With fall break just right around the corner, everyone is asking one another the same question, “where are you going for the break?”. If you’re anything like me, then saving up isn’t something that comes naturally. That being said, trying to plan a trip for the break could really become a challenge for most, but no need to fear, I’m here to suggest some tips and tricks that can help anyone save up some money!
Living in such a digital age, there are many different applications that we can download straight onto our phones that can help us save and budget money. Mint is an application that is available on both Android and Apple products. The easy to use app helps you create budgets based on different categories and even notifies you when you go over budget. It’s a great tool to help you see what you spend your money on and will help you really cut costs in areas that you spend too much on. Simple is another application that requires a little bit more information than Mint, but definitely has its own perks. Simple is its own bank, which means you would have to become a member in order to use their service, but there are no fees and no branches. Everything is done online or through the app. One really great feature that Simple has is the option to enter a date (which is kind of seen as a deadline) and an amount of money you want to be saved by that date. Simple then will take out small amounts of money each day and put it away into that separate area, then when the date comes, your money is all there! It’s great because the money is taken in small increments and you don’t even notice it usually (unless it’s a large amount needing to be saved up in a short amount of time).
Another really helpful thing that I have come to find is utilizing your direct deposit to its fullest. Almost all jobs nowadays require you to set up some form of direct deposit for your paycheck to transfer into your bank account on payday. You can usually connect two accounts to your employer, or you can designate a certain percentage to transfer into one account. One really great way to save is to designate a percentage that you feel comfortable with directly into your savings account. That way the money will come out at the same time you get paid and you won’t even think about spending it. Which is much easier than trying to transfer money after it’s already hit your checking account!
Although there are many different ways that you can save up, these are some great tips and tricks that many of my friends and I use daily in order to make sure trips and other fun activities can happen throughout the school year! Now get to saving, the break is just around the corner!