Living paycheck to paycheck is like hanging on the edge of a cliff. You teeter on the brink of collapse, wondering when and if everything is going to fall apart. Even if you're trying to pay down debt or if your financial situation seems doomed, saving SOMETHING is essential so you have a cushion to break the fall when things collapse (you lose your job, medical emergencies arise, or the car breaks down).
I'm not talking about investments; those come later. I'm talking about an emergency fund in a safe, interest-bearing account that will help carry you through life's little emergenices. If you don't think you can possibly find ANY money to save, try these strategies:
1. Automatically deposit money into a savings account from your paycheck. Many employers will allow deductions directly into your bank account. The concept: you can't miss what you don't have. Start small, say $10.00 a paycheck, then gradually increase the amount over time. You may miss the money that first paycheck, but you'll soon grow accustomed to having the money automatically deducted.
2. Start a savings account at the bank with the minimum amount and gradually add to it. Some banks will allow you to open a savings account with as little as $25.00. If you open an account, you will be more likely to save. Start with the minimum balance and add to it gradually, even if that means depositing your spare change (at most banks, there's no minimum deposit amount required).
3. Save $1.00 per day, or, if you can afford it, $2.00 or $3.00 per day. The amount may seem small, but over time your savings balance will grow. Do you know that if you save $3.00 per day from the time you are 25 years old, you will retire with over a million dollars?
4. Use coupons at the grocery store. When you're done grocery shopping, determine your coupon savings and deposit that amount into your savings account.
5. Skip one luxury item per day. Can you go without the cafe latte? Can you skip the soda break in the afternoon? Deposit the money you would normally spend on luxury items into your savings account.
Small deposits will grow and accumulate over time, and you may be surprised at your account balance in just a few short months.
photo by ginza line