Monday, December 17, 2012

Saving Can Be Addictive

Whether it's a change jar, a checking account that rounds your purchases up to a full dollar amount, or a credit card that gives you cash back, saving can be addictive.  Just give it a try.

Try purchasing a change jar (I know that's spending unnecessarily, but it will be worth it in the long run) that calculates the change as you put it in the jar.  Or, how about adding one to your Christmas list.  Another option would be to keep a pad of paper beside of your change jar and adding the change each time you drop coins in the jar.

How about one of those checking accounts that round your purchase up to the next full dollar amount and puts the balance of your change into a savings account.  Wait a while before looking at your balance, you'll be surprised how fast the dollar amount increases in your savings account.

Finally, if you can, setup a credit card to make all of your monthly purchases.  Most credit cards, and some debit cards, now pay cash back.  Discover has been doing this for some time.  They pay 1% cash back on all purchases, up to a certain dollar amount per year.  They also pay 5% cash back on different categories throughout the year.  This is a great way to save.  Once your cash has accumulated, you can retrieve your earnings and put them into a high interest paying savings account.

As your savings accumulates, you will find saving can be addictive.  The more you save, the more you will try to save.  Give it a try!