The American people are drowning in debt. Excluding your home, the average American has racked up $38,000 in personal debt.
According to the same source, older millennials have the highest amount of personal debt at $42,000. Common debt drivers include credit cards, student loans, and vehicles.
The best way to tackle debt is to closely monitor your income and expenditures. It is far easier to fall into debt when you do not track finances.
Financial experts are recommending high-quality infographics to manage personal budgets. Read on to learn how to navigate your financial landscape using infographics.
What Are Infographics?
Infographics are an effective way to present data and information in a concise manner. Bar graphs and pie charts are two common examples of infographics.
There are many free infographic templates online. These templates will help you quickly create infographics to help manage your personal finances.
How Do Infographics Help Manage Spending?
One of the best ways to use infographics is to track monthly or yearly spending. In fact, many credit card companies now use infographics to track monthly charges.
Credit card companies start off by placing charges in a category. For example, entertainment or fuel expenses are put in separate categories.
Unfortunately, credit card companies only see your charges on that specific card. Most people have expenses that are automatically deducted from a debit account. In other cases, people use cash to pay for some services.
The onus is on you to transfer all of your expenses to an infographic. The benefit of doing so is the ability to see where your income is going.
Many people do not realize how much they spend per month on morning coffee. One recent study showed that the average American spends more on coffee than retirement savings.
How Can I Display Financial Data?
There are a few different ways to look at financial data in an infographic. You can break costs up into fixed or variable type.
Fixed costs are monthly expenses that never change. Examples of fixed expenses are a student loan payment or the rent.
Variable expenses change depending on various circumstances. A good example is fuel costs that depend on how much you drive. Another example is entertainment costs that change based on how often you go out.
You can break costs up into biweekly, monthly, or annual expenses. Also, you can track your expenses on a year-to-year basis.
This is a great way to see if your costs are increasing or decreasing. A bar graph can demonstrate spending trends over time.
You can even break up costs by store or brand. An infographic may reveal that you spend far too much income at a particular place.
Navigating Your Financial Landscape with Infographics
You now have a brief understanding of how infographics can help personal budgeting. Infographics allow you to track income and expenses over time. They also demonstrate how you spend a paycheck or monthly earnings.
If you need help navigating your financial landscape, contact us today for financial consulting advice.
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