10 money saving tips to help you reach your goals (2024)

FAQs

What is the 10 rule for saving money? ›

The 10% rule of investing states that you must save 10% of your income in order to maintain a comfortable lifestyle during retirement. This strategy, of course, isn't meant for everyone as it doesn't account for age, needs, lifestyle, and location.

Saving consistently can help you reach your financial goals

When you know where your money goes, you feel more in control. Creating a savings plan and budgeting will not only help you understand how much money you earn and spend over a period of time, but also help you create an action plan to pursue your goals.

The fiver challenge - save £7,000

This challenge works the same as the 52 week challenge, but you go up in multiples of £5 rather than £1. So week one = £5, week two = £10, all the way up to week 52 at £260. Alternatively, if you're not in the position to save these larger amounts, you could save £5 every week instead.

The 10% rule is a savings tip that suggests you set aside 10% of your gross monthly income for retirement or emergencies. If you still need to start a savings account, this is a great way to build up your savings. You should create a monthly budget before starting your savings journey.

Save for periodic expenses, such as car and home maintenance. Save 5%-10% of your net income. Accumulate at least 3 to 6 months' salary in an emergency fund. Make saving a habit, and never break it; always have a planned, written goal that you're saving toward.

There are various rules of thumb that relate to savings, whether it's retirement or emergency savings, but a general consensus is to set aside between 10 percent and 20 percent of your income each month for savings.

Example SMART Goal:

I want to save $500 in the next 5 months to build my emergency fund. I will save $50 from each paycheck. I will record my progress every payday on my chart.

This increments by $10 helps you save approximately $16000 by the end of 52 weeks. When you put that $10 aside each week in a high savings account or simply in a mason jar at home, you will be surprised to see how much you can save years after. Just make sure not to touch this amount for as long as possible.

What is the 20 savings rule? ›

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.

Set Savings Goals

One of the best ways to save money is by visualizing what you are saving for. If you need motivation, set saving targets along with a timeline to make it easier to save.

The 70-20-10 budget formula divides your after-tax income into three buckets: 70% for living expenses, 20% for savings and debt, and 10% for additional savings and donations. By allocating your available income into these three distinct categories, you can better manage your money on a daily basis.

Instead of thinking about saving $10,000 in a year, try focusing on saving $27.40 per day – what's also known as the “27.40 rule” because $27.40 multiplied by 365 equals $10,001. If you break this down into savings per day, week, and month, here's what you're looking at in terms of numbers: Per day: $27. Per week: $192.

Do not subtract other amounts that may be withheld or automatically deducted, like health insurance or retirement contributions. 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 most common way to use the 40-30-20-10 rule is to assign 40% of your income — after taxes — to necessities such as food and housing, 30% to discretionary spending, 20% to savings or paying off debt and 10% to charitable giving or meeting financial goals.