Over time, I have realized that without certain good habits in place, my finances quickly get out of order. Perhaps the most important habit that I have learned is regular savings. Long terms goals are described as goals that have a lasting effect should a person’s present actions be religiously maintained.
Regularly contributing to savings account is important on several levels. Of course, it’s good to have an emergency fund available for any of the countless situations or save for planned major expenses for which you would need extra cash.
Even though I know the importance of savings I will never make it without a plan. Somehow its always easy to spend all the money I have, no matter how much it is. I therefore treat savings like paying a bill, and I guess this is what it means when they say pay your self first. The key elements to making this strategy work are quite simple, first it has to be done regularly. If you miss your telephone or utilities bill this month, you will be expected to pay double next month. You can’t cheat your utilities bill out of a month so don’t do it to yourself.
To figure out how much you can save every month, you have to have a budget and commit to at least that much. If you say well you will save whatever is left, you will probably never end up saving anything or if you are lucky you might end up saving a lot less than what you actually should have. Budget for so many dollars, and put it in savings before you have a chance of spending it.
So how about you? Do you have any tricks you use to help keep yourself disciplined in saving money regularly? If not, why not give this a try?