Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save Automatically.

The theme for America Saves Week 2012 is more than just a theme; it’s a simple set of instructions to help you save successfully. Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save Automatically. Knowing what you want to save for, how to achieve it, and then making the savings process automatic will allow you to reach your savings goal.


Set a Goal
You can save more by having a goal in mind. Visualizing what you want to save for gives your savings a purpose. You may be tempted to withdraw from your savings if it has no purpose. But once you have a goal in place, you know that taking money out of your savings is taking away from that ultimate goal. So what are you saving for? An emergency fund, a home, retirement, a car?

Make a Plan
Once you have your goal in place, make a plan of how you are going to save. To start, cut down on your spending and reduce high-cost debt. Next, keep track of what you spend and make a budget. Once you know where your money is going each month, you can cut down on unneeded spending and save the difference.


Don’t forget to keep your savings safe, secure, and growing. Banks, credit unions, and even the government offer a variety of financial products that can help you save.


Save Automatically
It can be hard to put aside money for savings. But there is an easy way to save money without ever missing it. Once you know how much you can save, make saving automatic. Many employers allow you to divide your paycheck into different accounts through direct deposit. Take advantage by putting part of your pay into a savings account. If you get paid in cash, take a small amount to the bank to deposit into a savings account each week.


Join America Saves to get tips and advice year round. 

America Saves Week February 19-26

America Saves week is a social media campaign that occurs annually to encourage better saving habits among all Americans. America Saves Week started in 2007 and is organized through the national campaign America Saves. Typically around 2,000 organizations participate in the Week in turn reaching millions of people. Most Americans today are not saving adequately for retirement, and most lower-income households do not have adequate emergency savings for unexpected expenditures.


This year America Saves Week is encouraging everyone to ‘Set a Goal, Make a Plan, Save Automatically.’ America Saves provides helpful tips for successful saving, because not everything is always easy done alone. Take a look at America Saves 5 strategies for saving and see how they can help you.


This year, America Saves Week is February 19-26 and when you join America Saves you will receive:

• Free subscriptions to our quarterly American Saver Newsletter
  
• Free monthly email newsletters with savings advice from experts
  
• Free access to our members-only Savers Tracking Tool to help you reach your goals
  
  
  You can also get tips by receiving updates from Facebook and Twitter