When it comes to bucket lists, people prefer experiences over things, said Josh Ackerman, a certified financial planner at Context Financial in Lexington, Kentucky.
When clients come to him, he gives the following advice:
• Know what it is you want to do
The clearer your goal, the more likely you’ll achieve it, said Ackerman.
He said he tries to get his clients to visualize exactly what they want, since they’re usually more willing to make changes once they have a goal in mind.
Ackerman said he once told a client who wanted to go on vacation to get a guidebook for that specific location to make it more real.
“The more you can polish up the future so that it looks appealing, the more likely you are to make changes today to get the thing you want tomorrow,” he said.
• Cut out little expenses
Once you have the goal in mind, take time to look at your daily and household budgets, and ask what you can take out of that budget to put into your bucket list account.
Review your credit card receipts, Ackerman said, since that’s where most of the recurring bills are.
Be sure to look for the expired trials or subscriptions you may not use often. When was the last time you watched Hulu or used Amazon Prime?
Eating out is the biggest expense. “Everybody does it more than they think they do,” Ackerman said.
“You’re spending money on something that doesn’t matter to you as much,” he said.
Be the first to comment