Recession Reckoning

Keep saving easy by taking yourself out of the equation. Utilize your bank's auto-draft feature to schedule steady transfers from your checking account to your savings account. Then, take it easy; and let the bank manage all of the particulars for you. Did you get a raise at work? Try not to consider it as an opportunity to super-size your life-style, but a chance to super-size your savings. Step-up your 401(k) savings by the sum of your raise, or use your auto-draft to put the extra money in savings. Then, continue on with your current lifestyle. Accessible income is money that's likely to get spent up. Keep your savings unreachable by sticking it at a different bank than your checking account. The additional hassle of going to another bank will make you think twice about using it. CDs and savings bonds are likewise good savings tools for keeping money out of view. Saving change is in no way a fresh idea, but there's a reason for that: it actually works. Make a habit of putting all of your change into a jar each night. Then, put the money into a savings account when the jar is full.