Closing Remarks
You’ve now seen that the fundamentals of personal finance are as simple as building a snowman.
Part I covered saving and investing, showing that the steps involved are no different than rolling a snowball after a fresh snowfall.
Part II discussed additional tools and examples that can be added to your plan like accessories are added to a snowman.
Part III explained the resources that can help you along the way to reduce the workload and share the benefits with those around you.
We’ve mentioned that everyone’s financial situation is different. You may be comfortable for now with only adding concepts from Chapter 1, or this blog could be one of several on a path to mastering your finances. Either way, start first where you’re comfortable and expand with time. Like budgeting, financial planning is often tossed aside because it’s thought to be too challenging or life-altering. This is because to implement a plan you most likely need to change habits you’ve been following for most of your life.
If you take on too much at once, the chance of success decreases. It becomes too hard to follow all these new rules and considerations. Just as with adjusting other habits, it’s hard to change everything all at once. Instead, you can gradually change the habit over time little by little. Following even the simplest of financial plans will leave you better off than having no plan at all. As your habits shift and you get used to the changes, you can improve the plan and continue to better your financial situation.
With the knowledge collected throughout this blog, your financial future is looking increasingly bright. As you continue to expand your knowledge and comfort level with personal finance, I ask that you share it with those around you. The concepts of personal finance can seem daunting, but as we’ve now seen through this blog, they don’t have to be. I ask that you look for opportunities to acknowledge the angst many of us initially feel, and point people in the right direction to learn more. Perhaps it’s a book you found helpful or a website that may offer some assistance. It’s time the subject of personal finance was made accessible for everyone’s benefit. Because as we’ve now seen, if you can build a snowman, you can manage your money with confidence.
I hope you found this blog informative and enjoyable. If you have questions, feedback or topics you’d like to learn more about please email me at steven@snowmansguide.com. While I won’t be able to provide advice, I’ll be happy to offer explanations and resources I’ve found helpful in the past.
If you know others who could benefit from the tools and mindsets we’ve discussed, your referral means everything.
This blog is a duplicate of the recently self-published book The Snowman’s Guide to Personal Finance available for purchase here.