up over time.

You Use Your Credit Card For Daily Expenses

When you’re tight on money, it’s incredibly easy to use your credit card and pay for purchases.

One purchase can grow to ten purchases in the blink of an eye, and by the time you know it, your credit card balance will be hard to pay off in full.

This can also lead to potentially damaging your credit card score. A low credit score will affect you in case you would want to take a loan at some point, and it can even stop you from qualifying for one at all.

You Don’t Have An Emergency Fund  

Things can go downhill anytime, and you have to be ready.

Your pet may need an emergency vet visit. Your car may break down. Your house may need some maintenance you weren’t aware of.

You can cover all of these unexpected expenses with your emergency fund. The problem is that when you don’t have one, you may find yourself using the credit card. As we’ve seen earlier, this is a big no-no.

It’s All About Making Smarter Decisions  

We’re not perfect, especially when it comes to making money decisions. But the first step has already been made if we can acknowledge our money management mistakes.

If you want to learn more about how to save money, then we recommend trying out CashControl.

The app will help you track in real time all your expenses and bills, and you will soon be on your way towards making smarter decisions for your future.   

Unexpected expenses can occur anytime, and they can catch you by surprise. Even if it’s a loss in income, a large medical bill, or a household repair, you can still plan for them in order to minimize the impact on your financial stability.

If you have gone through something like this, then you already know how unpleasant it is. If you haven’t, then you should prepare for it.

Let’s see how not to get caught by surprise when it comes to unexpected expenses.

Put Money Aside

To ensure the fact that you won’t spend the money you save, you should open a savings account or an emergency fund. Or both if you want.

That way, you won’t be tempted to tap into the account as much.

The best alternative, which we highly recommend, is to open a separate account that will be harder to access.

This will also help you keep track of the amount of money you’re saving.

Identify Previous Unexpected Expenses

We’ve all had until now at least a couple of unexpected expenses. Try to identify the most recent ones and group them into categories if possible.

Doing so may be able to help you predict future irregular expenses and prepare you for them.

For example, if you need to attend a wedding this year, break down all the costs that are involved for the event to see how much you need to save.

At the same time, there will also be certain expenses that cannot be predicted. That’s why it’s important to take into consideration the previous tip.

Prepare For The Worst, Expect The Best

“This will never happen to me” is the kind of attitude that you want to avoid. Instead, you should do everything you can to be as prepared as possible.

You can’t control your health 100%, weather catastrophes or other people’s behavior.

Here are the most common examples of unexpected expenses you should prepare for:

– Health issues. Medical visits usually cost a lot of money;

– Car troubles. Reckless drivers can damage your car even if you’re an experienced driver;

– Home repairs. Many things can malfunction or break in a house so you should be prepared for bigger or smaller maintenance issues;

– Gifts. Weddings, parties, anniversaries, baptisms, holidays – these expenses can get pretty high, especially if you remember about them on the last minute.

Adjust Your Budget

If an unexpected expense occurs, but you don’t have a savings account or an emergency fund, then you will need to adjust your monthly budget to cover for it.

This tip can work even if you have an emergency fund. You can find ways to spend less from your monthly budget. That way, you will need less money from the fund or savings account.

Do You Know What Happens To Your Money?    

If you’re like most people, a pen and paper just won’t do when it comes to keeping track of your finances.  

To be able to plan for any expenses that may occur, you first need to know how you spend your money. If you want to have a better overview of your expenses, income, bills, and loans, and increase your financial stability, try out CashControl.

Your financial management buddy is just one click away.    

We know – it’s already past the middle of 2017. You might be thinking “How can I still set and achieve financial goals this year if I didn’t start this process in January?”.

The truth is that there is no perfect time to do it, other than now.

Don’t wait until the end of 2017 to set financial goals for 2018. Keep reading the article to discover the best goals you can set when it comes to your finances.

Let’s do this!

1. Set and Stick With Your Monthly Budget

First, you should set a realistic monthly budget. At this point, you will already know what you spend your money on and whether there are any expenses you can cut out.

To make this easier, you can set the monthly budget on categories. That way, you will be able to track if, for example, you’re spending too much money eating out or buying new clothes.   

2. Reduce Your Debt

We can all agree that getting out of debt completely would be a dream come true.

