Major Life Decisions: Know When To Invest And When To Avoid

Navigating your way through life is challenging enough, so making major financial decisions will feel daunting. However, if you use your money wisely and make sure that you’re as well-informed as possible when it comes to where to invest it; the rewards can be well worth the initial time and effort. The following are some areas to consider if you’re thinking about what to do with your money, and will help you to decide on where to invest, and more importantly, where you should avoid putting your cash. 

Education

Education is often an extremely effective way to invest in your personal growth, along with your qualifications and career development. Therefore, if you’re sat on the fence when it comes to starting a new course or taking on extra training, and you’re unsure whether to spend your money or not; you need to weigh up the potential results. If you are stuck in a job that doesn’t fulfill you on any level, because you can’t pay your bills and receive no job satisfaction or development; it’s time to start thinking about retraining. Take into account your current experience and qualifications before you pay to begin something. You don’t want to have completed a college course, only to find out that you lack in the other areas needed for a particular job role.

If you’re able to start a course or degree and have researched thoroughly into how it will lead you towards a job and career that you’re happy with; it’ll be worth both your time and investment. You will have to sacrifice things as you study; you may have to downsize in your accommodation and limit your lifestyle so that you can afford to retrain and keep up with your deadlines. You might also have to continue to work to pay your rent and bills alongside regularly visiting a college; so your life will take a major impact, and it won’t be an easy road. However, once you’ve worked out your time management and you’re out the other side and working in a job that fulfills you and pays better than your previous roles, you’ll realize how smart your decision to make a change was and how much you appreciate it.

There are some career paths that allow you to train as you work. Therefore if you’re prepared to get stuck in at the very bottom of the ladder and work your way up, your investment in your new position will pay off in the long run. Bear in mind that there are ways to save the money that you are currently earning, which will give you the freedom to take some time out to study and learn in the near future; it might just be a case of a little patience and a lot of determination to get where you want to be. If you’re willing to invest in education and training, you want a career change and improvement, but you’re a little stuck on where to begin; take a look here: http://www.careershifters.org/expert-advice/how-to-change-career-when-you-have-no-idea-what-youre-doing for some advice and tips.

Property

So, you’ve investing your time and money into getting your career to where you want it, and you’re earning a regular salary or wage; now’s the time to start thinking about building up your property and any long term real estate investments you could make. Property can either break or make you financially; so, to ensure you’ve made the right investment for a comfortable life, you’ll need to do your research and make some smart decisions. Flipping homes can be a lucrative business to invest in; however, you’ll need to know the market like the back of your hand and be able to understand the processes that are involved in a profitable sale.

If you feel that you should be relocating to a new area, or have fallen on difficult financial times; property can be your money savior. You can seek help and advice on how to sell your home for the best price, and there are companies who will buy your property from you, no matter what condition it’s in. Handing over the responsibility of resale to another party could give you the income of cash that you need as soon as possible and will take the time, stress, and strains away from doing it all yourself; making it a valuable investment.

The real estate market waits for no-one, so take the chance to buy and sell when you can; but, you must ensure that you’re making informed choices and aren’t swayed by impulse. Rash decisions and choices when it comes to property will cost you a lot in the long run; however, if you’re smart about it, you’ll have set up te beginning of a comfortable life for you and your family. For more tips and ideas on real estate investment, take a look here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aj-agrawal/5-basic-tips-for-investing-in-real-estate_b_9072532.html and ensure that you’re making all the right moves in the property market.

If you are considering buying your first home; take into account the location and whether the prices are likely to rise before you plan to move on, so that you know you’re money will and assets value will increase. Avoid houses that are in declining areas, or have too much work that needs doing to them, just because they’re a quick and cheap sale; you’ll regret it in the long run and will have wasted your cash. Choose a property that will allow you and your family to grow over the next few years, and that should increase in value steadily with the rest of the market, so that you can sell with ease in the future. Know when to call in the professionals to buy your house, or to renovate for resale, so that you don’t waste any time and more of your money in trying to do it all yourself. 

Transport

You might think that transportation, or more specifically your vehicle of choice, is an unusual thing to put on a list about major life investments. However, a car will lose value the second that you drive it away from the showroom; so it’s worth making extra effort to choose one wisely and ensure that it will last for the years ahead. Unless you have plenty of cash to splash on whatever you like; you need to make a list of all the factors that your mode of transport will impact.

If you commute each day, whether it’s to work or college; work out whether it would be cost-effective to run a car, or you’d be better off investing in a long term pass for public transport. Take into account the convenience factors too; think about whether you’ll be able to park your car for free, or if you’ll have to pay for a parking spot each day, and how that compares to your public transportation option. If the convenience of driving to work each day outweighs any savings you’ll make taking the bus; then a car might be the correct choice for you. However, if running a vehicle will make a major dent in your wallet each month, and you could quarter the expense by getting on the train in the morning; reconsider visiting that car showroom this weekend and keep thinking of the money you're saving by not having one.

If you do decide that a car is a wise investment; consider secondhand and fuel-efficient options that will help you to save your hard-earned money. For some tips and ideas on what to look out for when you’re buying a vehicle, take a look here so you can make a smart choice. Taking good care of your car, and maintaining it properly, will ensure that you’ll be more likely to get a decent price for it when you decide to sell and upgrade your vehicle. Regular garage visits, washing the car inside and out, and protecting it from extreme and harsh weather conditions are a great place to start when looking after your investment.

Experiences

Vacations, traveling, and seeing what the world has to offer, will enrich your life and give you an education that no institution ever could. However, you need to ensure that you have the cash in the bank to set off, and crucially, you’ll need to prepare and plan for when you return. Short trips and vacations are the perfect way to get a taster of places that you want to spend time in, and you’ll be able to return back to work and home life with ease. Take advantage of special deals and offers on traveling across the country and overseas when they pop up, and try to have a contingency in your bank account for when these discounts pop up.

If you feel that you want to spend more time traveling and exploring new environments, then much like when you saved to retrain; you’ll need to regularly put money aside to fund a future trip. You can always work abroad, as long as you’ve sorted out the correct visas and permits; however, it’s always a wise idea to have a buffer put away. You’ll need to have a life when you return, so saving while you’re away is another way to earn some extra income, and will give you time to figure things out when you’re back in the country. As long as you work hard and make smart spending choices; there’s no reason you can’t lead an enjoyable and fruitful life and be financially comfortable too.