It’s easy to assume that people who are organised and smart with their money have always been this way, and find it easy to do so. However this is a skill that anyone can learn, and being in control of your finances is one of the best things you can do in your adult life. Even if you’re currently in debt or have been before, it doesn’t mean you can’t turn over a new leaf with your finances. In fact, once you have lived through the stress that debt and being out of control can be, it can make you more cautious and make smarter choices in future. Here are three things that financially savvy people do, and that you can too.

They Spend Less Than They Earn

This seems like such a simple concept, but it’s something that so many of us simply don’t practice in our financial lives. We spend on credit cards and use loans for things we don’t really need. We borrow money from friends and family, meaning we’re spending money we don’t have (or haven’t earned yet). Come the following month, we’re already behind due to overspending the month before. It might feel like you’re not a big spender, but chances are there are lots of ways you can cut down costs so that you’re spending less than you earn. Takeaway food and coffees, magazines, digital subscriptions and socializing can all add up. It’s not to say you need to give up everything that you love, but do have a careful look at what you spend and see where you can cut back. Spending less than you earn means you can start saving instead.

They Budget Carefully

Speaking of looking carefully at what you’re spending, on of the very best ways you can do this is to create a budget. When you know exactly what comes in each month and what goes out, it puts you in control of your money. Address each area of your budget- shop around for utilities to make sure you’re getting the best deals. Write shopping lists and meal plans to make sure you stick to your grocery budget. Cut back on luxuries that you probably won’t really miss once they’re gone. There are lots of apps and budgeting software programs out there these days that make this so easy- so take a look at them.

They Put Their Money to Work

Once they’ve saved some money, financially savvy people know how to put this to work. For example, investing savings well will turn a little money into a lot without much extra effort. You could invest in property, business or look into qualcomm stock if you’re knowledgeable about the stock market. Instead of leaving money to generate a small amount of interest sitting in a savings account, it could be accumulating massively over the space of months or years. Financially savvy people know where to put their money for the best returns and it’s something you could do too. If you’re new to investing, property is possibly the safest bet, as it generally appreciates in value year on year. You could buy a home and rent it out, you get your tenant’s rent money landing in your account each month, and if you sell later down the line it’s almost guaranteed to be worth more than what you paid for it.

Are you a financially savvy person, or do you aspire to be? What things do you think those who are organised with money do differently?