A New Year is the best time to start a new project and what could be better than boosting your savings? Everyone should have an emergency fund that would cover at least three months of bills. Do you have that much in your savings? Here are some ways you can bolster your saving for the new year.
Make Savings a Bill
We all have bills that are due every month. Those have to get paid on time to avoid extra charges and late fees. You should approach your savings in the same way. Designate an amount you can put into your savings each month and treat it like a bill. It should go into your savings on the same day. You can even set up an automatic withdrawal from your checking account. Watch how that savings will grow.
Negotiate Discounts on Everything
There are some bills that are fixed like utility and water but everything else can be up for negotiation. That includes cable, phone, credit cards, insurance and even your gym membership. Make the call to see if you can get better rates but don’t just embrace the rates. Take the money you are now saving and put it into your savings. For instance, if you’re used to paying $120 on a phone and can get it down to $100, keep “paying” the $120. Just shift that $20 over to your savings.
Look for Cash Back Apps
There are cash back apps spread across the Internet. Your bank might even be offering some. Essentially, a specific card or shopping portal will pay you cash back for using their service. These are nominal amounts but they start to add up if you’re a consistent user. Remember, savings is about the long game. Every little bit that you can put into the pot will get you further to your savings goals whatever they might be.
Start Selling Stuff
For every non-consumable item you bring into the house, one item should go out. This holds for clothing, books, movies etc. And “going out” means selling. It is extremely easy to snap a picture of something and sell it. That works for all kinds of items. If you use this rule with smaller things, then wait until you’ve got a box of them and tell them in a bunch. This is like found money.
Pay Extra on Your Mortgage
How is paying more going to help you save? It will with a mortgage because of the interest. The quicker you can bring those numbers down, the better off you’ll be. For instance, if you could make one extra payment every four months, you could end up paying off your mortgage five years earlier. Think of all the money you’ll be keeping then!