However, we’re realistic, and since it’s the middle of 2017, the financial goal of reducing your debt is ideal and achievable.

Write down the amount that you want to reduce every month. Then, compile a list of tasks that you need to accomplish in order to complete this goal by the end of 2017.

3. Start an Emergency Fund

Having an emergency fund can bring you peace of mind. It can also help you overcome unexpected large expenses.

Any sudden emergency which requires a large amount of money won’t affect your monthly budget. The size of the emergency fund will depend on your income and your debt.

Starting small is better than not having an emergency fund at all.  Ideally, you should save one month’s salary in a short amount of time.

4. Start Saving For Retirement

If you have debt, then you should contribute to your 401(k) the amount that the company you work for will set. Once you reduce your debt, you can increase the amount you’re contributing to the retirement account.

When you’re young, it’s so much easier to set money aside. Moreover, you don’t know what the future holds, and it’s always good to have a backup if you plan to retire early.

5. Don’t Spend More Than You Earn

This may seem quite obvious to some people, but it’s shocking how many don’t realize that they’re actually spending way more than they are earning.

One thing that leads to this is the access to credit cards.

The greatest benefit of spending less than you earn is that you will be able to achieve the other financial goals, such as:

– Reducing your debt;

– Saving for retirement;

– Investing.

Even if you increase your income at some point, you should always stick to this financial goal.

Take Control of Your Finances

Setting these five goals in 2017 just won’t do. You will also need to use a tool that will help you keep track of everything that happens with your income and your expenses.

Start taking control of what happens to your money with CashControl. If you need any other details or have questions about the app, don’t hesitate to contact us here.  

Most people who have financial management issues are determined to do whatever it takes to improve this aspect of their life. However, somewhere along the way, things don’t go as planned.

The missing link is the fact that the financial goals are not realistic and this is stopping people from achieving them. Even if we’re already a few months into the new year, it’s not too late to set financial goals. In this article, we’re going to show how to make them realistic and keep up with them.

How To Set Realistic Financial Goals

– Review your spending habits. You might not remember every little thing you spent your money on last year, so we recommend you to review your purchases. Knowing where your money went, is going to help you determine if the decisions you made were good or not.

– Make it specific. After you review your spending habits, you’ll be able to find a particular area that you want to improve or needs improvement as soon as possible. It can be something like reducing the money spent eating out from $300 to $150.

– Make an assignment. If you’re in this by yourself, then you’ll be in charge of making sure that your goal is met every month. If you have a larger family or a spouse, then you might want to assign certain tasks to them so that you don’t get overwhelmed.

– Set your budget. Many people feel like creating a budget will only limit their spendings, when in fact, it is going to help them formulate a plan so that they start saving money.

– Measure the progress. Knowing if you’re making progress will let you know whether your goals are realistic or not. If you do not see any progress after a while, then you’ve probably set the bar too high.

– Start with one small step. You’ll probably want to go all in when it comes setting financial goals, but it’s smarter to start small and choose only one at first, usually the one that feels more doable. That way, you won’t be discouraged if you don’t manage to achieve what you’ve wanted.

– Set a time limit. Deadlines motivate even the biggest procrastinators, so it’s a must to set a time limit in order to achieve your financial goal(s). Be specific about the dates when you’re going to start reviewing your payment history, or when you want to meet your objective.

– Draw the bigger picture. There’s always going to be a vision, something that will motivate you to reach the financial goals. Think about your priorities on the long-run, even if you’re going to start only with one. Whether it’s buying a house or a car, knowing what the bigger picture is behind all this will help you stick to the plan.

– Ask for advice and support. It’s not a shame to ask others for help or support when you need it. In fact, it’s something we recommend to do, especially from people who are going through the same thing. If you have a friend that you can rely on, ask them to reprehend if you don’t stick to your goals.

What Are You Waiting For?  

Setting financial goals starts with knowing your budget first and continues with tracking your current spendings. CashControl is one of those apps that helps you track the expenses and generates reports based on them.

Want to give it a go? Then sign up for a free account here.

Do you feel overwhelmed and a little bit stressed whenever tax season comes? We know that taxes are not fun at all, but it’s something we all have to deal with.

