I’m a business graduate and I had some finance units before. I’ve learned about money, interest rate, budget, spending etc. But honestly, you just need to know the basic money matters to cope up with your finances especially when times are tight. As for me, I used to earn a couple of years ago but it’s surprising to know that I have more savings now than before. Let me share you my secret.

First, you have to stick to the principle of needs and wants. Shopping and new things can really make us good, but then the happiness is momentarily. Let’s think of our money as a limited resource, and invest on something valuable and not so costly stuff. The best example would be buying for some clothes that are just on sale and say no to eating out and gourmet coffee. Do your own cooking and brewing at home and try to save a little more on your savings account.

One of the wonderful wonders of internet is the creation of a very fast and reliable global provider of online trading services. To put it in a layman’s term, it makes us easier to understand the exchange rate of different currencies around the world. When dealing to my Japanese and Korean students, forex websites are helpful to me when it comes to converting Japanese yen, Korean won to US dollar. Aside from these, I also shop online and compare the prices of commodities. Some gadgets are cheaper in Singapore or in Dubai, and some clothes in Bangkok are much more affordable compared to other malls in the US. In this way, I can use my money efficiently. Some online websites are offering very minimal delivery charge to encourage more buyers. I may not be a stock broker who monitors forex almost 24/7 but then I consider all of this information very helpful to keep up with global trends.