Saving money is one of the biggest challenges for most people, especially when they are accustom to a certain life style.
According to the Federal Revenue Board, the average American is not saving nearly enough as they should. Statistics from the Commerce department show that back in 2010, the savings rate was negative 1% which, simply put, meant that not only were people spending all of their income but also spending part of their savings as well.
Changing ones spending patterns requires a lot of self discipline along with various other techniques and steps. Essentially, the question that most people ask themselves when it comes to savings is, how does a person find motivation to save money every month? The answer lies in setting a goal.
Goal setting is a very powerful technique that many people employ in order to reach their desired outcomes. Studies shows that people that set goals are much more likely to succeed in their endeavor as compared to an individual that has no goal. With that being said, start off by setting a goal for yourself. What is it exactly do you want to save for? Is it a new house? A vacation? A new car? Better Lifestyle?
Whatever the goal may be, it is important to write it down so that you always have your outcome written down on paper. This way, you will always be able to keep your goal in sight which makes savings a lot easier.
At this point, it is important to realize that the saving goal should be feasible. You do not want to set a savings target that you are not going to be able to achieve with ease. Setting too high a savings goal will get you frustrated really quickly. In fact, studies show that most people give up on savings because they are never able to reach their savings goal.
The next logical step is to create a budget so that you know how you will save the money and ultimately reach your final goal. Write down all of the expenses you incur in a month and then weed them out.
Remove any expense that you can do without. It is recommended that you should stop using your credit card otherwise you may just be swimming in circles (since credit card bills increase debt). Write down any and all expenses that you make and be disciplined about your cut backs.
Don’t give into the temptation to spend otherwise you will never reach your goal. Instead, think about how rewarding it will be when you reach your savings goal.
Above all else, remember that patience is the key to success. Don’t let little hiccups in the road to your savings goal distract you from the big picture (your ultimate objective).
In the end, you will find that you have reached your savings goal and you will appreciate it because you alone know how hard you worked and saved for it.