If you’re planning on becoming more organized this year, reduce clutter, and save time, then we have the solution for you. In this article, we’ll show you 7 steps you can use to start organizing your financial life.

Let’s get started.

How To Organize Your Financial Life In 7 Steps

1. Check your budget every month

Even though you may have already laid out a budget, you still need to revise it every month. Why? Because in the winter months you may have a higher electrical bill than in the warmer months, so your budget will vary slightly depending on the season.

For example, if in the summer you’ll end up paying $100 less for electricity, then you might as well invest this amount in something else.

2. Paying the bills on time

To make sure that your bills are paid on time, you have a couple of options:

– Pay them on the same day you receive the bill. If you postpone this, you’ll most likely forget about them;

– Automate bill payments. Better safe, than late.

3. Set up automatic transfers to a savings account

Having an organized financial life means that you’ll have to save a certain amount of money each month, either for personal interest or in the case of an emergency.

Because life gets in the way, there’s a high chance that you’re not going to do this on a regular basis without automating it.

4. Use a cash management app

If you need an easy way to help you keep track of your expenses, bills, payments, loans, or incomes, then you definitely need to use a cash management app.

For example, CashControl sends you reports on where your money goes and reminders about your bills. You can start organizing your financial life directly in the app, which is great.

5. Know what bills you need to pay every month

Having a checklist with your monthly bills can be a life-saver. You can put it on the fridge or in some place where you’re going to see it.

That way, you’ll know if you missed a bill or if you didn’t receive one in a particular month.

6. Manage your financial files

Whether you receive your bills in a physical format or digital, it’s important to keep them organized and in one place. Shoeboxes or binders work best for paper bills, receipts, and other financial documents.

The electronic files need to be backed up, either on an external hard drive or the cloud.

7. Know what the other person is spending on the share account

If you have a shared banking account with your spouse, then you need to check regularly with them so that you know how much they’re spending. If you don’t do that, then you may wake up to find out that your loan payment was missed because you didn’t have enough money in your bank account.

What Stops You From Organizing Your Financial Life?

Financial management issues can prevent us from having a stress-free, clutter-free life. However, by applying and implementing these small steps into your life, you’ll soon feel better about your finances.

Want to try out a simple to use cash management app? Then register for CashControl and start taking control over your finances today.    

For those of us who don’t have money management expertise, figuring out how not to overspend every month is most certainly not a walk in the park.

We know that there are a lot of you out there who want to get better at managing their personal finances and start saving money. So we began wondering who would give the best advice when it comes to money management? And we found the answer: Financial experts.

We did our research, and we gathered some of the best tips that you might not know about. Keep on reading to see what financial experts have to say about money management.

4 Money Management Tips From Financial Experts

1. Understand the risks of your investments

It’s a smart thing to invest your money in something, whatever it may be. But it’s also foolish to do it without knowing what you’re getting yourself into. Even if you’re working with a financial advisor, you shouldn’t rely only on them to understand the risks of the investments you make.

If you don’t want to take the time to do all the work when it comes to weighing the pros and cons of an investment, then perhaps you should keep the money to yourself. Play it smart, not blindly.

2. Start small

Financial experts noticed a pattern of behavior which defines people who have money management issues. It’s the fact that they postpone starting a savings account because they want to add larger amounts than they would afford to – at least in the beginning.

Experts believe that this is where most people get trapped. They won’t take any action into starting a fund because they think too big when in fact they should always start small. You just have to set the wheels in motion even with as little as $10/month. There is no doubt that it’s more important to get going than not to start at all.

3. Eliminate credit card debt

According to USA Today, “The average American has $3,600 in credit card debt”. If you’re one of those people who has credit card debt, then you should listen to financial experts and eliminate it as soon as possible.

Why? It’s simple. First of all, it will help you improve your FICO score. Second, by having zero credit card debt, you will appear more trustworthy with money. Did you know that a credit card loan is riskier than a mortgage or an auto loan? This means that out all of the loans, you should worry the most about ending up with credit card debt.

4. Automate bill payments

We’re pretty sure you have a lot going on in your life and paying the bills on time may be the last thing on your mind. To avoid missing due dates and getting penalized, financial experts recommend automating bill payments. Another advantage is that you’ll know exactly how much money goes into paying all the bills and then you’ll be able to calculate the amount that remains for other purposes.

