We already know that the first step to achieving financial independence is to have enough money invested to generate income that covers all our expenses. But what is the first step to being able to invest ?
Save.
And what is the first step to saving? Spend less! And this is what we are going to talk about in this blog, how to save more money each month with 7 simple and quick tricks .
How much do Spaniards save monthly?
Let's take a look at how much we Spaniards save on average per month...
We can see that people under 35 save an average of 265 euros per month . With this average savings, it is really difficult to get money to invest in our beloved index funds, or even in housing, right?
It is widely acknowledged that savings not only play a crucial role in investment opportunities, but are also essential for establishing emergency funds . These funds have become even more relevant in the context of current times, characterized by their uncertainty.
Such financial management, adopted by successful individuals in the financial field, highlights the importance of implementing appropriate strategies to manage money effectively.
Another interesting fact that we have is that during crises and recessions it has been shown that family savings increase substantially, increasing by up to 50% .
Why does this happen? Well, because it is clear that we are emotional animals and the better things are going in our environment and the more euphoria there is, the more we tend to make impulsive and emotional decisions and spend on things that we do not need and that do not provide us with much value.
Personally, I try to dedicate myself to saving and then invest at least 40% of my monthly income , always trying to keep this figure close to 50%, so let's see which 7 tricks help me save more.
That said… Let’s get to the 7 keys to saving money fast!
✨ The 24 Hour Rule: Avoiding Impulse Purchases
The first trick I personally use and that works very well for me is that when I find something I want to buy, instead of getting carried away by emotion, I wait 24 hours. This way I finish thinking about it and settling it down and I plan to buy it the next day.
I do this because it has been shown in various studies that shopping generates dopamine in the brain that leads us to make these impulsive decisions, but what the studies have also shown is that dopamine is released in our brain not when we buy it, but when we imagine buying it beforehand.
If I still want to buy it the next day in a rational way, it will be because I really need it and it will provide me with the value I was looking for. This trick, this nonsense of waiting 24 hours, may seem like nonsense, but I assure you that if you implement it, it can save you a lot of money in the long run.
Financial Guides
How to organize Family Budget | What is Financial Frugality | How to Save Money with 1000 euros | How to Inherit a Mutual/Index Fund | How to Create an Emergency Fund | What are Inverse Index Funds | Index Fund vs ETF | Index Funds Bubble | Investing During Recession
✨ Reverse Valuation: The Real Cost of Buying
The second trick I employ is pretty simple, but incredibly effective. When I feel the urge to purchase something, I play with a reverse perspective: What would I rather have? Being given the cash amount of the item I want or receiving the item itself?
If, after calm reflection, I lean towards the money rather than the object, I decide not to make the purchase. It's as if I'm actually being rewarded for saving. This subtle psychological approach helps me avoid impulse purchases , which when added together can amount to hundreds of euros a month or even thousands a year.
I also tried to imagine the cost of the thing I want to buy between the use I want to give it, that is, imagine a pair of shoes that you are only going to wear 3 times and they cost 100 euros . I try to imagine if I would really pay 33 euros each time I want to wear them , because that is the real value I am going to pay to buy them.
✨ Cost in hours worked: Value your time
The third trick I use is to imagine how many hours I need to work to pay for what I want to buy. For example, and especially when I was younger and studying, I liked to have a coffee and a sandwich in the cafeteria that ended up costing me about 5 euros .
I started bringing my food from home when I realized that, with what I earned refereeing basketball games during the weekends, I needed to work almost an hour to cover the cost of that coffee and sandwich. With that salary of 15 euros for two hours, I quickly became discouraged from spending on those small pleasures.
It may sound trivial, but by adopting this perspective, we automatically look for more efficient alternatives that give us the same satisfaction. This helps us reconsider expenses , even when, financially, we are in a position to afford them.
✨ Gamification of savings: Rewards for saving
An effective trick to encourage us to save is to give ourselves a “trophy” every time we choose not to spend and save instead. It’s a form of gamification, similar to what video games do to keep us hooked. If it works in those contexts, why not here?
This means that every time we decide not to spend money on something in order to save it, we take that money and send it to a separate exclusive savings account that we will later use to invest.
In this way we will be able to add something extra to our savings and investments every time we decide not to spend on something we don't really need.
✨ Future projection: The potential of each euro saved
My next trick to strengthen my saving discipline is to project the future value of my expenses. For example, instead of spending 5 euros on a Starbucks Frappuccino , I think about those 5 euros invested in the long term , such as in the SP500 with a 7% return.
Those 5 euros could be 53 euros in 35 years . When I ask myself if paying 53 euros for that frappuccino is worth it, I usually decide not to. If you want to know more tricks like the ones we are telling you, you can check out in-depth savings and investment strategies, where you will find more tools to manage your finances effectively.
✨ Detailed expense control: The Fintonic tool
The penultimate trick to save more money is, as I always tell you, to keep a detailed record of all your expenses. From the first euro to the last. I know I repeat this a lot, but I assure you that 90% of people do not control their expenses.
✨ Boost your income: Improve professionally
The last trick to boost your savings is obviously to increase your income . Whether it's by getting a pay raise , gaining more recognition in your position, acquiring new skills every month, or even creating a source of passive income.
