As a general rule of thumb you should ALWAYS have a stash put up. When I say stash I mean money saved in the bank, some cash put away at home in case of a pandemic and the banks all shut down or even if you have to have someone hold the money for you if you know that you will be tempted to spend it. Let’s dig a little more. How many of you reading this post right now has an emergency fund? (Drop your comment below).
EMERGENCY FUND
I believe that an emergency fund is a non-negotiable. I’m sure that you’ve been told before that you need an emergency fund that equals in three to six months of your income. YEP! I actually believe that it should be an automatic six months! Sis…Bruh.. I get that what I am saying is a bit overwhelming but its doable! All you need to do is get started! Remember to Start Small but Think Big. What’s really cool is if you could afford to put $100-200 away today then your well on your way!
CASH ENVELOPES
A great way that I initially learned to create a budget and stick to it was by using cash and envelopes. This is great if you are a person who has trouble with overspending, trying the envelope budget system where you use a set amount of cash for most or specific spending works wonders. What you must keep in mind is that once the cash is gone, it’s gone! You can’t use a debit or credit card for additional purchases. The method allows to budget and put more money aside to add to your saving.
SAVE AUTOMATICALLY
Saving automatically is super easy. All you need to do is set up automatic savings through your bank. I know of a few banks who will take your remaining change from the dollar and deposit into your saving account. This method is one of the most effective ways to save. An additional option is to have a specific amount of money automatically deposited into your saving account from every pay check through your employer. Automatic savings means you have a process in place to save at regular intervals, whether that’s monthly, weekly, or daily.
SAVE YOUR WINDFALLS
Windfalls are another great way to save money. What is a windfall? It’s those moments when you get unexpected or expected windfalls of cash. Instead of spending them why not save your windfalls and tax refunds. Every time you receive a windfall, such a work bonus, inheritance, or tax refund, you can always put a portion into your savings account.
USE THE $5 TRICK
The rule of thumb with this method is every time you received a $5, whether it’s the change from your purchase or you just put it up in a jar it’s an additional way to save money. At the end of one year you could potentially have a few thousand dollars saved.
