The last component of “Saving Money…The Hard Way Made Easy,” is to watch your savings grow. This component is the culmination of all that you do to get there: setting goals, cutting coupons, shopping at the grocery store & discount store instead of the convenient store or gas station shop, and cooking & eating more at home. The concept is sometimes difficult to make tangible at first, at least until you start to see the savings. Even then, you feel that your efforts aren’t producing the instantaneous results they should. First, no one said it would be easy. It takes discipline to save. It’s much easier to fall victim to the “I want” voice in your head, and the small expenditures that are rationalized in your mind than not. Cutting corners & following a savings plan will help your savings grow over time.
You have to find the small corners in your life to cut. Everyone’s living style is a little different, so the guidelines are a starting point. YOU have to be the one to initiate & implement your savings plan. Where do YOU see careless spending in your habits? What can YOU change to improve your savings? Have YOU set savings goals? Do YOU make an effort to cut coupons before you go grocery shopping for those items you use all the time? Do YOU shop at the grocery story & discount store for your food items & every day products? Are YOU prone to purchases at the convenient store or gas station shop because it’s, well, convenient? Are YOU eating out a lot for lunch or dinner? A self-evaluation of your spending habits is a good place to start developing your savings plan & goals.
Your savings will eventually build momentum for more savings. Starting a savings program from scratch is a difficult and gradual process. Developing a savings plan & seeing tangible results takes discipline, sacrifice (however mild or severe), and effort. Although it will be tough initially, you will see tangible results in time. A point to be made here is one of the lessons my father taught me long ago, but as with many parental words of advice, it fell on deaf ears in my younger years: never take food off the table. Meaning, that there will be times that you might not be able to make your savings goal for the month in order to provide for immediate or primary needs. Emergencies & unplanned expenses come up all the time; it’s called “life.” However, these unexpected twists & turns are no reason to feel defeated. Just re-ignite your savings plan with the next cycle.
Once you see the results, you should be motivated to keep on saving. As the jar in the cupboard, or the shoebox under the bed starts to fill up, or as you start to see more money in your checking or savings account than normal, you’ll feel better about your plan and results, and want to save more. You’ll want to add to the jar, shoebox, or account until it appears to be overflowing. Now, not only will your savings will be growing, so will your money-saving confidence. Just like others who are successful at finding those small corners, you’ll be looking for the next one to cut. You’ll want to continue to watch your savings grow.