by Mario Carini

Created on: June 12, 2010   Last Updated: June 13, 2010

Today's economic climate has many worried about the future. Job security is a thing of the past. The ability to pay off those endless bills is becoming harder to do. Inflation means that little to no money gets saved. And as more people worry about their finances, health begins to suffer and puts a greater crimp on the family budget.

Saving money may be harder than it used to be, but you don't have to throw in the towel and accept a lifetime of debt. Certainly food,  home repairs, transportation, insurance, mortgage loans and taxes take a large bite out of every budget, there are ways to save a dollar and still enjoy a safe and worry-free future. It requires careful attention to those money wasters and eliminate them before they begin to affect the standard of living. As money too easily slips through the fingers, some discipline is necessary.

Getting serious about savings starts with taking more control of what you spend. Spending comes easy, saving is harder. Control starts with having a plan that takes into account income and comparing that to what is spent. Without a budget, it's impossible to save enough to create a wealthy future. Here are a few effortless and simple ways you can save money.

Spare the Change. The temptation is too great to spend that loose change weighing down the nation's pockets, wallets and purses. Most of it is spent for that morning coffee, the newspaper and those chips at the vending machine. A far better idea is to empty that loose change into a piggy bank or jar at the end of each day. Once the jar is full, that change can be deposited into a savings account.

Automatic Deposit. To increase wealth and prosperity, money must work for you. Rather than have easy access to that money, a good alternative is to have some forced savings. An automatic deposit insures that a percentage (a good figure is 10%) of your salary goes directly to a high interest savings account that is not easy to withdraw from. The principle of “paying yourself first” is a good rule to keep in mind. Saving 10% may feel like a burden, but many who do it find they can live quite well without that 10%.

A Distant Savings Account

If it's too easy to access your money, one good method is to open a savings account in a bank in another part of town. If you have to travel to get there, you're unlikely to find the hassle worth it. Of course that ATM card is there for your convenience. But if you know your spending habits, you might want to cut it

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