Finding Money for Savings While Paying Off Debt

by Gary Foreman

It can be hard to free up money in the budget for savings while digging your way out of debt. We explore ways to build savings when you think you can’t stretch the budget any further as well as how to hold on to and build your savings when you find some.

Dear Dollar Stretcher,
I was wondering if you have any advice for those who have debts (don’t all of us) and would like to stretch their budget to start a regular savings program.

Seems like I just can’t set any money aside for savings.
Gayle A.

Gayle is really asking three questions: How do I find where to ‘stretch’ my budget? Once I stretch it, how do I keep the money from disappearing? And, finally, how do I begin a savings program?

Let’s start at the top.

Where Will You Find Savings in Your Budget?

The answer will vary from person to person, but there’s a way to find the answer that should work for everyone. And it’s simple.

The best place to save some money is where you’re spending the most. For instance, most families find that they spend the greatest amount on housing, transportation and food. Just take a look at your banking statement and you’ll get an idea of where the big chunks of your money are going.

Now, admittedly, some of those big checks are pretty tough to change. It’s hard to do much with a car payment without taking drastic action. And, unless you’re desperate, you won’t be able to change expenses in some areas. Look for the ones that you can change without turning your life upside down.

For many people the food and grocery area is a good place to start. But your situation may be different. In any case, begin by looking at where the big money goes and then decide whether it’s something that you can change.

How Do I Keep My Newly Found Savings From Disappearing?

OK, now you’ve found some savings. How do you keep them from disappearing? In some ways, this is the hardest of the three questions to answer. Because it’s really about how you relate to money. And although I’m no psychologist, after you talk to enough people about money, you begin to see some patterns. See if you recognize yourself in any of these pictures. (See also: 6 Types of People Who Have Trouble with Money.)

• Drew is the kind of guy that complains about his bills. But you can always tell when he’s gotten a raise or an IRS refund. As soon as the money is available, Drew has it committed to payments on some new purchase.
• Crystal is fun to be around, but sometimes she can be a little moody. You often hear her talk about how a new outfit just perked up her spirits.
• Matthew is Mr. Quick Draw. He does things fast. Just bought a new home theater system this weekend because ‘it seemed like a good deal.’

What do these three people have in common? No matter how much money they save by careful budgeting, that money will disappear before it gets into a savings program. So if you’re like these three you’ll need to find a way to solve the problem.

One way is to create a spending checklist. Commit to asking yourself these questions before you make a purchase:

• Do I really need it? (See also: Need To Trim a Tight Budget? Get Honest About Wants Vs. Needs.)
• Could I meet this need with something else?
• What would happen if I didn’t buy it?
• Can I really afford it? Is there something else that I’d really rather have?

Another way to solve the problem is to make the saving urge as strong as the spending urge. Some people do that by choosing a goal that they’re willing to save to achieve. It could be something as simple as a night out with your mate or as expensive as a vacation. Just remember to keep that picture in your mind when the spending urge occurs. In fact, some people even put a reminder in their wallet or on their computer screen so they can’t help but think about that goal before they make a purchase.

How Do I Start a Savings Program?

Once you actually begin to accumulate some money, you’ll want to put it to work for you. In most cases, you’ll want something that’s safe, pays a reasonable return and allows you to add a small amount of money on a regular basis.

For Gayle, that probably means that she should pay off any debts first. She’ll get a guaranteed rate of return (the interest rate charged on her debt). And she can add as much money as she wants each month.

After that, it’s time to set aside some money for emergency expenses. That way, when an unexpected auto repair, home repair or medical bill pops up, it won’t end up on the credit card. Again, you’ll want your money to be safe, pay a reasonable return and allow you to add to it whenever you can. In most cases, that means you’ll be using a savings or credit union account, money market fund or certificate of deposit. The certificates don’t have as much flexibility but do pay a little better.

For most individuals, selecting a no-load mutual fund is the best choice. They’re really well-suited for the individual who has a little money to invest and doesn’t have the time or desire to study stocks. Many good funds will allow you to open an account with as little as $100 and add even $25 or $50 whenever you want. They do all the stock picking and record keeping. That’s pretty hard to beat for the small account. (See Do-It-Yourself Mutual Funds Investing for the Little Guy.)

Some people will want to pick the stocks themselves. And that’s fine. There are now several apps you can use to get started investing that will allow you to purchase very small amounts of stocks or funds. Stash and Acorn are just two examples of such an app.

Your other option is to wait until you’ve saved a reasonable amount to invest using a broker. Typically, it’s best if you can buy and sell stocks in multiples of 100 shares. And you really need to commit more than $100 when you make a selection. Even with the deep discount brokers offering trades less that $10, by the time you buy and then sell your shares, it could still total $20 for commissions. If you bought $100 worth of shares, you’d need to have a 14% appreciation just to cover the commissions. So you really should be thinking of a few hundred dollars or more when you buy individual stocks.

There you have it. A plan to help you find a few dollars that you can begin to accumulate to build wealth. We hope that Gayle finds some of those dollars and has a wonderful financial future.

Related:

• Pay Off Debts or Save First?
• 8 Key Points to Confident Investing
• How To Get Started Saving for Retirement in Your 20s, 30s and 40s
• Paying Down Credit Card Debt Faster
• Simple Steps to Reducing the Family Budget

Reviewed February 2024

About the Author

Gary Foreman is the former owner and editor of The Dollar Stretcher. He's the author of How to Conquer Debt No Matter How Much You Have and has been featured in MSN Money, Yahoo Finance, Fox Business, The Nightly Business Report, US News Money, Credit.com and CreditCards.com.