Saving More: Where To Start
BOSTON (CBS) - We all want to save more money and we all love it when we get a really good deal on something we want.
Tonight starts Amazon's Prime Day. The savings are great, but if you buy something simply because it's on sale you truly did not get a really good deal.
Saving money is hard. It takes time, discipline and energy to save. If you are not going to spend your money you will have to spend your time to either research the savings or a do it yourself project.
The US savings rate as of May is 5.5%. Good, but could be better!
Now if you're living paycheck-to-paycheck you are feeling pretty good about your money management skills right about now. But to achieve your goals you need to have money left over with each paycheck. Basically you need to spend less than you earn.
Saving allows you to reach your financial goals and get out of debt. You want to try and save 10% of your net pay. To do this you want to try to save on everything you purchase – merchandise or services.
The first thing you need to do is figure out where your money goes each month. You can download a Cash Flow worksheet from my website. There are lots of apps out there too that you can use like Mint.com. But I am a bit leery about inputting personal info on a third-party provider.
So once you see where your money goes each month you can make some changes in your spending habits so that you can save more. Set a goal for how much money you want to save each month
Something that works for me most of the time when I am shopping is I try to decide if it's a need or a want. Do I need what I am about to purchase or do I want it? And for some folks just the asking is enough to help you change your mind about buying anything frivolous.
This usually works for me but not always. There is a 11-year-old person in my life who can easily sway a decision!
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You can hear Dee Lee's expert financial advice on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 each weekday at 1:55 p.m., 3:55 p.m., and 7:55 p.m.
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