Bottom Line:
Implementing a savings plan is one of the most important decisions you can ever make since it enables you to prepare for the unexpected and plan for life after retirement. Some strategies to save up include automating your savings, eliminating unnecessary spending, and considering a high-interest term deposit account.
Key Takeaways:
- A good way to encourage saving is to come up with an automated way of transferring a portion of your regular paycheck into a savings account.
- Take some time to track down and review each of your bills and spending so you can get rid of unnecessary daily and monthly expenses.
- A high-interest term deposit account is a good option if you want to get serious about saving.
- The longer you save, the higher the interest, so it is important to establish a long-term saving goal to get the most out of a term deposit account.
- Consult a financial planner to help you make the right decision about saving now and in the future.
Embracing a saving culture is one of the most important decisions you can ever make in life. Saving enables you to prepare for the unexpected and plan for life after retirement. You need to do everything possible to develop a saving habit. It needs to be something you enjoy doing instead of a burden. Here are three strategies that can keep you motivated to save.
1. Automate Your Savings
A good way to encourage saving is to come up with an automated way of transferring money from one place to another. The automated system should take a portion of your regular pay check and deposit it into a savings account. Most banks will allow you to set up an automatic transfer between your pay check account and a savings account at regular intervals. The payment intervals can either be two weeks or one month. Establish a direct deposit mechanism with your employer that automatically splits your earnings into a high-interest online-based savings account. Apply for a credit card that allows you to earn cash backs. Many companies offer cash backs as forms of incentives whereby a buyer receives a certain portion of money paid for a product as a refund. However, make sure you use the credit on something you can afford at that moment. It is also important to automate your bills to avoid being hit by late penalties every now and then.
2. Eliminate Unnecessary Spending
There are a lot of unnecessary daily and monthly expenses you can get rid of. Take some time to track down and review each of your bills and spending. Determine which ones you can comfortably live without and the ones that are necessary. Get rid of the landline phones that cost more than $50 per month and replace them with cheaper cell phones. Cancel your gym membership. There are many ways you can stay fit without necessarily going to the gym. Get rid of the cable TV or reduce the number of channels you watch. If you love movies, use Netflix and other free sites instead. Avoid the internet cable if you can use a smartphone to set a Wi-Fi hotspot for your personal computer. Once you get rid of these expenses, calculate the amount of money you can save from them. Channel this amount to your savings bank account and be consistent.
3. Consider a High-Interest Term Deposit Account
A high-interest term deposit account is a good option if you want to get serious about saving. Sometimes you may be tempted to spend from a normal saving account. In this case, a term deposit may be more suitable for you. It has restrictions that keep you from withdrawing any money during the life of your deposit. Your money will remain safely tucked away until it matures. The best thing about this account is that you know how much you are going to get after the set period expires. Term deposits can last anywhere between 30 days and five years. Make sure you choose a high-interest rate when opening a term deposit account. The interest rates usually range from 2.0 to 3.4 percent. The longer you save, the higher the interests, so it is important to establish a long-term saving goal to get the most out of this plan. Consult a saving professional to help you make the right decision about saving now and in the future.