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Ok so we read blogs and other sites encouraging us to save
now. Then we are pumped up to save after that only to find ourselves
procrastinating again. Then we won’t be saving and the cycle repeats itself. In
the end, still zero savings.
Are you like this? Have you happen to move savings because
you have a lot of excuses? Is the idea of saving something you can do next
time? Here are a few excuses and why they are invalid.
It is hard!
One of the most common excuses of individuals who don’t save
is the notion that it is hard. I heard a lot of people complaining about it. However,
let me say that this is invalid. Saving money is not putting your spare bills
to your bank. There are in fact creative ways that you can force yourself to
save. Remember the formula Income-Savings = Expenses. That alone can address
the difficulty on how to save.
I got so many expenses!
Another common reason why people don’t save is because they
have many expenses. They have many bills to pay every month, they got debts to
manage, they got things to buy and so much more. Let me say it again, that is
invalid. It still boils down to budgeting and how you manage your money. You see,
even with debts, one can still be able to save if he or she wants to do it in
the first place. Aside from that, you can always set a percentage of your money
to save. It may not be as big as the others but better have something than
nothing. If you are in debt, it is always best that you get to pay this off as
soon as you can. Simply think of paying it as a form of saving. It is like
investing for your financial freedom.
I don’t have anything to save for!
People tend to save if they are motivated to save. They save
if they want to achieve something. Perhaps a trip abroad, buy a new gadget or
what not. However, even without something to save for, you must still do it. In
fact, it is better to save if you don’t have a goal so you will not be tempted
to use it after reaching a specific amount. Plus, you can always save for your
emergency funds.
I can’t save because of my lifestyle!
Lifestyle inflation is one of the culprits why one cannot
save at all. Oftentimes, our lifestyle is directly proportional to our salary. If
that is the case, consider living below your means. This could greatly aid you
in saving in the process. Make sure, you get to spare a few percentages and
direct it to your savings. Apart from that, also consider the things in your
life that you can perhaps tone down in order to make room for savings.
Being motivated to save boils down to mindset and attitude. No
one is forcing you to save but you can dictate it for yourself. Simply remember,
there are no valid excuses of not saving today. Simply do it now.
P.S. To those doing the 52 Week Money Challenge and 52 Week Money Challenge Version 2, it is Week 11 already! Did you deposit the next amount yet?
P.P.S Want to know more about investing, savings, stock market and more, check out my reference here. You can download free ebooks and resources too.