10 Savings Strategies | Virginia Credit Union (2024)

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10 Savings Strategies | Virginia Credit Union (1)

Building a savings account can be tough. In a world of instant gratification, it’s easy to lose sight of our long-term goals. You might be just getting started and looking to build an emergency fund. Or, perhaps you’re looking to adjust your habits to save for a down payment, vacation, or retirement. Whatever your goals, here are 10 strategies to help you grow your savings and keep at it.

  1. Pay yourself first.Treat your savings like a bill. By setting a fixed amount aside, either monthly or each pay period, you’ll be surprised at how fast your savings can grow over time.
  2. Make savings automatic.Using direct deposit automations or payroll deductions can help put the concept of paying yourself into action. By automating your savings, you’ll minimize the chances of other expenses cutting into your savings goal.
  3. Pay installments to yourself.After you pay off a loan, like a car loan, continue to make “payments” by putting that amount in your savings account.
  4. Collect loose change.Collect your spare change at the end of every week. Deposit it in a savings account every month. Don’t carry much cash or change? Consider enrolling in an automatic savings program, like Change Jar. Through this free program, we’ll automatically round up each debit card purchase to the nearest dollar, putting the change in your savings. Learn more here.
  5. Manage credit wisely.If you can, charge only what you know you can pay off the next month. Pay credit card bills in full each month whenever possible so you don’t add interest charges to the cost of an item. Have a balance? Try to pay more than your minimum payment to retire that debt more quickly and save on high interest down the road.
  6. Track your spending.Have you ever looked at your account balance and wondered where your money went? If you’re having trouble making space for savings in your budget, tracking can be the key to spending awareness. Use an app, or try handwriting your spending in a notebook for a week. By tuning into our day-to-day spending, you can find room to align our habits with your goals.
  7. Consider ways to cut costs.Making a few cost-saving adjustments can save you big bucks down the road. Reducing money spent on eating out, creating shopping lists, or breaking costly habits are just a few ways to cut everyday costs.
  8. Make a plan for lump sums.Get a bonus? Tax refund? Consider earmarking these for an instant boost to your savings. If that’s hard to swallow, try the 80/20 rule – 80 percent goes to savings and 20 percent is for fun. Deciding your plan for the cash before it hits your account will help you stick to it.
  9. Don't leave money on the table.Once you’ve invested into your savings be sure to not leave your dividends behind. Take advantage of higher-yield savings accounts such as money markets or savings certificates and watch your money grow.
  10. Maintain you lifestyle.As our earnings grow over time, it’s tempting to let our lifestyle become more extravagant as our paychecks. Avoid lifestyle creep by maintaining your expenses and pocketing your next bump in salary.

Whichever strategies appeal to you, the key is to start now! Don’t know where to start? Watch Get Smart About Saving to define your short- and long-term savings goals and dive into working toward them.

Savings services from VACU can help you prepare for your long-term plans — or an unexpected expense.

Learn more about saving services

10 Savings Strategies | Virginia Credit Union (2)

Sabrina G.

To Sabrina, being financially confident starts with having the right skills and tools to make smart financial decisions. With almost seven years of financial education experience, Sabrina is passionate about enriching the lives in her community and giving people the support they need to reach their financial goals. A creative at heart, in her free time, Sabrina loves spending time with her family and fur baby, as well as volunteering and serving on the SPCS Alumni Association Board at the University of Richmond.

Other stories by Sabrina G.

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10 Savings Strategies | Virginia Credit Union (2024)

FAQs

10 Savings Strategies | Virginia Credit Union? ›

Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals. Let's take a closer look at each category.

How to save $5000 in 3 months? ›

How to Save $5000 in 3 Months [2024]
  1. Create a Budget and Plan.
  2. Pick up a Side Hustle.
  3. Sell Things Around Your Home.
  4. Refinance Debts.
  5. Cut Unnecessary Expenses.
  6. Reduce Living Expenses.
  7. Try an Envelope Savings Challenge.
  8. Use Cash Back Apps.
May 3, 2024

What is the 50/30/20 rule? ›

Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals. Let's take a closer look at each category.

What is the 30 day rule? ›

The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.

