We all know it’s common sense to save money for a rainy day. What we don’t know is how to do it. What’s worse is we don’t even know why it should be done. I’ll stop right here and tell you why and how to save money.
Habits
Jesus once said, “…what you do in private will be rewarded in public”. What we earn every two weeks should be viewed less as money to be spend and more as sacred capital. Building healthy money habits helps us do that. You may think that coupons or browsing the web for local deals isn’t “in” anymore. Well, you are right, it isn’t a popular nowadays. However, the habit of actively scanning for bargains what’s on your pathway is a major practice to exercise.
Today you may be saving a flimsy 5 dollars on movie tickets for bringing a coupon to the movie theater but tomorrow you’ll be saving 5,000 dollars on a brand new car. No one is checking up on you to save money but what you do in private will be rewarded in public.
Emergencies
No one knows the future. We can predict what may happen but a car accident isn’t planned. It’s an accident. Dealing with the physical pain of a car crash to then handle the car expenses causes mental stress. No bueno. A visit to the doctor because of a sprained ankle can easily cost $800 just so they tell you, “your ankle is sprained”. There goes your trip to Disneyland.
These examples like many others are the rainy days. They will come. This is why having money saved for emergencies is crucial to minimize the negative situation.
Here are a few tips on how to save money (intelligently).
First, let’s have a one-liner pep talk. “View this process of saving money like baby steps“, as Dave Ramsey, personal money management expert, puts it. Slowly but surely is the name of the game.
-The first baby step is to save 1,000 dollars on your savings account labeled as the Emergency Fund. This step directly tackles those fears we may have of what could happen to us. When something (bad) occurs we will already have a head start on the financial aspect. If you aren’t familiar with a budget then this is the time to make it your best friend.
-Second step is pay off ALL your debts. Sounds simple but it may seem impossible. After all, you are paying for your car, college, housing. Dave Ramsey suggests a fool-proof way titled the snowball method; a debt reduction strategy where you pay off debt in order of smallest to largest, gaining momentum as you knock out each balance. It works like magic.
– Save 3-6 months of expenses in a fully funded Emergency Fund. This baby step three is similar to the first one except bigger and more awesome. Okay, you know you can save money by now so perseverance and diligence (google these words) are the key motivators for this baby step to become a reality. Once you reach this goal, you will be protected from financial doom. Like a shield over your worries. Like a fortress over your…yeah, you get the point.
There are more steps to this grand plan of saving money and being financially independent which you are more than welcome to read here with more detail.
Saving money is a no-brainer. It gives you the chance to create habits that will recompense you as well as give you peace of mind. Start cutting coupons!
Nelson Guerra 