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Need a savings boost? Read on for some ways to better your finances this month. [[{“value”:”
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If you can’t remember the last time you added money to your savings account, you’re not alone. Late 2023 data from PayrollOrg found that 78% of Americans would experience financial difficulties if their paychecks were delayed by a week. This tells us that most workers do not have a good amount of savings to fall back on.
Now ideally, your employer will issue your paychecks when they’re supposed to, so you won’t have to worry about a delay in pay. The point, however, is that you never know when you might run into a financial issue or hiccup that necessitates savings.
So if you don’t have a solid emergency fund — one with enough money to cover three months of essential expenses at a minimum — then it’s time to get serious about boosting your savings. And here are a few steps you can take to save some money this April.
1. Use coupon apps to your advantage
Clipping coupons from the newspaper or virtually via websites has the potential to be a time-consuming process, even though it’s a good way to save money. But you can make life easier on yourself by turning to a coupon app instead.
Many of the apps on this list are free to use, and they could result in serious savings on the items you normally buy. The key, however, is to not fall into the trap of buying things simply because you have a coupon for them. For this strategy to result in actual savings, pledge to only coupon your way to discounts on the items you were already planning to purchase.
2. Find a budgeting app that’s easy to use
Budgeting is a good way to manage your spending and carve out room for savings. However, it can be a little tedious, especially if you find that you’re constantly having to access and update a budgeting spreadsheet.
A better solution? Turn to an app. Some of today’s budgeting apps are designed to sync to your credit cards and bank account, so your spending is categorized and tracked automatically. It’s an easy way to engage in more mindful spending and get a better handle on the things you’re paying for.
3. Do a spending audit and unload expenses that aren’t enhancing your quality of life
Everyone spends money on things that bring them happiness. And that’s not something you should feel guilty about.
However, the less money you spend on non-essential items, the more you can put in the bank. So it’s a good idea to make sure that the non-essentials you’re paying for are really worth it.
To that end, do a spending audit. Comb through your bank and credit card statements from the past three months or so, make a list of the extras you’ve been paying for and their respective costs, and then ask yourself if each one is really worth paying for. You may decide that while canceling Netflix would subject you to too many nights of boredom at home, canceling your gym membership isn’t really such a problem since you’ve been doing more jogging and outdoor exercise anyway.
The sooner you get into the habit of saving money, the better you might feel about your financial picture as a whole. Use these tips to make April a strong month on the savings front. And then stick with them for future months so you can keep up the great work.
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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has positions in Netflix. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Netflix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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