You’ve heard of the savings crisis in America. You’ve probably even thought, “yeah, I should probably save more.’” But eking out an existence is tough on a starting salary, and sometimes comfort takes precedence over cutting corners. Besides, if you can only save $50 or $100 a month, is it really worth it? The answer: absolutely.
By starting to save now, you’re giving your money—however little it is—time to grow on its own. The magic of compound interest means that you can contribute less money for fewer years if you start when you’re young and still end up with more cash than someone who waits.
For example, if Natasha starts saving or investing when she’s 25, and saves $100 a month for ten years, then lets the money sit, her stash will grow to $174,928 by the time she turns 65 (assuming an 8 percent annual return). If Anna waits until age 35 to start saving, and socks away the same $100 a month for the next 30 years, she’ll have only $135,940 by 65. Anna will have contributed three times as much as Natasha, but will end up with nearly $39,000 less.
Think you don’t have enough money to save? We’ve compiled a list of our best tips to find extra money in your budget to sock away. These strategies won’t require you to take a vow of poverty—we know money’s tight already. Rather, they’re small and simple cost-cutters that’ll help you get started saving as soon as possible.
1. Give yourself a raise and bank it. Boost your take-home pay by adjusting your tax-withholding and have the difference in pay automatically transferred to an online…[READ MORE AT 20 Small Ways to Save Big
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