Saving money always feels hard before you get started, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.
It feels hard because right now you have no spare change and suddenly you’re looking at wanting or needing to know how to save 1000 in a month, regardless of your income.
That’s hard!
There is no doubt that people with money have more options to save. When you don’t have any left at the end of the month, it’s hard to come up with an easy solution that will work for you.
Every solution to save $1000 in a month is going to require making changes. Changes you might want to do but also changes that maybe you’re not so keen on.
It’s your choice. If you want to save $1000, fast or slow, you have to do something different to what you are currently doing. And that’s what we are talking about today. This article will give you some easy tips on how to save 1000 in a month if not a lot more.
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Why save $1000?
A $1000 emergency fund is a good start to prevent emergencies from becoming extra debt you can’t afford to have. Saving this amount can help prevent you from having to resort to using your credit cards to solve the problem.
Dave Ramsey recommends saving $1000 in an emergency fund as a starting point. Longer term you will want more like 3-6 months worth of living expenses saved up. But the first $1000 is the most important, and the hardest.
What is an emergency fund?
An emergency fund is money that you put away so it can be used in case of an unforeseen event. It’s to cover unexpected expenses, expenses you could not and did not foresee happening e.g. medical bills or a job loss.
Why should you have an emergency fund?
If you are in a rough spot financially, an emergency fund can help prevent you from having to resort to using your credit cards. This is the last thing that you want to happen when things go wrong because you don’t want extra debt being added to your problems when you’re in that rough spot.
Related post: Emergency Fund Examples: 23 (Unexpected) Reasons Why You Need One
The Importance Of Saving Money For Your Future
The future you, perhaps in 30 or 40 years time needs the present you to save for them. They don’t want to be working when they could be retired. Nor do they want to be just existing on social security.
We often have a voice in our heads that encourages us to spend money (because we deserve to?), even though we know it’s not wise or the the thing in question is not even necessary. It can be a tough battle to fight. Treat yourself now or treat yourself many years in the future.
This fight becomes easier when you reframe the battle and realize that every dollar saved now will help ensure a more prosperous future for yourself and those around you.
It doesn’t matter if it’s just $1 or $100 dollars – anyone with an urge to spend should remember all the reasons why they need to save instead of spending.
Related post: 7 Reasons Why Saving Money Is So Important
What is a good amount of savings per month?
The correct answer is, it depends! But you knew I would say that didn’t you? Some people can save $500 per month, while others save closer to $1,000. And many others who are on a low income, saving $100 a month is a great achievement.
A good amount of savings per month for you is the amount you can manage on a regular basis without ending up living on rice and beans or feeling completely deprived. It’s best to start small and build your savings as you get better at finding ways to save more.
how to save $1000 in a month? FAQs
How can I save $1000 fast?
The goal is to save $1000 in one month, and the process involves identifying your spending habits and cutting down on them.
You’ll also want to make a new budget, one that accounts for an extra $1000 to be put away into your savings account. Following all the simple tricks below will free up your much needed extra cash.
How can I save $1000 a month?
There are a few ways to save money. If you’re not sure how much you can afford to spend on your monthly expenses, start by splitting your budget into three categories: essentials, wants, and savings.
Anything that is a want, press pause on right now. After all, it’s not essential is it? When you want to save 1000 fast, that becomes your primary goal and must take priority over everything else.
Just pressing pause on all your ‘want’ spending could mean you save $1000 a month, every month.
How can I save $1000 in 3 months?
Saving $1000 in three months can still be a daunting task, especially when you may not have a lot of extra cash to spare. If you’ve not saved anything before then learning how to save 1000 in a month can be a real challenge.
Saving $1000 in 3 months eases you into the saving money mode and helps you change your habits a little more slowly (but just as effectively).
How to save $1000 in a month chart – free challenge tracker
Learning how to save 1000 in a month, 2 months or even 3 months is a challenge for anyone who hasn’t done it before. Because right now you are spending all your income and now you’re challenging yourself to spend $1000 less.
Challenges always work better when you can track your progress. Having a visual check point to see how much you have in your saving account so far and how much further you have to reach your financial goal is so helpful.
That’s why I’ve created a free how to save 1000 in a month chart tracker. You can print it out and keep track of your savings goal so easily with it.
Grab your copy from my free resource library.
How to save 1000 in a month for starters
Saving 1000 in a month is not impossible (unless you earn less than 1000 a month). It’s not even difficult, when you know how. It’s simply a matter of spending less than you earn. So, how can you save 1000 in a month?
get positive about your savings challenge
Being positive about your savings challenge is half the battle. Especially if you need to save 1000 in just a month because you’ve got a big bill coming up. Saving money because you have to can turn into a negative fest very quickly.
Flip it on it’s head and get on the positivity train about this challenge. Talk the challenge up, focus on how great you will feel when you achieve your goal. Think and talk about the things you are doing to save money in a positive way.
It’s not: “I can’t go out because I can’t afford it“, no it’s “I’m not coming out because I want to achieve my goal”.
Change your money habits
If you are someone who pulls out their credit card on a too regular basis then it’s time to change the habit. Your credit card needs to stay firmly in your wallet, indeed try leaving it at home. The same goes for your debit card more often than not.
Saving money is more about how often you don’t spend, rather than what you save when you do. Going to the grocery store 3 times a week will cost you more money than if you visit only the once.
If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you always get.
Change is good when it comes to money and your money habits.
Stop spending unconsciously
A lot of people spend money out of habit. But, when you make the effort to keep track of your spending and identify where you can cut back or increase your savings, then you’ll save a significant amount in no time flat.
