Lazy Genius Mom

Working Hard So You Don't Have To

Need a lazy way to kick off your savings plans? Try this bi-weekly budgeting trick to have $1200 each year added to your savings account.
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How You Can Easily Save $1200 This Year- Savings plan so simple you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it already

Getting started on savings is the hardest part. There are so many different ways for us to spend all of our money. In the commercial society we live in today, its hard not to want things. We’re being advertised to all the time!

It started young for us. I remember My Buddy and Cabbage Patch doll commercials growing up. Half the YouTube videos out there now that are geared toward kids are just a bunch of people opening up toys and just showing them to the camera.

No wonder our money practically flies out of our bank accounts!

Stop the cycle

What better way to get a grip on your finances than to begin with the easiest savings plan on the planet. It really is so simple and do-able.

Once you see how simple it can be to save, you’ll be able to work it into almost any budget. Any amount of savings is a good start. Even if you can only save $10 a month you’ll have $120 at the end of the year.

Just imagine teaching that to your child. What would they be able to grow that to if they started at 10 years old? By the time they’re 18 they would have nearly $1000! That’s a good chunk of change for a teenager, for anyone. $10 a month is less than what a lot of teens get for an allowance.

I started my first savings plan by using an old coffee can. I cut a little slit at the top, and every time I found money in the washer or dryer, I put it in there. At the end of the year I had about $15. Not a lot by any means, but it was nice to see it in there, just waiting for me. (I used it to go to the movies)

Saving money doesn't have to be difficult. This simple budgeting trick can save you $1200 every year with almost no effort involved. Get started today on your savings plan. You won't regret it...

Self Funding- What is it?

Have you ever heard of self-funding?

Basically, it is the concept that you save up for your purchases so you can then take that wad of cash straight to the product and pay for it all up front.

This is one of the absolutely best reasons to start a savings plan. The power of cash is amazing.

Imagine this: When you walk into a car dealership you typically know about how much you’re going to spend, and you can expect to wheel and deal with the salesman. When the time comes, you can whip out a traveler’s check. This little move works wonders. You are literally showing them the money. This is a hard temptation to walk away from. This could be the $5,000 difference between paying 30K or 25K for that SUV. The dealer may be willing to talk for hours about that 5K and then you’d still have to deal with the interest rate and the payment plan. OR you could hand them a check, and not worry about credit ratings, interest, or payments at all.

This method works for all sorts of things. Televisions, appliances, homes, furniture, etc… I’ve personally used it in Best Buy and Lowes (the deli at your local grocery store is great for negotiating as well). You can get all sorts of discounts if you just find the right employee to talk to. Usually it’s a manager but asking any employee gets the ball rolling and you’ll eventually find that one person that can make things happen for you.

This is one of the reasons behind the slang “Cash is King”.

Self funding is not only for discounts. It can be used to pay cost for things that you don’t want to finance later one, like college courses or Christmas and birthday gifts.

The Savings Plan

It’s so simple. Every time you get a paycheck, take $50 and put it away. Most people get paid twice a month. That’s $100/month = $1200/yr.

Not ready to do $50, try for $25 each paycheck. So $50/month = $600/yr.  Still not a bad way to start saving. It’s a win/win all around.

Really you can use this method on any amount that is possible for you. Whether you save $5 or $500 each time, you’ll be much further ahead than if you had saved $0.

I would have created a printable checklist for this, but honestly you don’t even need one. The amount never changes, so you don’t need to do anything special to track it.

If you want to try a short 3 month savings challenge, check out my Printable Beginner Savings Plan for Teens.

Benefits of Emergency and Long Term Savings

  1. When those sales do come along, you’ll be primed for taking advantage of them. (Hello Black Friday Deals!)
  2. Pay for unexpected expenses- Car repairs or trips to the ER, etc…
  3. You’ll have money ready for when a solid investment comes along. (Like a sudden dip in a stock you’ve been eyeballing)
  4. Less stress- There’s nothing like knowing you can handle things if an unexpected expense does happen.
  5. You’ll be able to retire!!
  6. Less debt- OR even no debt

There are hundreds more, who could possibly list them all? Short story- it’s a good idea to have a back up plan. Savings allows that.

Want More Savings? Check Out These Other Articles

30 Day Savings Plan- $300 in 30 Days- With Free Printable Savings Tracker! 

52 Weeks to $1000. –Be prepared to Christmas