Often you hear someone say something or you read something and you think, “Well, of course. Who didn’t know that?” You know what I’m talking about. Those things that are so simple that everyone should already be doing them. For example, an article published over at MSN Money entitled, The simple way to get rich: Pay yourself first. The article was based on a very simple idea; if you want to save for the future, you have to start saving now. Pretty simple idea.
However, simple things aren’t always easy, right? In order to save, you have to have enough money to pay your bills, meet the needs of everyday living and then whatever is left over, if there is anything leftover, can be moved into your savings account…well, not really. For some people, saving is easy (and simple). They are just wired to want to save for the future. That is how I am. I like the idea of having money sitting there for emergencies or for major purchases. Others find saving difficult, because there are a lot of things that they would rather spend money on today instead of saving for the future. So if you fall into the second group, how do you overcome the difficulty of finding money to save each month?
Well, the MSN article has an answer that simplifies the difficult part of saving. Are you ready? Treat saving like a bill. That’s right. If you have trouble finding the extra money required to save, then set your savings goal and treat it like a bill. Or better yet, set up your paycheck so that your savings are automatically deposited into your savings account each pay cycle. Make sure that getting the money out of your savings account isn’t too easy, otherwise, you will be tempted to spend it on things that aren’t part of your goals.
The most important thing to remember is that it is not too late too start saving. You are saving for the future, and today is the present, so if you are not saving already, start saving today. By thinking about the reasons you are saving, (i.e., college, car replacement, house down payment, etc) you will be able to overcome the desire to impulse buy when you see something that you “just have to have”. Stay focused on the goal and you will soon begin to see your savings grow.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Greg, thnx for your article. I think a lot of us go through a lot of RE-wiring. It takes time to find a balance.
Looking forward to your contributions on Yakezie.com. I’m encouraging members to do two Yakezie Member Posts: 1) to introduce yourself to the community and talk about your interests and expertise, and 2) to actually write about that expertise in a follow up post.
Best,
Sam
Financial Samurai recently posted..Am I Living In A Parallel Universe
Becoming wealthy is not easy. It takes hard work, a sound strategy, and continued perseverance. Moreover, becoming wealthy means taking action versus looking for good things to happen to you or looking elsewhere for opportunity.
We agree. The process is simple (just as you have outlined it), but it is something that you really have to want and then do something about it. Thanks for the comment.