How to save money fast (2024)

We’ve all been there. You set a goal — a vacation,emergency fund, down payment on your dream home — and start saving, but then you realize you’re further away from your savings goal than you would like. You decide you need to ramp up your savings to reach the goal, or get back on the right track; so what do you do?

Acknowledging that you need to change course is an important first step. Now it’s time to rethink your strategy and make adjustments to get the desired results. That way you can book that trip to Europe or boost your retirement savings in the earlier timeframe you had planned.

Saving money fast doesn’t mean it’ll happen overnight, but these actions can help you quickly develop a game plan for expediting your savings.

The first part of your game plan should be setting your budget. It's critical to know your monthly income and compare it to your essential expenses (mortgage/rent, utilities, car payment, home and auto insurance); that way you understand how much disposable income you have to work with when mapping out a savings plan. After all, it's infeasible to save $1,500 a month when you only have $1,000 of disposable income.

Some of you may already have a budget in place, but maybe it's been a while since you've made any adjustments. Recalculate your monthly income and expenses to see if you have more savings opportunities since you last updated your budget. It's helpful to make these recalculations periodically to keep your savings aligned with your goals.

Saving money fast requires sacrifice. We all know there's a difference between an essential and non-essential monthly expense (think health insurance vs. music-streaming services) although the line may vary from one person to the next. Now that you've mapped out your essential expenses and compared them to your monthly budget in the step above, list out your non-essential expenses to see how those payments affect your bottom line each month.

Next, determine which expenses you are comfortable sacrificing in the short term to help you catch up on your financial goal. Remember, you don't need to give up these expenses forever — just until your savings are back on track. That assurance, plus your desire to reach your financial goal, might make it easier to part ways with certain expenses and help you from overspending.

• Bring your lunch to work: This one is obvious, right? Buying lunch every day can cost you anywhere from $50-$100 per week. Packing your lunch can save a significant portion of that, which will add up over the course of a month.
• Skip the coffee run: Is it part of your morning routine to pick up a coffee on the way to work? See if your office provides coffee in the break room or kitchen. Eliminating that expense could save you roughly $20 per week, or $80 per month. If your office doesn't provide coffee, brew your own at home and bring it in a thermos.
• Cut out movies and other entertainment costs: Perhaps you and your family go to the movies a few times a month. With movie tickets around $10-$15 per person, the cost adds up in a hurry. Consider renting a movie instead. That way you're paying one fee for the movie rather than a fee per person, and you can save on refreshments like popcorn that cost significantly more at the theater. You can save even more if you watch a movie that's already on television or available on the streaming service subscriptions that you already pay for.
• Dine in, not out: Date night at a nice restaurant can be a special treat for you and someone special, but it's also expensive. That weekly $100-or-more expense is an opportunity to make a significant impact on your bank account if you change course. Staying away from the restaurant doesn't mean you need to abandon date night altogether. The two of you could cook together at home, turn on some music, and dim the lighting to capture some of the same ambiance of the fancy restaurant. If you have kids, save dinner for after they go to bed so the two of you have some peace and quiet.
• Avoid the bar: It's no secret that a drink at a bar is far pricier than a drink at home. While it might not be as enjoyable to have a glass of wine on the couch instead of at the bar, you can rationalize the sacrifice by reminding yourself that the extra money you are saving is going to a good place.
• Get more from your grocery store: Do you currently shop the sales flyer at your local grocery store? If not, it can be a great way to save money on that weekly grocery shopping trip. You can also take advantage of sales to stock up on items you frequently use. Another tip is to check out the generic version of your favorite name-brand items. Many times, the ingredients are almost identical but will cost way less.
• Rethink how you shop: Local thrift and consignment stores may have just what you’re looking for at a fraction of the price. And oftentimes, you can donate unwanted items for shopping credits. An easy trade!
• Max out those credit card rewards: Put your credit card to good use by taking advantage of those rewards and cash back options, which you can then put directly into your savings.

You’ve set your budget and chosen which sacrifices you'll make, so now comes the exciting part — actually saving. It's far easier to monitor your progress if you open a goal-specific savings account, where you can set up automatic transfers. That way you remove the temptation to spend the money on something else; tell yourself that once it's in the savings account, it stays in the savings account. When it comes to saving, it's helpful to pay yourself first, and then see what you have left and stretch each dollar.

Bonus tip: leverage financial tools, like Citizens Savings Tracker™¹, to help automate your savings so you can stay on track of your goals.

Another option is to take the money you save and put it in an envelope or box; then, deposit these funds into the savings account each week. Seeing the money add up can be a motivator to help you to stay on track.

Consider taking an extra savings step by using "round up" programs online or via mobile apps* that take your debit card transactions, round them to the nearest dollar, and automatically transfer the "change" to your savings.

Debit and credit cards are convenient for making transactions, but they can also cause expenses to creep up on you since you don't see the money physically leaving your hand. Logging expenses can alert you to how much you're spending on a daily basis, which might cause you to pull back some on your spending habits. You can track your expenses using a notebook or through apps on your smartphone².

Making these sacrifices might be difficult at times. Consider keeping a picture or some token on you to motivate you through the difficult times. If you feel tempted to go shopping or steer off course, look at the picture of the vacation destination you're saving for and you'll find it easier to get through moments of weakness.

Saving money fast is not easy. Cutbacks that work for some might not be the best course of action for you. Consider how much you want to save, how long youhave to save it, and what changes you're comfortable making in order to achieve your goal. You may find that you don't miss some of the cutbacks you've made, which can help you sustain your saving efforts for an even longer term.