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#SavingsMonth: How to achieve a savings mindset

It’s often difficult to remain psychologically and mentally invested when it comes to saving for future goals. How does one stay motivated and remain on track?

Easy steps you can take

Tips to stay on track:

Name it

Make your savings goal specific and give it a name. It’s much harder to give up on a commitment to save for, say, “Sarah’s education” than on a generic savings plan.

Picture it

Imagine yourself reaching your goals and think about how this would make you feel. Create visual reminders – perhaps add photos to your fridge or create a vision board to keep you inspired.

Keep savings goals alive

Monitor how you’re doing, and occasionally check to see how close you are to your goal. Seeing progress can often be very motivating.

Track spending

Track and review your spending, so that you can move from the mindset of “I cannot afford to save” to taking control of where your money goes every month. Cutting down on a small expense like a daily cappuccino often adds up to enough money to kick-start savings.

Start small

Start with short-term savings, like an emergency fund. This is easier to commit to, as it has immediate value. Then build on that.

Maintain a long-term view

When saving over the long term, people often get rattled by short-term fluctuations. By their very nature, markets fluctuate and, in most cases, when your time horizon allows, your investment is likely to recover.

Name it

Make your savings goal specific and give it a name. It’s much harder to give up on a commitment to save for, say, “Sarah’s education” than on a generic savings plan.

Picture it

Imagine yourself reaching your goals and think about how this would make you feel. Create visual reminders – perhaps add photos to your fridge or create a vision board to keep you inspired.

Keep savings goals alive

Monitor how you’re doing, and occasionally check to see how close you are to your goal. Seeing progress can often be very motivating.

Track spending

Track and review your spending, so that you can move from the mindset of “I cannot afford to save” to taking control of where your money goes every month. Cutting down on a small expense like a daily cappuccino often adds up to enough money to kick-start savings.

Start small

Start with short-term savings, like an emergency fund. This is easier to commit to, as it has immediate value. Then build on that.

Maintain a long-term view

When saving over the long term, people often get rattled by short-term fluctuations. By their very nature, markets fluctuate and, in most cases, when your time horizon allows, your investment is likely to recover.

Partner with a credible financial adviser

Be sure to share all the key information about your current and desired financial situation, so your adviser can advise you holistically, and with your unique context in mind. They will also identify the gaps in your current financial plan and help you address these.

Sanlam Life is a Licensed Life Insurer, Financial Services and Registered Credit Provider (NCRCP43)

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Sanlam Financial Planner

Bernard Van Der Walt

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