Automation, The Key to Saving!

The simplest way to save money is not to spend it. That statement seems pretty obvious, right? The challenge to us mere mortals (as opposed to the folks who write for magazines devoted to this topic) is that it presumes we will take our paycheck and apportion a part of it to a savings account. Unfortunately, the mere mortal is not so rational. He is much better at short-term happiness than long-term planning. Given the choice of spending or saving he almost always opts for the former. So, what to do?


Enter Automation, the key to saving! Automation is the little cousin of Direct Deposit. With DD, your paycheck moves from your employer's hands into a personal bank account where you can write checks to pay bills and so much more. This same concept can be taken one important step further and it's a very important step, indeed. Here's what my wife and I are doing with our money since we automated our savings. This takes all of about one hour from start to finish:

• First, we set-up four online savings accounts with ING. We gave them names like household, automobile, personal loan and vacation. Each of these accounts receives a monthly deposit from our personal checking account. Money in an online account typically makes a higher interest rate and it's a little more difficult to get to your money – which I think is good!
• A year ago, we set-up two other accounts with ING, one labeled "Scott" and another "Beth". These are for our personal use, meaning I can spend money on ITunes or a ukulele without disturbing the family money. The goal here is to stop those delightful financial arguments before they can start!
• Lastly, we set-up an automatic deposit for our IRA. Just like the above examples, a pre-determined deposit moves from personal checking into our TD Waterhouse account.

There are as many ways to use automation as there are needs and wants, so sit down and make a list of what you often find yourself NOT having enough money for every year. For example, are you always short at Christmas? When it comes time to replacing your car? With automation, you are taking the time tested "envelope technique" and using today's technology to keep it out of reach and there for you when you need it. Good luck!