Mind Games Are Preventing You from Saving Money

Saving money can be difficult, and sometimes your frame of mind can hold you back. Here are some negative thoughts to overcome:

I Don’t Make Enough Money to Save
You are more than likely wrong about this one. Sometimes it’s about writing down your numbers and determining what you can cut and save on.

With the improving economy, it’s becoming even easier. Household incomes have been increasing and the unemployment rate has been falling the past few years, giving more people a chance to save. And many are doing it. The personal savings rate in the U.S. rose to 5.9 percent in March after rising steadily since 2013. But there’s room for improvement. The personal savings rate averaged 8.29 percent from 1959 until 2017.

I’ll Start Saving When I Earn More
How many times have you told yourself that you’ll start saving when your income rises enough so you can afford it? Unfortunately, this kind of thinking won’t get you anywhere. Expenses often increase as pay does, so putting off saving for this reason doesn’t mean you’ll do it later. Start now instead of waiting.

I’m Young. I’ve Got Decades to Save
Telling yourself that you’ll save later can affect your retirement planning. It’s a problem that can be dealt with later, the thinking goes, and it can be hard to imagine what will happen decades from now.

The value of compounding and saving early in life are explained on the website interest.com. Waiting only five years, not decades, can require a higher savings rate to reach a retirement goal of $1 million by age 65.

According to the site, if you save $405 per month by age 25 at an average annual return of 7 percent then you’ll have $1 million at age 65. But if you wait until you’re 30 to start saving then you’ll need to save $585 per month to reach that same goal.

It’s Too Difficult
Saving money isn’t easy, but it isn’t as difficult as you might think. Some apps can help. Digit monitors your spending and moves money from your checking account into savings when you can afford it. Meanwhile, a finance app, Acorns, automatically invests your spare change.

Some retirement plans take the work out of investing with target-date retirement funds. Workers select a fund closest to their retirement date and the portfolio changes automatically as they age—aggressive investing when they’re young and more conservative as they near retirement.

Enrollment in a 401(k) retirement plan can be automatic when a worker joins a company, allowing them to opt out if they want to. Employee contributions can also be automatically increased over time.