My paycheck is direct deposited so I have some of that deposited in my savings each week. Also whenever I get incentive checks from work I deposit those into savings.

I go in manually and transfer money to savings but another way is when you get pay increases is to pay yourself more. We started out doing $25 a paycheck in Dhs 401K He gets his raises in October we thus have extra for x-mas and then come january up the the 401K to $50. We plan on doing it again uping the 401K to $75. With the Matching and the profit share it is growing fast despite the marked being down. I too need to save more for a rainy day but I think the bigger priority is to pay down the debt first

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006 &

Organizer of the Coupon Clippers of Tacoma

I have managed to get $600 in our savings this year just from doing a few simple things. I first save all the change I get (it can really add up). Also twice a year sell my kids nice old clothing and toys at a consignment sale. I dabble in ebay but I don't reccomend it for more than a hobby 'cause you will NEVER get rich that way. Also any rebates or money from cakes that I make (my hobby) goes into the savings account. I have been spending it alittle for Christmas gifts (about $200) so I really have banked more than the $600. My husband has a 401K but I feel better having money around that I can use instead of a CC.

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A Family of 5's quest to forget the Joneses.

I like this idea...to bad my hubby steals all my change for the coffee machine at work---his really nice coffee thermos was stolen last year!!! grrrr...

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Danielle

We save our change too. It's amazing how change adds up so quickly. We also have a saving with ING Direct. It's great!! We have an automatic deduction. We started with a dollar amount that we would not miss $5.00 per week and increased it as we could aford it. $5.00 is $260 a year. Alittle is better than none.
Keep up the good work.

Here's another suggestion. I don't know if this will be a tight stretch for you, but I have also been saving my dollar bills. Whenever I pay cash for something and I get singles back, I throw them into a jar as if I don't even have them.

As another poster said, we live below our means and pay ourselves first. A significant chunk of money is taken out for investment and savings immediately. It works for us.

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~Vicki~
Mama to Hailey, 4 and Ella, 2

We pay ourselves first. Also any extra checks or odd jobs or maybe we sold something go towards savings as well.

We follow Mary Hunt and have money direct deposited into an emergency fund and a freedom account (money set aside for things like Christmas, insurance, vacation, etc). We missed it at first but now we hardly notice.

I forgot to mention--this is something we do, too. Some raises we just let the entire thing be absorbed by contributions to our IRA or savings.

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~Vicki~
Mama to Hailey, 4 and Ella, 2