This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of First Service Credit Union. All opinions are my own.
Sometimes your budget can’t really budge. How do you save money and save for the future in those moments?
Saving money has always been a part of my life. Making each dollar stretch has been important through the years just to make our budget last and I’ve become all too familiar with the seasons of life where the amount of money that I’m making every month doesn’t leave much (if anything) left over to go towards savings.
Between saving for emergencies and saving for the future, we all want to make sure we’re putting something aside each month. I wanted to share a few innovative ways we can all save money, even when the budget won’t budge!
Find a side hustle
Find a way to make some extra money each month and put this money directly into savings. The key to finding a savings side hustle is to select one that doesn’t require a lot of money up front. Look into blogging, becoming a virtual assistant, babysitting once a month or even selling a few items on the Facebook marketplace.
I try to dig through my closets a few times a year to sell clothes at resale shops. I used this strategy for years, especially when my babies were small and going through clothes and toys every few months. Even just $50-$100 in side-hustle money every single month goes a long way to helping you save!
Take a break
Sometimes we overthink the budget. Even though there are things that can’t be given up for a full year, there might be things that you can take a break from occasionally to divert some extra money to savings. We’ve tried things like meatless Mondays where we save money by having eggs or beans and rice for dinner instead of (more expensive) chicken or beef.
You could also try cancelling a streaming service for a couple of months of the year. While you might not want to miss out on your favorite shows long-term most of us could go a month or two without them, and stick to movies or games for a little while.
Remember, whatever you take a break from, send that money straight to savings so you can make bigger steps towards your savings goals!
Sign up for a bank account that does the work for you
This one is HUGE and one I wish I had known about years ago! Sign up for a free checking account with First Service Credit Union. There are SO MANY things here that can help you out when it comes to saving money, I’m going to try to break them all down for you!
First, it’s free to set up an account. You can do it with ONE dollar so you don’t have to wait and save up a crazy amount of money in order to open up your account.
The checking account has no fees either, with no minimum balance so your money can be where ever you want it to be!
You also get free access to ATMs and branches across the country and 24/7 online banking access. You can even create your account online…as a fellow mom I know how hard it is to actually make it in to the bank, so much easier to get it all done online!!!
With your checking account you also will get a free debit card and with this card comes debit rewards! You earn points for every dollar you spend with your debit card and those points can be exchanged for travel, gift cards and more!
Use your points for something you already needed and then save that extra money for the future. It’s a GREAT way to prepare for whatever life throws at you!
And it gets better…
First Service gives aways $1,500 a week and $50,000 a year with cash rewards!!! Members automatically earn entries for everyday transactions. Amazing.
At First Service they exist to help us, the members! And that includes with our goal to save money as they work with us in giving those great rewards!
Sign up for your Free Checking with Debit Rewards here so that you can use this innovative way to help build your savings too!
Chhavi @ Mrs Daaku Studio says
Paula,
Long time reader of yours, first time commenter. :)
These tips are GREAT. I totally agree that a side hustle which can give you a $100-200 goes a long way. I am a freelance writer (now a blogger too), and it allowed me to quit my full-time job and earn a full-time income. It was crazy. Now, I share all the information I learned along the way with my readers and help them start a work at home career.
Renting out space in your house on AirBnB, testing websites, selling old stuff and contributing for websites that pay are my favorite ways to make quick cash.
Thank you for this wonderful post.