I know, I know. You just can’t save money for that family vacation you’ve been pining over for years. There’s just not enough money coming in, and too much going out to bills and such. I sympathize, my friend. I get it.
A friend on Facebook posted this handy-dandy chart on how to painlessly and gradually put over $1300 into savings in one year. It’s almost a mnemonic device: Put $1 in a jar (or savings account…whatever works for you) in week 1, $2 in week 2, and so forth until one year later, when you magically have more than $1300 saved up. That’s 2-3 adult domestic plane tickets, plus meals. Or gas money to get you across the continent and back.
I know, you’ll say $50 is a lot for those later weeks! Sure, but it’s little more than going out to dinner for 2 each week. This is a gradual shift in how you view money, so by those later weeks, you’ll be used to socking away larger amounts of money.
Try it. My wife and I are going to. Here’s that handy chart to print out, paste on your piggy bank, and check off the deposits as you go.
Disclaimer: This is obviously not going to work for people who are barely scratching out a living. If, in fact, you are one of those people, I’ll post some future ideas on how to improve your situation, whether you’re solo or have a family.