Some may think of savings as some grand gesture where you save thousands and thousands of dollars at once. The reality is that saving money may not always be as grandiose as this. It’s a habit that you build over time, saving money as you go—sometimes pennies, one-dollar bills, and other various coins. Here are a few ways to start taking small steps towards bigger savings today:
Always look for the best price
Saving money isn’t always about putting money into a specific account; it can also be about the way that you spend your money regularly. Instead of always going for the first price you see, whether it’s with auto body repair procedures or a new household item, take time to shop around for the most affordable option on the market.
Savings can look like spending less on something you need. It may take time and practice to find more affordable choices when shopping, but the habit is worth building if you want to see your pennies turn into hundreds in your savings.
Use a savings app
A savings app can help you quickly and effectively save on the go, deposit coins into your savings account from purchases, and more. It’s a slow way to build up savings, but one that can definitely help you save your money. Roundup apps are popular because they make it easy for you to save money as you shop, while some apps help you reach your goals by “saving your money” for you.
If you’re someone who may have a difficult time putting that money into a savings account, this could be a helpful option for you. Get familiar with the options out there so that you can easily choose the one that is right for you and your financial needs and savings goals. It could be easier than you’d think.
Set up a strict savings account
If you like to dip into your savings regularly, this may be one reason why you’re having a challenging time building them up. With some banks, you could have the option to have limits on your savings account so that you only withdraw a couple of times throughout the month, if even.
Others make sure that your automatic savings transfers can’t be disrupted, making it easy for you to save your money and not touch it. It can be tempting to use it when you want something extra, but you’re saving up that money for a reason, right? At first, you may cringe at the idea of setting up a savings account that automatically takes your hard-earned money or that isn’t easy to access, but once you see those savings rise, you’ll be glad that you did.
Use a piggy bank
One may laugh at using a piggy bank, especially in a day and age where we don’t always carry cash or when we have apps to do the same thing. But for some people, this physical representation of saving money is the trick we need to get our money into savings and work towards a goal. Maybe there’s a trip that you want to go on, or there’s something you need to pay off. If you use cash for anything in your life, start using a piggy bank to save the extra coins that you find along the way. You’ll be glad that you did when you open it up and find hundreds of dollars of savings along the way.
In Conclusion
Saving money today could mean starting with the small habit of setting aside your pennies and dimes. It could mean using an app that rounds up to save money for you. It may mean setting up automatic transfers from your paycheck. You can save money with a little bit of forethought, planning, and saving small amounts. They’ll lead to bigger savings.