Dear Liz: What’s the easiest way to save money? I have the hardest time. I want to save, but I feel that I don’t make enough to start saving.
Answer: The easiest way to save is to do it without thinking about it.
That usually means setting up automatic transfers either from your paycheck or from your checking account. If you have to think about putting aside money, you’ll probably think of other things to do with that cash. If it’s done automatically, you may be surprised at how fast the money piles up.
The second part of this equation is to leave your savings alone. If you’re constantly dipping into savings to cover regular expenses, you won’t get ahead.
People manage to save even on small incomes because they make it a priority. They “pay themselves first,” putting aside money for savings before any other bills are paid. Start with small, regular transfers and increase them as you can.
Sometimes if you don’t have the best employer or are a contractor (like me), you may not be able to get your paycheck split between two accounts. Don’t let that be an excuse not to save! You can easily have any amount automatically deducted on the same cycle as your paycheck (perhaps choose one business day later to be on the safe side) and transferred directly to a savings account, or to an investment/retirement account. I don’t get to contribute to a 401K but I have money automatically deducted every two weeks (my pay cycle) and put in two places: 1) Roth IRA in a low cost stock mutual fund and 2) non retirement low cost bond mutual fund that acts as my vacation fund.
Excellent advice. I highly recommend “The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed,” which has great advice for people who don’t work W2 jobs.