The Best Ways to Kickstart Your Savings

Kickstart Your Path to Financial Freedom

If you've ever found yourself staring at your bank account, wondering how on earth to build a savings buffer, you're not alone. The good news is, saving money doesn't have to be as hard as you think.

In this post, we'll take you through some tried-and-true strategies that will help you save money and set you on the path to financial freedom. This blog post is here to provide you with some practical and effective strategies to kickstart your savings, no matter your income or financial background 💖

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Understand Your Finances

One of the best ways to start saving money is by having a clear picture of your income and expenses. Understanding your finances helps with setting the right savings goals.

1) Know Your Income

The first step is to make sure you have an accurate understanding of your monthly income. If you have a regular paycheck, this will be straightforward. But if your income varies (as with freelancers or contractors), calculate an average based on your earnings over the past six months to a year.

2) Track Your Expenses

Next, track your expenses. There are tons of apps available to help with this (ahem, Cleo 👀), or you can use a good old-fashioned spreadsheet (if that's your thing). Regardless of the method, the aim is to know where every dollar goes. This will give you an idea of how much you can realistically save and will help you to identify areas where you can cut back.

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‍Set Realistic Goals

The best way to start saving money often involves setting realistic and achievable financial goals. This might be saving for a new car, a down payment on a house, an emergency fund, or your retirement 🏖️

1) Short-term Goals

These are goals you want to achieve within a year or so. It could be for a vacation, the latest air fryer 👀, or an emergency fund. Short-term goals can help to keep your motivation high as you can see your progress clearly and regularly.

2) Long-term Goals

Long-term goals are for the more significant, more expensive things in life, such as buying a home or planning for retirement. These take longer to achieve but are equally, if not more, important.

Setting both short and long-term goals provides a clear path forward and is the best way to start saving money.

‍Budget

A budget is a financial plan that outlines your income and expenses over a specific period, typically a month. It's one of your best tools and indeed the best way to start saving money.

1) 50/30/20 Rule

This is a simple budgeting method where you allocate 50% of your income to needs (all the boring stuff like rent and utilities), 30% to wants (like dining out, entertainment – the fun stuff), and 20% to savings and debt repayments. It's a great place to start if you've never budgeted before.

2) Automate Your Savings

Automating your savings is a powerful way to save money. It takes the decision-making and effort out of the equation, which, for many, is the best way to start saving money. And Cleo can help you do just that.

When you download Cleo for free, she’ll help you create a personalized budget that suits you. She’ll call you out on spend limits so you can put even more money aside each month, and find even more savings opportunities with autosave. To find out more, just type “autosave” into chat.

Here’s a quick run down of what Cleo offers:

💙 Set & Forget: Choose any amount up to $24, and Cleo will automatically allocate it for you weekly.
‍💙 Round Up: Cleo conveniently rounds up your spending to the nearest dollar, setting aside the spare change every week.
‍💙 Smart Save: With Cleo's enchanting algorithms, a predetermined amount of money is put away weekly. Magic.
‍💙 Swear Jar: A playful penalty applies when you shop at selected retailers, with the "fine" being transferred into your Cleo Wallet each week.

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Increase Your Income

While cutting back on expenses is often the best way to start saving money, don't forget about the income side of the equation. Increasing your income can significantly boost your savings.

1) Side Hustles

Side hustles are becoming increasingly popular as a way to supplement income. This could be freelancing, selling items online, pet sitting, tutoring – the possibilities are endless.

For side hustle inspiration, check out How to Make Money on Your Phone. You literally don't even need to leave the couch 📱

2) Investments

Investing in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds can potentially offer higher returns than a typical savings account.

You don't have to be a Wall Street whiz to make investments anymore. It's true. AI money apps can suggest suitable investment opportunities and guide you step by step, explaining everything in easy-to-understand terms.

A few popular investment apps include:

🚀 Robinhood: While Robinhood doesn't provide personalized investment advice, the platform uses AI for features like predictive analytics and pattern recognition. This helps traders make informed decisions.

🚀 SigFig: SigFig provides automated investment management, using algorithms to build a personalized portfolio, manage risk, and rebalance when necessary.

🚀 Ally Invest: Ally's Managed Portfolio offering uses algorithms to manage a diversified portfolio based on your risk tolerance and goals.

Remember, Financial Tech is constantly evolving and new AI-based financial tools are being developed all the time. Always do your own research to stay updated and choose the right tools that fit your needs and financial goals 💖

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Saving Money: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Keep in mind that saving is a long-term commitment. The best way to start saving money is to have patience, stay consistent, and celebrate your progress, no matter how small. It's the small wins that keep us going 💪

And remember, the best way to start saving money is to find a strategy that works for you. Whether it's tracking expenses, setting realistic goals, budgeting, automating savings, or boosting your income, it's all about what aligns with your lifestyle and financial situation.

Every small step you take towards saving is a step towards a financially secure future. You've got this.

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Enjoy this post? Give it a share or send it along to a friend. You never know, it could make a big difference. Big love. Cleo 💙