Start Saving Now

We hope that these tips from financial experts will help you get a better grip on money management and the aspects that matter the most.

Would you like to try an easy way of tracking your personal finances? If the answer is yes, then create your free CashControl account here and start controlling your finances right away.

Recovering from a high spending month like the holiday season or a vacation can be tough, but with these steps you can overcome a blown budget in a short period of time because it is actually a question about making a distinction between shopping and buying. One would venture to say that most of us walk through life spending our money on things we know we want, but we don’t ever take the time to understand why.

Meeting for coffee instead of brunch, exploring new hiking trails instead of checking out the latest concert, or having a potluck dinner at home instead of going out to a restaurant are a few money saving tips worth considering. Just because you can’t visit the mall doesn’t mean you can’t reward yourself in other ways.

A great idea would also be to stick to the classics, don’t be a marketing victim, treat yourself if you’re a serious shopper and last but not least you can always simply ask yourself “Is this a want or a need?”

Another helpline on the way would be to recognize the excuses you use. Excuses emerge when our mind tells us that what we are thinking about doing, could be uncomfortable. And we don’t like discomfort, do we? But, here’s the thing, change is rarely comfortable (at least not at first). In order to make real progress, we have to deal with the uncomfortable, one step at a time.

It’s all about attitude here…have fun with it and stay positive, even make a chart to see how much you’ve “saved”! This would be a great time to use any gift cards you have sitting around, break out those board games that rarely get played, or DIY a home project with things you have around the house. Perhaps you could even ask your employer for overtime opportunities!

Check your supplies to ensure you have enough to get through the month, don’t stock up for the entire year. Clean out the pantry and freezer to take stock of what you have on hand. Think ahead on meals. Is coffee a must in your house? What are your bare necessities for healthy eating?

Mentally prepare to get your mind right. Don’t think of a no spend month as a month of deprivation, but as a month of growth and challenge. Be positive. It is going to stretch you and challenge you and it won’t always be easy, but it’s only a month! And just think of the possibilities!

So start saving now, and if you need help to get a better grip on money management you can always create your free CashControl account here and start controlling your finances right away.

Do you often run out of money by the end of the month? We know you do and we also know that you’re not the only young adult who finds himself/herself in this situation more than they should.

Money management is not a subject taught in school, even though statistics show it should be. If you don’t have a clue where to start when managing your finances, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’re going to give you some of the best tips.

Lay Out All Your Expenses

First thing’s first: You have to know where your money goes. Chances are that right now you have no idea how much money you’re spending on things that are not as important as you’d think.

Create a spreadsheet and start writing down your expenses. At the end of the month, you’ll be able to notice if there are any unnecessary expenses you can cut off.

Budgeting

Now that you know where your money goes, it’s time to prepare a monthly budget and categorize your expenses based on their importance. For example, the rent and utility bills have to be paid on time no matter what.

On the other hand, it may not be a priority for you to buy an HD TV right now. Also, if you’re spending a lot of money eating out, then perhaps you can consider cooking at home more often and eating out only once per week. These are the sort of compromises you need to make when you’re budgeting.

Start Saving

It’s never too early to start saving, and it’s also never too late. One of the biggest reasons why money management is an issue for young people is the fact that they don’t save money. When you’re young, all you want to do is live in the present.

However, if the present looks something along the lines of “not having enough money until the next paycheck,” then you know it’s time to change something.

You can start by opening a personal savings account for which you set a fixed amount every month. At a later date, you can open an emergency fund. Soon enough, you’ll be on your way to starting a retirement fund or a home saving fund.

Set Goals

To be able to accomplish something, you need to start with a set of clear goals because they will act as a motivation for you. This applies to money management as well.

Think about what would be a priority for you right now in terms of saving money. Do you want to buy new furniture, remodel your home, purchase a car or a home, or maybe travel more? Define what actions you can make to get closer and closer to reaching your goals each month.

Always Do What Works For You

In the end, it’s all about doing what feels right for you. Take advice from others, but only apply the things that would make sense for you.

We believe that every little step counts and it usually starts with tracking your money. That’s why we built CashControl, an app that helps you manage your personal finances. If you want to start saving money, then create your free account by registering here.