When might the 50/30/20 rule not be the best saving strategy to use? ›

Some Experts Say the 50/30/20 Is Not a Good Rule at All. “This budget is restrictive and does not take into consideration your values, lifestyle and money goals. For example, 50% for needs is not enough for those in high-cost-of-living areas.

How to save $1,000 in 30 days? ›

11 Easy Ways to Save $1,000 in 30 Days
  1. Create a Budget. ...
  2. Automate Your Savings. ...
  3. Create a Savings Bingo Sheet. ...
  4. Negotiate Your Bills. ...
  5. Separate Wants From Needs. ...
  6. Plan Your Meals. ...
  7. Buy Generic Brands. ...
  8. Cancel Unnecessary Subscriptions.
Sep 26, 2023

How to save $5000 in 6 months with 100 envelopes? ›

The 100-envelope challenge is pretty straightforward: You take 100 envelopes, number each of them and then save the corresponding dollar amount in each envelope. For instance, you put $1 in “Envelope 1,” $2 in “Envelope 2,” and so on. By the end of 100 days, you'll have saved $5,050.

What is the 75 15 10 rule? ›

In his free webinar last week, Market Briefs CEO Jaspreet Singh alerted me to a variation: the popular 75-15-10 rule. Singh called it leading your money. This iteration calls for you to put 75% of after-tax income to daily expenses, 15% to investing and 10% to savings.

How much should a 30 year old have saved? ›

If you're looking for a ballpark figure, Taylor Kovar, certified financial planner and CEO of Kovar Wealth Management says, “By age 30, a good rule of thumb is to aim to have saved the equivalent of your annual salary.

What are the four walls? ›

In a series of tweets, Ramsey suggested budgeting for food, utilities, shelter and transportation — in that specific order. “I call these budget categories the 'Four Walls. ' Focus on taking care of these FIRST, and in this specific order… especially if you're going through a tough financial season,” the tweet read.

What is the 3 month rule? ›

The three month dating rule is a trial period that allows couples to shift from the honeymoon phase of dating to an integrated love phase. "What I mean by that is usually a few months into dating, we start to see some of the quirks, or maybe we start to notice things that we find annoying or irritating," Pharaon says.

What is the wash sale rule? ›

Q: How does the wash sale rule work? If you sell a security at a loss and buy the same or a substantially identical security within 30 calendar days before or after the sale, you won't be able to take a loss for that security on your current-year tax return.

How to avoid wash sale? ›

To avoid triggering the wash sale rule, an investor can employ a strategy such as buying more of the stock that they'd like to sell, holding on to the new stock purchase for 31 days, and then selling it. An investor could also sell a stock at a loss, register the loss, and then buy a similar investment.

Can you live off $1000 a month after bills? ›

Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.

What strategy is most effective for saving money? ›

The 5 Most Effective Strategies To Save Money For The Future
  • Set Your Goals Early On. Setting a financial goal early on will boost you to stick to your savings plan. ...
  • Understand Your Cash Flows. ...
  • Open a Savings Account. ...
  • Rethink Debit Cards. ...
  • Monitoring Your Spending. ...
  • Revise Your Emergency Fund.

Is $4000 a good savings? ›

Ready to talk to an expert? Are you approaching 30? How much money do you have saved? According to CNN Money, someone between the ages of 25 and 30, who makes around $40,000 a year, should have at least $4,000 saved.

How fast can you save $5,000 dollars? ›

Break It Down Into Months

The first step to reaching any financial goal is to break it into bite-sized pieces. If you want to save $5,000 in one year, you'll need to save approximately $417 a month. That's about $97 a week. Saving almost $100 a week may be a lot depending on your finances.

How much to save $10,000 in 3 months? ›

Setting realistic savings goals is essential to ensure that you don't set yourself up for failure. One way to do this is by breaking down your target amount into smaller milestones. For example, if you aim to save $10,000 in three months, you can divide it into monthly targets of $3,333.

How to save up $1,000 in 3 months? ›

If you wanted to save $1,000 in three months, for example, you'd need to save roughly $84 per week. That timeline can also provide you an opportunity to invest in a high-yielding time deposit account.

How can I save $3,000 in 3 months? ›

It really is key to saving money. If you want to save $3,000 in 3 months, you'll need to save or earn at least $1,000 each month. 6 months is a little more doable at $500 per month. If you set a 1 year goal that is just $250 per month.

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