Hi Everybody,
As I take in the joy of the holiday season and the excitement of the new year, I have been considering how important it is to set goals that keep us motivated. This fall, I took an incredible solo trip to Alaska where I fed my passion for travel by exploring new terrain, admiring wildlife and experiencing unique cultures and cuisines. Personal finances are one of the most important things to consider when planning a trip like that and I would like to share some simple savings tactics that helped me fund my passion and can help you too!
One of my good friends has two very intelligent sons who were interested in attending private colleges despite my friend’s hope that they would save money by attending state schools. When he expressed his concerns to his wife, she surprised him by telling him that when their sons were babies, she began putting five dollars away each day to save for their college education. On top of this, each time her or my friend would receive a raise or a bonus at work, they would put that money away knowing that their current lifestyle would not change, so the bonus money could be saved for something bigger later—like college. So, my friend’s sons were able to attend their desired colleges thanks to a huge boost from their wise mom who began saving money for them so early.
Now, $5 doesn’t seem like much on paper, but consider putting away $5 every day for one year. After that year, you’ll have $1,825 saved up. If you receive extra cash on your birthday or during the holidays and put that away too, you’ll likely have more than $2,000 saved! Even if you put away just $2 a day, you’ll have over $700 saved money after one year and you’ll notice that you can still afford your daily, weekly and monthly expenses without that $2 or $5.
It is never too late to start saving money! Our team at MVCU is here to assist members of all ages with their savings goals. All you need is to identify something that will motivate you to save! Maybe you have a passion for travel, like me, or maybe you’ve been dying to sit in the front row at your favorite band’s concert, or maybe it’s buying that Peloton bike to help with your fitness goals. Whatever your passion is, identify it. Hold on to it. Remind yourself that it is attainable! And then use that as your motivation!
Building good habits takes time, but it’s much easier knowing that saving a few dollars each day brings you closer to realizing your passion.
Thank you so much for being a member of our credit union family. Have a wonderful holiday and a safe and happy new year!
