It’s a few days into the New Year and while many have already broken their New Year resolutions here I am talking about one that is probably even more important than losing those pesky 10 (okay 20) pounds: getting financially fit. For most of us, broke is the new normal and frugality is all the rage. Still, there ARE those pesky last 10 (ok, ok 20) pounds, so to speak. Maybe we’ve cut costs, done the extreme couponing thing, and hopefully eliminated debt (sometimes painfully) but for many of us when you are living pay-check-to-paycheck (or in the case of some, on future paycheck-to-future-paycheck! Oy! Payday loans=very bad) the final frontier of financial austerity is squirreling away those extra (right…) dollars for an even rainier day (yes, it could get worse…European debt crisis…ever heard of it?). Here are a 3 ways to make saving as easy as, well, you know….

1. Pay yourself first and last: You probably have heard that you should pay yourself first if you want to save. If you are a spreadsheet queen on an iron-tight budget, maybe you already know this magic number you can afford to sock away and never touch but if you are like most of us you really only have a vague idea of what this number is and it’s not that impressive. So give yourself a pat on the back if you have one of those $25 automatic transfers into your savings account once a month but that just ain’t gonna cut it. Doing this every pay period is getting closer but here’s what will really build your savings fast: put $50 into savings at the beginning of every pay period (if you are paid biweekly, $25 if you are paid weekly) from your new direct deposit or check plus everything that was left over from the last check. That is truly living paycheck-to-paycheck! Forget there was any left over from the previous pay period until some appliance inevitably breaks down (it’s been in my experience that they can sense any financial gain).
2. Save that tax refund:  Be honest, you usually blow it on crap you don’t need….
3. Deposit your coupons: If you are a coupon user, deposit the amount you save into your savings account. Besides actually saving that money instead of engaging in trade-offs (you know, I saved $20 on coupons, so now I can afford Starbucks?) or leaving it in the kitty to be slowly spent on other things, this serves as a tangible way of  keeping score. Too busy to total the savings each shopping trip yourself? No need, the store does it for you. Most stores put your savings at the bottom of the receipt. Yes I know that includes club savings, all the better for your bottom line.

These are just a few quick and dirty ways to save. Maybe you have a better way that works in your household? Sharing is caring  (but best served with a side of kindness, please hold the judgement).