Tips for Growing Your Bank Account

When it comes to personal finance, one of the most important things you can do is grow your savings. After all, having a healthy bank account is key to weathering life's unexpected financial storms. But how exactly do you go about growing your savings? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Create a Budget and Stick to It

One of the best ways to grow your bank account is to create a budget and stick to it. This may seem like an obvious tip, but it's one that far too many people ignore. 

Before you can start putting money away into savings, you must ensure that all of your other financial obligations are taken care of first. Sit down and figure out how much money you need to cover your basic expenses such as rent, food, utilities, etc. 

Once you have that figure, you can start allocating money towards savings. And, if you find extra money left over at the end of the month, don't be afraid to put it into savings as well!

Pay Yourself First

Another great way to grow your bank account is to pay yourself first. This means that before you spend money on anything else, you should transfer a fixed percentage of your income into savings. 

This will help ensure that you always have money for a rainy day. And, over time, you may even find that you're able to increase the percentage of your income that you save each month.

Create Specific Savings Goals

When it comes to saving money, it can be helpful to set specific goals. This will give you something to work towards and help keep you motivated. 

For example, maybe you want to save up enough money for a down payment on a house or a new car. Or perhaps you're aiming to build up your emergency fund so that you have at least six months' worth of living expenses. 

Whatever your goal may be, make sure it's specific and realistic. Then, once you reach it, celebrate your accomplishment! And then, set a new goal and get started on saving for that. Speaking with a wealth management professional may also help you set specific financial goals for your future.

Saving money can seem daunting, but it's definitely doable with careful planning and discipline. By following the tips above, you'll be well on your way toward growing your bank account in no time!

Savings Initiative: Help Yourself Become Fiscally Sound and Responsible

Keeping yourself on track with your budget and your savings goals can be tough, even with great planning and responsible spending habits. 

Here are some ways you can help yourself become more fiscally sound and responsible.

Set a Monthly Budget

One of the big reasons people have financial trouble and can't meet their savings goals is that they have no idea how much money they are spending relative to what they are bringing in. 

To get started on the road to responsible financial habits, you must set a monthly budget. Figure out how much money you bring home in your paycheck and any other sources. Then figure out your spending for the month. Start with mandatory spending, such as your rent, utilities, insurance and groceries. 

Then look at your discretionary spending. This is where you may need to make cuts if you are not meeting your goals. One good way to budget is to use a mobile app to automate the practice.

Track your Spending

After you have set your budget and made adjustments, you should track your spending on a daily basis to ensure you are meeting your goals. It's not really enough to just track your spending monthly, because you could be going way over budget without realizing it until it is too late. 

There are many apps on the market that allow you to track your daily spending. You can get online access to your bank and credit card accounts, which helps you keep track each time you make a purchase. 

If you prefer to do things the old fashioned way, you can order personal checks that can help you track your finances. If you get duplicate checks, you will have an easy and simple way to keep track of spending.

Make Saving Automatic

Automating your savings will ensure you hit your goals each month. There are a number of ways you can do this. One of the easiest is to have a certain amount deducted from your bank account each month and directed into a savings account. 

If your workplace has a credit union or some arrangement with another financial institution, you can have money deducted from your check and put straight into a savings account. Some credit and debit cards also have programs that allow you to round up each purchase and have the excess directed to savings. 

By automating your savings, you eliminate the possibility that you might forget or decide to spend that money in another way in a given month.

Designate some "Extras" to Savings

A good way to meet your savings goals even faster is to put extra in savings any time you make extra money. For example, if you get a bonus at work, take a certain percentage of it and put it in savings. Do the same with money you get as gifts. 

Another way to boost your savings with extras is to start a change jar and put spare change in it whenever you have it.

Look for Ways to Generate more Money

If you want to save more, you may have to look for ways to generate more money. You can do this by generating more income, either by working overtime at your job or getting a part-time job, or you can do it by looking for ways to cut money out of your budget. 

Some of the easiest ways to do that are to refinance debt to get lower interest rates and lowering rates on some of your discretionary spending, such as by cutting back on cable or bundling services.

Following these tips should help you get more fiscally fit and boost your savings rate.