No matter your age, saving money is critical to achieving any financial goal. As various expenses pile on, however, it can seem to be difficult – if not impossible – to save a substantive amount of money. However, as your list of financial goals grows, it’s important to reign in spending and identify areas which can help make saving money a priority.
Identifying Money to Save
Many people do not budget as carefully as they need to be, and as a result, oftentimes overlook funds that could be allocated to savings. Here are a few areas to audit to ensure you are not over-spending dollars that could otherwise be put into savings.
Subscriptions
The subscription payment model is great for those who tend to forget to pay their bill on time but is not helpful to those who are not careful at keeping track of how many services they are subscribed to. Left unattended, some of these services can end up costing money month after month without being caught, or their services not utilized.
Mealtimes
Mealtimes can be a very costly monthly expenditure if not handled in a money-conscious way. More often, people are relying on food delivery (whether as a meal kit service or from a restaurant) to save time. As much as that does eliminate the time needed to go to the grocery store and prep/cook the recipe, ultimately the delivery fees will rack up and end up costing
Direct Deposit to Savings
A great method of “out of sight out of mind” saving is to have your employer or credit union automatically move 10% of your paycheck to a savings account. By doing this, you don’t need to remember to manually move it, and you are passively saving income.
Create a Clear Path to Your Savings Goals
By using a savings calculator, such as the one provided by Eastex Credit Union, you can easily forecast your savings through metrics like starting amount, years to save, rate of return, interest, etc. Using these calculators can help take the guesswork out of savings so you can accurately predict how your savings will look after a certain amount of time.
Choose the Right Savings Account
Choosing the right financial institution to help grow your wealth is a very important part of taking ownership of your savings goals. When you choose the best savings account for you, you can expect a better rate of return, little to no balance minimums, and possibly other benefits from your federal credit union.
Sign up for a savings account with Eastex Credit Union today, or contact us for more information.
