Saving Money Doesn’t Have to be Challenging

For so many people, money = stress. The thought of saving more each month can be intimidating, especially when we’re living in an environment where the cost of everything is higher than it was a few years ago, and our paychecks may not be covering the difference.

Thankfully, there are ways to save money to meet all your goals — both big and small, and even find some inspiration along the way!

Live Below Your Means. Spend less than you earn. If you are using your credit card like it’s money because you don’t have enough to pay for something, you are building a hole of debt that gets harder to climb out of. Only spend the money in your checking account right now.

Get On A Budget. Your first step in living below your means is calculating what all of your expenses are, comparing that to how much money you bring home every payday and deciding where to make cuts in your spending. Don’t think of a budget as a restricted diet. Think of it as something that will help you have more money to spend on the things you really need.

Find Your Financial Vision. Try creating a financial vision board — a collection of physical images that represent your financial goals. Seeing them in front of you makes them more tangible and can help keep you motivated to continue saving.

Automate Your Savings. When you automate, you take the guesswork out of saving. We’re not saying it’s easy, because saving money still requires you to not spend as much, but once you establish a budget and start tracking your spending, it absolutely can be done. Start by setting your online banking to automatically transfer a specific dollar amount from your checking account to your savings account every payday. It adds up fast.

With a just a little bit of effort upfront, you can create savings goals that set you up for financial success in the future.