If you watched the recently concluded Australian Open Men’s Tennis Final between the evergreen Roger Federer and the indomitable Rafael Nadal, you were probably picking your jaw off the floor time and again watching the sheer amount of grit and unbelievable talent on display.
We’ll wager even your bloated monthly Credit Card bill didn’t give you a severe case of lockjaw like these two gents did.
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Regardless of whose side you were on, there was no doubting the commitment and iron-like determination of both players. That’s the reason they’ve dominated men’s tennis for so long, and it was apparent for all to see.
It was certainly inspirational on many levels and it would come as no surprise if people all over the world suddenly took out Personal Loans to book themselves flight tickets to the French Open in the aftermath of this particular match.
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Sure, there may have been many admirable physical attributes on show, but there were other attributes on display as well that could be applied to the way we handle our money. And by that we don’t mean creating a ‘racket’ when you find out your Savings Account is nearly empty.
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So, with memories of that tussle still fresh in our minds, here are some financial tips that epic and utterly titanic tennis match could teach us about dealing with our finances and managing our money:
- Never Give Up
There was nary a volley, a lob, a smash or a crosscourt shot that both players didn’t try and chase down. No cause was lost and no point was too ‘cheap’. Every last drop of sweat was utilised in making sure that the guy on the other side of the net had to work his socks off to win even a single, measly game.
If you’ve ever found yourself with massive Credit Card or Loan debt on your shoulders, remember to never let it get you down no matter what. There’s always a way out as long as you stay disciplined and focused on your goal to eventually get debt-free.
At the end of the day, you need to do whatever it takes to achieve your objective. Leave no stone unturned, and before you know it, you’ll be out of the red before you can say “Mark Philippoussis”.
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- Look For Alternatives
With both players looking to outfox each other at every move, easy points were at a strict premium. As the match went back and forth through every pulsating set, both Federer and Nadal had to pull out every trick in the book to bamboozle each other.
Similarly, from a financial perspective, we need to always be on the lookout for alternative ways to reduce our debt burden. Just paying off the minimum balance on your Credit Card every month won’t work. All it does is delay the inevitable. What you certainly need to do is think of other methods to lower your outstanding dues.
Try and reduce unnecessary expenses and keep your budget tight in order to divert more funds towards clearing your debts. Since Credit Card debt comes with massive interest rates, maybe you could take out a Personal Loan (which comes with comparatively lower interest rates) to clear your dues and eventually pay back the loan over a comfortable tenure.
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- Prepare For Any Eventuality
Few people expected Federer to raise his game to the level he did to win the match. And it’s probably safe to say Nadal didn’t exactly expect it either considering the way he was swiftly swept aside in the opening set.
Lesser players may have wilted in the face of such a barrage, but Nadal always seemed confident that he could get back into the match. It became immediately apparent in the second set that Nadal had prepared himself mentally and physically for an onslaught such as this.
When it comes to our finances, disaster could strike at any moment. Medical emergencies, sudden unemployment or even accidents come unannounced and can shake our financial stability down to its very roots. This is exactly why it is vitally important to be monetarily prepared for whatever may come.
Set up an emergency fund and keep contributing a certain amount towards it every month. It will certainly come in handy when times get tough. It is also important to invest for the future so that you won’t be caught off guard if faced with financial difficulties. Placing your money in Investment avenues like a Fixed Deposit or Mutual Funds can ensure you have something to fall back on if the need arises.
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- Save As Much As You Can
Saving the number of break points Nadal did, even when things looked bleak, required immense mental fortitude and razor-sharp focus. Sure, he could have wilted away and still gone home with a fat pay check, but that was probably the furthest thing from this mind. After all, a break point saved could be the difference between winning or losing a game, a set or an entire match.
Financially, it is imperative that we save as much as we can, while we can. Like the saying goes, ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’. By setting aside a portion of our monthly salary every month, or even diverting superfluous funds towards our savings, we eventually set ourselves up for a solid and stable financial foundation.
Your savings will definitely come in handy throughout the course of your life, especially when you’re nearing retirement. Building a substantial corpus can see you ride out your golden years without having to worry about a regular income.
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Hopefully, the next time you see these two do battle in the near future, every grunt and every grimace will remind you to take a look to see if your finances are in tip-top shape, or if you happen to be courting financial disaster.