How to Build a Savings Habit That Actually Sticks

The concept of saving money has always stumped me. Why does it seem effortless for one person and nearly impossible for another?

No matter how many compound interest charts you see, how much more money you're making, how many times you tell yourself it's going to be different this year, it just doesn't happen. At Girlboss, we talk about money a lot, and this is the question that comes up more than almost any other: not "how do I invest" or "what's the right budget ratio," but simply, "why can I not get myself to save?"

While there is no magic formula — no 50/30/20 ratios or lectures about avocado toast — what I can tell you is that we all save or don't save for different reasons. When you figure out what those reasons are, you're going to realize it has nothing to do with how much money you make or your self-control.

Then you can be kinder to yourself and give yourself permission to let go of those reasons you've been holding on to, creating new habits based around your values today and your goals for tomorrow.

Here are some guiding principles for how to start thinking about saving and build save-friendly habits that work for your life.

Pay Yourself First

This one may sound corny or trite, but it's how you need to think about your savings. You're not just setting money aside for a rainy day; you're literally paying yourself first. Or as one student in a recent workshop pointed out, you're paying your future self first.

One of the most important things to remember is that this doesn't have to be a huge amount. People tend to think "paying yourself first" means putting away hundreds of dollars every month. It doesn't. Paying yourself first is just the first of many gestures you make toward showing yourself you're building a new habit.

So choose an amount that's ridiculously manageable for you. Maybe that's $200 a month, or maybe that's $25 a month. Whatever that amount is, commit to it and treat it like a bill. Add it to your budget. Don't miss a payment.

Not sure how to structure the rest of your budget around it? This guide to automating your finances makes the whole system a lot easier to maintain once you've decided on the number.

Saving Is a Decision First, and Then a Habit

The next hardest part is keeping that money in your savings account. When you look at that $25, you're going to ask yourself, "What's the point?" After all, $25 feels very far away from your goal of three months' living expenses or even getting to $1,000. It's tempting to want to take that money out for a new shirt or a nice dinner instead.

You start doing the math and think, "It would take me three years to get to $1,000!" and that nice dinner you could have right now sounds so much more appealing.

This is why it's so critical to understand that saving is a decision you need to make every single month, especially in the beginning. It's going to feel completely unnatural, and you're mentally going to want to rebel. You have to choose to keep that money in your savings account every month, despite your brain trying to bargain with you to take it right back out.

Remember, you've spent years of your life not saving and most likely telling yourself you're just not good at it. It's going to take time and energy to undo that belief. That starts with deciding every single month that the $25, $50, or $200 stays put. It's the first step to truly taking control of your finances.

To Create a Savings Habit, You Also Need to Change Your Spending Habit

If you feel like you're living paycheck to paycheck, you're never going to feel like you can actually save. On the other hand, going from zero to saving half your income overnight is equally doomed to fail.

This is why it's important to have a full understanding of where your money is going and a commitment to changing your spending habits alongside your savings habits. First, figure out what your values are when it comes to spending. Then use a budgeting app to help you track and monitor the spending you want to cut back on.

Take the amount you want to cut back on and base your savings number on real figures, not optimistic guesses. And if looking at your money habits feels emotionally loaded — which it often does — understanding your money story first can make the numbers make a lot more sense.

Instead of Saving for a Thing, Save for a Feeling

It's easy to save for a thing. It might feel hard at the time, but you can buckle down for a few months to have enough for that camera, laptop, security deposit, vacation, whatever tangible goal you're heading toward. When you're saving for a thing, you know you're going to get to spend that money at some point.

It's much harder to save just to save.

While it takes more time to figure out what that feeling is, it also gives you a reason to not only save, but to actually have savings and become a saver. That might mean looking at your bigger picture first. This piece on reframing your money mindset is a useful companion to this one, especially if you've ever noticed that making more money doesn't automatically solve the saving problem.

Saving Is Not About the Results, It's About the Process

So many people say they'll start saving when "the tax refund comes in," or "the bonus lands," or some other windfall arrives. What inevitably happens is that by this time next year, the tax refund, the bonus, the windfall is completely gone again, and you're telling yourself the same story.

You want to feel like you're winning right away, so you wait for just the right moment to start. There will never be a "right" moment. Your brain will always find a way to convince you to wait for a better one.

What you have to remember is you're not doing this to win anything. You're not competing with anyone. There are no prizes or medals. You're doing this for you. No one else. And once it clicks — once saving feels like something you are rather than something you're trying to do — everything becomes easier. The money resolutions worth stealing this year are all built on that same shift.

The process is more important than the amount. Now is the best time to start.