9 easy ways to save money without stress

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Start with tiny amounts, halve your income, and impose fines on yourself.

1. Save more tomorrow

In his TED talk, economist Shlomo Bernatsi said that fear prevents us from saving. We are afraid to limit ourselves, we prefer momentary pleasures and all the time we tell ourselves that we will definitely start saving money from the next paycheck.

But, of course, we never do it. To crush the financial procrastinator within himself, Bernazi suggests using the Save more tomorrow principle.

The essence is very simple. You only need to save 1–3% on every paycheck (instead of the dreaded 5–10% that economists and financial experts usually recommend). Almost anyone can do it. And each time your income rises, you can increase the percentage of funds set aside.

Yes, in this way you are unlikely to accumulate a fabulous amount, but at least you can take the first step and understand that saving is not so difficult.

2. Delay in stages

In this technique, the amount you save starts at just 50 rubles, but every week you need to increase it … by the same 50 rubles. In the first week, you put 50 rubles in the piggy bank, in the second - 100, in the third already 150, and so on.

Smoked a cigarette - 200 rubles, went to bed later than 12 at night - 500 rubles. Etc.

5. Continue to pay off the loan, even if it has already been closed

This principle is at the heart of the snowball method, which was invented by the American financial expert David Ramsey. While you are paying off debts, you get used to paying the bank a certain amount every month. When the loan is finished, continue to pay, but not to the bank, but to yourself. Transfer the amount of the monthly payment to a savings account or invest this money in stocks and precious metals.

6. Pretend that premiums and bonuses do not exist

If we have some kind of additional income (bonus, bonus, one-time earnings), we rejoice and begin to spend all this "extra" money on entertainment and unnecessary nonsense. Do not do like this. Imagine that you still only have a salary and postpone the bonus.

7. Lie to yourself

It can be uncomfortable to send several thousand rubles to the piggy bank right away. Agree with yourself that you will save a little bit (50–100 rubles), but every day. Such a small amount will lull your vigilance.

It will no longer seem to you that a huge gap has formed in your wallet and you are about to begin to endure hardships.

Moreover, if you save 100 rubles every day, in a year you will have 36 and a half thousand.

8. Pay yourself taxes

Set aside 5-10% for each purchase above a certain amount (say, 1,000 rubles). This will not only help you save money, but also discipline you, teach you to be more careful about spending. You can decide for yourself whether you pay "tax" for every purchase, including food, or only for certain categories of goods: clothes, computer games, cigarettes, alcohol and entertainment.

9. Half the income

First, divide all the profits into two parts and put them in two different envelopes (or in two accounts). At first, spend only from the first envelope - as if the second does not exist at all. When the first envelope is empty, divide the remaining amount again.

Continue spending money from the first envelope only. Repeat as many times as necessary.

This psychological trick will help you be more careful with money: you will spend it as if you have much less money than you actually do. And therefore, by the end of the month, at least something will remain in the second envelope. And you can transfer this amount to a savings account or invest at your discretion.