I have gotten very hot on putting money aside at the moment, since last month was a Lean Time for me financially. I am now taking 10% of every payment and putting it straight into my ING savings account. The other way I ‘trick’ myself into saving is on the first of the month I do a direct payment to my savings account and think of if as just another bill.
I have been reading up on all the different ways that people trick themselves into saving money some are very simple like putting all your change in a jar until the end of the week then depositing it in the bank. That would not work for me because living in the UK our coins are of high value and it would be similar to putting $5 bills in a jar for later. I need and use my coins. I even will go out of my way to pick a penny up on the street.
One trick I did like was to learn to make your favourite restaurant food at home, then pay yourself the price it would have cost to go out that is minus the raw ingredient cost. Don’t forget to add in the tip you would have given your server.
I used to have a cleaner, not very frugal I know, but I hate to clean and prefer to do something more productive with my time. Since she left I am doing it myself abet not very well and depositing the money. Viviana 0 – ING Savings 1
Another great one is every time you use the library, deposit the money you would have spent on the book if you bought it. This is a great one on so many levels, to get people using their local library, saving money and not cluttering up their homes.
One of my silly tricks is to get totally infatuated with a piece of fashion that I can’t afford. I tape a photo of it on my wall and start saving. Usually by the time I can actually purchase said item, usually a handbag, I have gotten over my fashion infatuation and therefore have more money in the bank. I must say sometimes when I really, really love the bag or shoes, I will make a purchase.
Do you have any odd or interesting tricks to make yourself save?
Hey, I just found your blog and love it!
When I have enough to cover it, I do the same thing as you – when I pay my bills, I make an extra payment into a savings account. As for retirement savings, I have that set up as an automatic transfer. The bank moves $50 every two weeks into the account for me. This has worked a lot better than leaving it up to myself!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I am glad that we can all do automatic payments to our savings account so painlessly.
I check my bank accounts online regularly, and when I do I make a small odd sized payment to my savings accounts. Like £4.53 or something. It adds up but feels like a tiny purchase or something. Sometimes the payments are bigger, sometimes smaller. .. I do also have regular direct debits going out. And if I get a large sum in, I put at least 10% away.
Thanks for stopping by and for commenting. I am trying to do exactly the same thing. Whenever I am saving a bit on a purchase I try to throw the money in my ING account.