Saving
How Can I Save Money?
Even the question itself practically drips with the desperation many of us feel whenever the subject of how to save money is approached. Some of us just assume it’s a topic for other people, or for another time. We probably even have some ideas about what’s involved in establishing meaningful savings, some ideas on how to cut bills, some ways we could bring in a little extra cash, but…
The excuses begin running through our minds before we’re even aware of our own defensiveness. “How do I save? I CAN’T. NOT NOW. I WISH. MAYBE OTHERS, BUT FOR ME… IMPOSSIBLE.”
You’re right. It’s impossible.
Maybe you expected an argument, given that at Billry, and across the Goalry family, we’re all about the power of savings, the cumulative impact of following a few practical saving tips, and tools and resources to support your efforts. But you’re right. We could devote another ten thousand words to various methods of saving money and it wouldn’t matter – not if you truly believe that for you, all the good ways to save money are nice for others, but impossible for you.
Get Help Saving Money At Your Fingertips
GOAL-SETTING AND BUDGET TIPS
- Set your saving and spending goals
- Get daily reminders of your personal savings goals and how close you are to reaching them
It’s your money, and you’re always in charge of what you choose to do with it. Wouldn’t it be nice, however, to be asked from time to time if you’d like to do this smart thing you keep meaning to do, or avoid this careless thing you’ve repeatedly sworn to change?
REMINDERS AND ENCOURAGEMENT
Get instant access to thousands of encouraging articles and personal financial insights, or any of the hundreds of informational videos in our library
Get online tools that don’t just help with the math, but the motivation as well
Get help figuring out how to lower monthly bills, feed a large family on a tight budget, or other money-saving ideas popping up
Imagine an approach to savings with Billry that can be as personal or as detached as you wish it to be. We’ve been there; just say the word and we’ll be there with you again.
Featured
TOOLS MAKING IT EASIER TO SAVE MONEY FAST
- Get a fitness tracker for your savings and spending choices
- Start by changing your habits
- Get a customized analysis of your spending and savings by the week, month, or year
- Get help making more informed decisions about where your money goes.
Imagine a savings account you could utilize with a click or a swipe whenever it’s most convenient or most appropriate for you. Imagine competitive rates or flexible terms designed to help you
The Journey of a Thousand Miles...
Sure, your odds aren’t great, if by “save more money” you mean resolving all of your financial challenges and eliminating your entire debt before the next full moon, and without meaningful changes in how you think about your income and your spending habits.
Admittedly, it’s not looking too good, if when you think about how to save money on bills, you expect every change to produce hundreds of extra dollars in your pocket and swell your savings more or less automatically.
Perhaps “impossible” is the right word, if every journey into how to cut expenses or how to save on a tight budget is cut short by doubt and indecision. Let’s be honest – it’s difficult to focus on how to lower your monthly bills or why you should celebrate small victories if you’re distracted by little things like being mired in hopelessness or derailed by despair.
Begins with a Single Step
Impossible? Sure. Except that it’s not.
You can start saving right now, today. You don’t even need to memorize a hundred different money saving techniques or sell one of your children or pawn off essential organs. There are smart ways to save money and lower your bills and all those other things that we already kinda know we should be doing – not because life is all about money, but because they lead to greater financial security, help us build up some savings, and give us more time and resources to do the things which ARE important to us, with the people who make it all matter.
The big decisions matter. Financing a vehicle. Taking out a credit card, Taking out a mortgage on a new home. Vacations. Weddings. Medical or legal debt. Student loans. Changing jobs. Moving to another state. That’s why we have resources, information, and online tools devoted to each and everyone one of these, and more.
But there’s an even more powerful truth many of us overlook when it comes to money saving tips or how to lower bills and cut other expenses. It’s rather earth-shaking, so you should probably sit down before we continue.
SHOULD WE GO THROUGH IT AGAIN?
Here’s the thing – most of us have a general idea of potential ways to cut bills or how to save money each month. There’s more we could learn, sure, but it’s not like we don’t already understand that making store-bought coffee in our reliable old $20 coffee pot is way cheaper than stopping at the local Organic Brew and Stew every morning, or that we should really try to figure out why the cable bill went up a few months ago even though you we don’t remember changing anything.
So why don’t we take more steps, more often? Our research suggests there are three primary reasons.
HOW TO START SAVING MONEY
- Start
- Keep Doing It
- Don’t Stop
- Take Advantage of Available Resources to Help
Three Things That Get In The Way of Savings
+ First, we don’t always KNOW we have options.
We assume our realtor would tell us if there were better places to get a mortgage or handle all of that paperwork, so we don’t investigate alternatives. We figure the dealer must naturally have the best financing options, so we don’t apply anywhere else. We know we have weak credit, so we’re thankful for the first offer that comes along and we don’t ask too many questions. One of the best ways to save more money is to educate ourselves on the options and get a better understanding of how some of these things work. That’s a primary goal of Billry and the entire Goalry family.
+ Second, even when we KNOW, we don’t always BELIEVE.
You may understand that having that last slice of pizza is going to make it harder to lose that weight that’s been bothering you, but at that exact moment you don’t feel like it matters that much in the long run. You know walking is better than sitting, but when it’s time to walk, you suddenly can’t imagine it will help all that much this one time. It’s the same way with saving money. Even when we KNOW, we need to be reminded that each good decision and each small savings matters – as long as we keep doing them.
+ Third, and possibly the biggest of them all, it’s hard to change HABITS.
Life is complicated and busy and sometimes we simply have to pick which things get our focus and energy and which just… don’t. That’s a large part of what drives the fitness tracker craze. Most people with those little devices on their wrists or apps on their phones already know they should move around more and take in fewer calories and such. What the technology does is offer friendly prompts and reminders throughout the day. Some even make it easier to access information or connect to essential services or supplies. In other words, the right online service or supportive phone app can help you change habits you’ve already decided you want to change. It’s like having a personal financial trainer offering advice, insight, and motivation throughout the day at the moments you need it most. It’s there to work for you and help you move towards your goals; you’re not there to satisfy it.
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“Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” — James W. Frick
Most of us don't know where to start when it comes to improving our financial health. For some, handling their finances is akin to driving with a blindfold on. This is often why many people don't know how to stop living paycheck to paycheck.