Sixty years is a long time. It’s enough time to learn a lot and, hopefully, even become wiser in the process. But oftentimes, wealth isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when reflecting on life lessons. Throughout our lives, we may engage with finances through investments, mortgages, and 401Ks but none of these transactions may give us an overall view of how money plays into our lives and what we can do differently with it in the future. In this blog post, William Schantz draws from his own experience as someone who has been managing their finances for 60 years—sharing his insights about how money works throughout one’s lifetime so you, too, can put them into practice!
Finance Lessons From 60 Years Of Living: By William Schantz
One of the greatest life lessons that you can learn from living for 60 years or more is how to successfully manage your finances, says William Schantz. Throughout this period, one might have had multiple jobs, established a business, and achieved financial goals such as saving for retirement. The following are some important financial lessons that anyone at any age can take away from someone who has accumulated 60+ years of experience in managing their finances:
1. Start saving early and often – Saving money should be a priority, no matter what stage of life you’re in. It is never too late to start setting aside funds for future needs such as retirement or major purchases like homes and cars. And it pays off in the long run – starting early gives you plenty of time to grow your investments and build financial security.
2. Make smart investments – It is important to invest your money wisely and diversify across different assets. This means researching the potential risks of each investment, as well as understanding which ones are likely to yield a good return on your money in the long run. Additionally, be sure not to put too many eggs in one basket – spreading out investments into different areas will help you minimize losses if one area goes awry.
3. Live within your means – Financial discipline is key to managing your finances in a sustainable way for the long term. This may mean cutting back on unnecessary expenses or creating a budget that allows you to make ends meet with what income you have coming in. Living below your means also allows you to save more money for the future.
4. Manage debt responsibly – Debt can be a useful tool if managed properly, but it can also quickly become unmanageable if left unchecked. Be sure to prioritize any necessary debts first and pay them off in as short a time frame as possible so that you don’t accumulate large amounts of interest charges. Additionally, only take on new debt when absolutely necessary, such as for an emergency expense or major purchase where other financing options are not available.
5. Create an emergency fund – Emergencies happen – from job loss to medical bills – and having a financial cushion can help protect you against unexpected expenses that could otherwise throw your budget into disarray. William Schantz recommends considering setting aside a small percentage of your income each month into an emergency savings account so that if the unexpected arises, you’ll have a financial safety net to fall back on.
William Schantz’s Concluding Thoughts
By learning these finance lessons from someone with 60 years or more of experience managing their finances, you can benefit from their wisdom and apply it in your own life. According to William Schantz, whether you are just starting out or already established financially, following these tips will help put you on the track toward financial stability and success.