How do you save if you're always broke?

[Bedroomeyes]

I am truly trying to start some kind of savings plan.. But after all the bills are paid I seldom have anything left.. Talking about living from check to check... :rolleyes:

And if I do get a chance to save a few dollars.. Then something comes up and I end up empty again...

So how do you save for a rainy day? :confused:

[que90nek]

u don't spend money on frivolous things
u buy non-name brand things
u be more thrifty
u quit tryin to take folks out to lunch :rolleyes:

if u do all that and can save 50 bucks...that's good.

if not...then don't...saving is over rated when ya got bills to pay.

[Babygirl]

My method of savings is this..pay off ALL credit cards,furniture bill, and any misc stuff. Then once all is paid start having funds automatically deducted from your paycheck into a high interest savings account, such as ING. Them the rest of your paycheck wil go to necessities such as home, utilities, car note, and insurance.

[seductive_tee]

Once you get with the credit union, it's easy...you open up a custom account, call it anything you want, have whatever deposited into it every pay day and you set the date on withdrawl and stipulations.

I have 5, only one that has a serious stipulation is the house one...and i said not to release money until i bought in proof of a house..day of closing papers.

My birthday = $5 pay day i get a check June 1st
My son birthday = $5 pay day, check Jan 10th (he ain't acting right, goes back to my savings)
daughter birthday = $5 pay day, check July 15th (she ain't acting right, goes back to my savings)
Christmas = $10 pay day, check Dec 1st
House = $15 pay day, no check till closing.

That is $35 a pay day...at first it damn near killed me...but now..i'm use to it....I know saving for the house is not much but it's something, plus i've been doing it a few years now.

I still have a savings....that i dip into for lil things....well...i'll leave that alone...but i'm learning....

[CD]

it's easier for you to get a higher paying job instead of trying to cut back. I always found it easier to make more money than to try to cut back on my living expenses.

Just a thought...

[HulaSista]

makes a lot of sense cd.....been tryin to do that for a minute here...

[que90nek]

if we all could just get a higher payin job!

[CD]

Damn near everybody working can go out and get a higher paying job. Lets take you for example, you work for the government (correct me if I'm wrong) and I know damn well you can get more money if you wanted to. Everybody knows that the government don't pay jack. The trade off is you really don't work hard, you get a lot of days off, and job security is pretty good.

The issue is most folks get comfortable in a job and don't want to change. It takes effort to change, and the average person would rather short change themselves than to do what it takes to change. They don't realize that the effort is only reguired upfront and it ebbs as time passes.

The deal is effort is required up front and most folks would rather pass on getting a better job until they are forced out and when they do eventually get a new job they end up saying damn why didn't I do that sooner......:rolleyes:

Try looking at it like this, You are just a cotton picker working on a plantation, so where ever you work it's just a plantation so you might as well get as much money as you can.....:D

[que90nek]

actually i got out the military last oct....and have moved up in station. the military had paid me rather well.

but i'm not talkin bout me...i am talkin about the other people on the hush who JUST did find a job. It is nice to just get another job, but if you don't have what the job sector in your area needs...that is easier said than done.

[CD]

If you don't posses the skill set then you must extent the effort to aquire the skill set, relocate or get educated which in turn takes some effort.

[lasttry]

if you want to save money then you have to become a cheap mutha
...something like what que said....

so you buy stuff only on clearance...not in the fancy stores... in the discount places... like kmart, dollar general, walmart...
start eating cheaper....tuna fish sandiches go a long way... crackers and peanut butter, beans and franks.... no alcohol... basically you will end up living like you are really, really poor (like on welfare)

you reduce your spending on stuff if you can... lower rent apartment....drop some of the extra addons from the phone company and cable service....

don't lend any money...

just look for every opportunity not to spend extra money...
a cheap person hardly ever asks someone else for money

[OhSoPrecious]

The only way I am able to save $$$ is to have it taken directly out of my paycheck before I get it~!!! :rolleyes:

If I don't do it that way. . I have the hardest time taking that money and putting it aside~!!! :confused:

But, by doing this. . . it helps cause the way time has been flying by. . . that little extra something that has been taken out and put into something else. . has accumulated into something. . and that's what I call my savings~!!! :D

[mack_black]

I would have to agree with CD on this one.....

its so much easier to get a higher paying job(s), than to sacrifice and still not have any money...life is way too short trying to save bits and pieces, only to realize that ya still dont have shit. I still want that corvette, and another home(s) down south somewhere, and be able to travel around the world...so why not extend one's self and get more money.... I also agree that if you dont have the skill set, it will be hard to make more money.....but then again...an effort is needed to rise to the top....Ive done it and will continue to do it.....its already way too hard to save money when everything is so dayumed expensive especially here in NJ.....so the philosophy is to make more money...then you can start saving some nice chunks....and not only must you save, but ya gotta invest too...you would be surprised what that does to your "get up and go" and how much money is really out here for the taking :D

[Toffee]

I agree with both CD and OHSo.... I say its always good to get a higher paying job... Also it doesn't help to pay yourself first. Invest through you job where they take the money out of your paycheck tax free.

[SeaDuceme2]

Pay YOURSELF first

[Toffee]

Please don't try that putting money in an envelope or something...

[LADY_ISIS]

Well what we did was tried picking up small thing for extra cash, for example i sell mary kay and my husband is delivering phonebooks for the local phone company.

Then we use this pocket change for day to day living ( food, gas, personal items,etc) and saved the paycheck for rent and carpayment, etc and was able to save alot just by cutting the day to day costs.

Also we started taking lunch to work instead of buying lunch. And beginning this year we aere saving the income tax return in a special savings acct and plan on placing any unexpected or future income tax returns in this account for a house and major household items.