Financial priorities in your 30’s

In this age-related article, we examine the financial priorities for people in the prime of their lives – welcome to the world of the thirty somethings.

There’s possibly a house to be bought, maybe a wedding to be celebrated or a family to be started. And don’t forget the holidays, cars and social life that are there to be enjoyed! Maybe structured financial planning is a bit down the list. But money drives your lifestyle, so here are potential priorities to also consider.

Pay yourself first
We sometimes find with clients who are in or around their 30’s that while the intention to save is there, the reality is that it just doesn’t happen. Saving falls to the bottom of a long list of priorities and usually doesn’t make the cut. So our advice is to reverse the priorities. Pay yourself (by saving) first, immediately after you get paid each month. As a result, something else will suffer – this will usually be a discretionary spend (such as that 2nd coffee bought every day, the extra takeaway dinner every week) that actually adds little value to your life.

Be a saver
This is an important one – to recognise the importance of saving for different timeframes, including retirement. We’re not suggesting that you stop spending, as life is definitely for living! But we are suggesting that you take a balanced approach to your finances; spend money on things that matter to you, avoid frittering money away and take a strategic approach to your financial future.

Don’t waste windfalls
Windfalls might happen in the shape of a pay bonus, and this is an opportunity to dial up your enjoyment of life today - after all you’ve earned it) - while also improving your future. Set yourself a personal commitment to save x% of any windfalls you get for your long-term future, while enjoying the balance of that bonus today. And really achieving balance is the key point that we are attempting to make. Yes enjoy the financial opportunities that present themselves to you today. But don’t do it at the total expense of your financial future later in life.

Understand the impact of debt
Debt plays an important role in all of our lives, whether it is a mortgage for your house or a loan for a car etc. We all know the folly of running up credit card debts and also borrowing to fund your lifestyle. Debt is a useful financial tool, but only to be used wisely.

Avail of any “free” retirement support
While we await the long overdue introduction of auto-enrolment to pension schemes in Ireland, this final point applies to anyone who is fortunate enough to have a benevolent employer who agrees to pay into a pension scheme for you. This will often be done on the basis of “matching” your own commitment, up to a certain limit. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

​As we said at the outset, we understand that financial planning might not be at the top of anyone’s wish list while in their 30’s. However by embedding some good financial habits, you can hugely improve the quality of your life, both today and in the future.