Whats an easy way to save money?

Question

I try and try to save but it doesn't seem like I can save any money. What can I do?

Answer 1

Don't spend any!

No, I'm seriously just joking. You need to set a goal and then you need to make out a budget. If you have bills, you need to sit down and add them all up. Then you need to add up what you spend every month in gasoline, groceries, etc. Once you have a total of your monthly living expense, you'll see how much money is left over every month. Take that amount and divide it up. A portion will go towards some fun time like girls night out or lunch with a friend. The rest will go into a savings account. You can't allow yourself to ever withdraw any of the money in that account for any reason. Pretend it isn't yours anymore. You can do it, if you want it bad enough. This is called self discipline. Get control now or your bad spending habits will cause you many set backs disappointments in the future...

PS: Personally, I love to listen to Dave Ramsey. Check out his website at:

http://daveramsey.com/

Answer 2

Automatically transfer money to an account that you don't have easy access to like in another state. You can set it up to deposit a set amount each week or month to that account electronically and if you don't have an ATM card attached then you will have to physically go there in order to take money out. It doesn't matter if you are talking $1 a week or $100 a week, the principle is the same. Don't make it easy to access your savings, live on what you make, and build as much interest as you can ... ie Roth IRA after taxes or 401K pre-tax. Invest for long term and/or save for short term goals. Don't buy what you really don't need. You need food and shelter and transportation but alot of the other things you are buying are only temporary pleasures. Be aware of the values of your purchases. Use cash instead of credit or debit cards. Shop around for things.

Answer 3

I found this method a couple years ago which, oddly enough, adds another category to the equation. It's called the "10-70-20 Plan." You take your total net earnings and divide them up this way: 10 percent goes to the church, charity or favorite cause of your choice. The 70 percent is what you are going to use to pay bills, buy food and household necessities (the key word is "necessities," not "wants" -- there is a big difference). And the 20 percent is the money you will put away into savings and not touch. When enough of that "20 percent" money accumulates, you can turn it over into a higher-interest earning account at a bank or credit union.
The "10" is important because it gets the focus away from "me me me" and onto other people, causes and institutions. You will become a better, more responsible person for it AND you'll find that you can live within your means just fine.

Answer 4

Tell your friends and family that you are leaving to joing the peace corps for 5 years. In the first year, sell as much of you can of stuff you don't have to have (if you have a nice car get a crappy one), then get two additional jobs (3 in all). Work 15 hours a day everyday even Sunday's for a year, just one year. Put every nickel and dime that you come accross into a growth stock mutual fund and then really join the peace corp/army for the next 4 years. Save everything you make from that. After 5 years you should have enough money (don't be surprised if you end up with $250,000+, if you go to the army and $150,000 if you go into something else) to where you won't have to save again because your standard of living will have dropped considerably, but then you can buy everything with cash and earnings from investment AND you can come back and do what you want to do for work because you don't have to worry about how much you are making!

Answer 5

Pay yourself first. Before buying anything, put a fixed amount away in a savings account that is not easily accessible.

Use cash to make every purchase. Save your change throughout the month. Only spend paper money, not coins.

Skip some extras and instead put that money aside for savings. You'll be surprised how fast it adds up.

Answer 6

Set up a Direct Debit Mandate with Your Bank into a None-Taxable Saving Bond or Guilt.

You can always Increase the amount as You begin to feel more confident with saving Money.

You must find ways of Living off a certain amount of Money each week or Month(Depending on when Your Employer pays you).

Make the savings account hard to get into(You are less Likely to raid it then!).

Answer 7

I save however much i make an hour per day. For example if i make 15 dollars an hour and I work 5 days , I put 75 dollars in my savings account. It may not seem like a lot but its a realistic way to save and it really builds up fast.

I also try and make cuts on things that I don't really need. Like giving myself a manicure instead of getting it done, not getting coffee at Starbucks and such. Or I take my lunch with me to work instead of going out to lunch. All this stuff really adds up.

Answer 8

Don't spend it! OK - besides the no-brainer, you need to budget yourself. Find out what you are spending youre money on, you may find you're just eating out a lot, or blowing your money of silly little things. Try to do these things less, eat in more, and put that money in a bank account that you won't get into. ING direct has great high-yield saving accounts. Put your money in there every month and DON'T TOUCH IT! It's hard to switch from spending to saving, but it can be done. Hard work, but well worth it. Best of luck!

Answer 9

Have a specific amount of money withheld from your check before you get it and have it deposited directly into a savings account. You won't miss the money because you won't ever see it and it will grow faster than you think. Choose an account with a good interest rate and leave the money alone. This is the most painless way to save because it is gone before you have a chance to spend it

Answer 10

The easy way to save money is to set aside a fixed sum of money every month and put it in a separate savings account.. That way, you can be sure you are saving money.