- Author: Patti C. Wooten Swanson
The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. (Chinese proverb)
Small Step:Invest* $5 a day in a retirement account
When budgets are tight, how do YOU "find" the money to invest?
Listen to the Lunch Hour Latte Investing for Your Future, a Rutgers Cooperative Extension self-study program, rec
ommends 10 ways to "find" money to invest:
1. Pay yourself first. Set up automatic contributions from your paycheck or checking account to a savings or investment plan. (You won’t miss it if you never see it!)
2. Save bonus money, or unexpected money, such as tax refunds, gift money, overtime pay, rebates, or refunds.
3. When you “save” money by shopping with coupons, deposit it in a savings account or money market mutual fund to invest.
4. After an installment loan is repaid, continue making the loan payments to yourself.
5. Collect your loose change daily and
periodically take it to the bank for deposit.
6. Pack your lunch and save the money you would have been spent eating out.
7. Buy items on sale and save the difference in the original and sale prices.
8. Plan a “Nothing” week or month—cut out all unnecessary spending and save the money you would have spent on eating out, entertainment, or other optional expenses.
9. Avoid interest and other charges for using credit; pay off credit cards monthly. If you have accounts with high interest charges, “save” by paying them off as quickly as possible.
10. Break expensive habits, or even reduce the frequency of purchase, to yield dollars to invest.
It all adds up...for a secure retirement.
