The health crisis that the world is experiencing already presented significant consequences for the
economy, especially with families facing income restrictions. . This situation requires us to be
diligent about our household spending: we need to be even more disciplined about personal finances. In
this scenario, Valia's (entity responsible for the supplementary pension plan for Vale employees)
representative, Daniel Coelho, shares some information and tips for controlling our budget.
Understand how feelings can influence our financial behavior:
The need for social acceptance. We often acquire
possessions over and above what we can afford to feel included in a particular group. Our
consumption habits need to be within our financial means.
"Opportunity! Half the price!" The
mere mention of words like "discount" or "stock clearance" sometimes leads us to
make purchases that we do not actually need, or that are not financially worthwhile.
"Don't go to the supermarket
hungry." There are more appropriate times to do certain shopping. What is not urgent
can and should be acquired with planning, that is, in order to fit into your budget.
"Herd effect". Sometimes it seems that
everyone is behaving the same - either making the same kind of investment thinking they can beat
the market, or shopping with the view that there will be a scarcity of products. In addition to
creating artificial demand and raising prices, this can provoke us to spend when it is not really
necessary.
See basic tips for good financial organization:
Know your expenses. Most of us know our income
well, but few know by heart how much they spend. This information will help you define two important
things: which of your expenses are unnecessary and can be eliminated; and how much you can save or
invest monthly.
Try to separate 20% of your monthly income to
invest. This amount should also be broken down into three smaller groups: long-term
investments (such as retirement); medium-term investments (such as a trip or a new car); and an
emergency reserve, which can be defined as three times your monthly income.
Automate your investments and
"de-automate" your payments. Automatic account debiting is a habit that offers
convenience, but we end up not checking our payments and worse, losing control of our balance, which
is risky. Automating investments, on the other hand, protects these resources from fleeting
"wishes" and guarantees the continuity of your financial arrangements.
Start small; the important thing is the process.
For those who are not used to investing, the tendency is to wait until there is "enough"
money for it. But this waiting can be illusory - and result in not making the profits that would
have come if the money had been invested. Financial education does not depend on values, but on
discipline, the result is also not only financial, but more principally, the taking of a lead role
in the budget of your life.