Take a good hard look at your finances. Do you usually look? Start now. Track what you are spending and how much. What spending patterns can you see? Are you spending money because you are tired, stressed or bored? Time to stop and do something different.
You can also track when you don’t spend. Think of it as a no-spend tracker. This is for when you were going to spend but you stopped yourself and thought better of it. Understanding these also increases your knowledge of unconscious spending habits.
Related posts:
How To Stop Spending Money On Unnecessary Things You Don’t Need
How To Stop Spending Money: 12 Tips You Need
How to stop spending money on clothes: 10 Simple Tips for Success
9 practical tips to save $1000 in a month
Saving money is possible if you want to and are willing to put in the work. Here are 9 simple tricks that will help you save $1000 in less than a month, and give you peace of mind throughout the year.
1. go extreme on your food budget
There are many easy and quick ways to save money by shopping smarter at the grocery store and simple changes you can make at home to free up extra cash.
Your grocery budget is often the most flexible part of your whole budget and varies enormously between people and families, countries and states. And that’s without factoring in food allergies and diet programs.
set up a Meal plan
Figure out what meals you’re going to make that week and buy the ingredients for those, rather than buying on a whim. Keep your grocery shopping to what you need to buy in order to make the meals for the week. Nothing more. Check out my post on meal planning on a budget for more help.
If you would prefer a done for your meal planning service then there are some really cheap and helpful services available.
Using a meal planning service is the perfect solution if you are not ready to do it yourself just yet. And for a few dollars a month they can save you money if you know you invariably end up buying dinner on your way home every week.
Use a shopping list
It may seem obvious, but buy only what you need when grocery shopping and nothing more. It’s so easy to add extra’s to your trolley ‘just in case’ but your meal plan will tell you what you need. Stick to the list!
Use coupons
Coupons are a great way to buy what you need and save money. There’s coupons for everything from food, beauty products, clothes…you name it! But only use a coupon where it is saving you money over what you would usually spend.
Related post: How To Use Coupons effectively Without Going Extreme
Check out the specials
At the end of every month or week, grocery stores offer a range of specials to clear out stock. After Christmas or Easter are great times to buy turkeys and other meats that the store want rid of to make way for other items.
You can also save good money by shopping the clearance aisles. Grocery stores can reduce fresh produce by up to 90% when the best before date is fast approaching. You can safely freeze these bargains and factor them in to next week’s meal plan to boost your savings.
Go generic
Try to avoid buying premium brands and instead buy their cheaper counterparts. The store’s own brand or another value brand may taste different, but it doesn’t make it worse. Just different. Generic brands can be up to 400% cheaper than the premium branded equivalent.
Order your groceries online to avoid temptation in store
If you order your groceries online, you will be able to avoid the temptation of buying unnecessary items in stores. You will save more than the delivery charge by staying out of the store.
Checking your online order also helps you identify if you’ve forgetten anything as it’s easy to compare against your shopping list. And you can keep spending in check by monitoring your spending total.
Use cash only
Set your grocery budget then draw out the full amount in cash. Spend only this cash on all your groceries. You’ll find using cash is wonderful for concentrating your mind and it’s that bit harder to part with your cash rather than swiping your credit card.
2. reduce your utilities costs
Your utility bills might feel like fixed costs but they’re not. Sure they happen every month but you have control over how much electricity you use, how much gas or oil you use.
Firth things first – see if you can change provider or reduce your actual energy prices. Energy prices have gone through the roof recently so you want to be on the cheapest plan (if there is such a thing).
Call your provider, use a comparison website, do whatever research you need to do to make sure you are getting the best deal for your home and area.
Next, look at ways to reduce your utility bills. For instance, you can cut your electrcity costs by:
- turning down the thermostat
- switching off lights
- using
power strips to turn appliances and gadgets off - buy and use top rated energy efficient appliances
For more help in reducing your electricity bills check out these posts:
How To Keep Your House Warm In Winter And Save Money
How To Save Electricity Doing Absolutely Nothing
The more you use of something, whether that’s gas, water or electricity, the more it will cost. So reducing consumption all round is not only good for your wallet, it’s also good for the environment.
3. wait to spend or buy
There are many benefits to telling yourself “not now, but later” and it’s your willpower that helps you stick to that plan. Willpower is your willingness and ability to make choices today (which include saying no to yourself) in favor of your long-term goals.
If you see something you like press pause on the impulse, don’t give in and buy straight away. Impulse purchases can be bad because they take away your willpower and stop you achieving your goals.
Instead wait for at least 72 hours to see if you really needed that item. You’ll probably find it was just a want, not a need and the impulse to buy it has passed.
You can also use the 30 day rule for bigger items to make sure buying it really does make financial sense.
What is the 30 day rule?
The 30 day rule is very simple. If you see something you want, wait 30 days before you buy it. Keep the money in your bank account. The point of using the 30 day rule is to make you think carefully about whether you really want the item in question.
By waiting 30 days you will either really, really want the item, or the impulse to buy it will have vanished. At which point you can save money you would have spent instead.
4. make payday savings happen
To save 1000 in a month, you need to start right away. As soon as you get paid, set aside your savings. Put them in a separate savings account, out of reach of your impulse to spend. As the saying goes:
Out of sight, out of mind.
If you are wanting to save $1000 a month, every month then set up an automated payment for each payday to transfer the money out of your checking account and into your savings account.
Related post: What’s The Point Of Having A Savings Account These Days?
5. create an end goal to focus on
What are you saving $1000 for? Be very clear about your why. Why you want or need to save $1000. Knowing your why helps you be clear about the task and be willing to do what it takes to achieve this goal of yours.
Related posts:
9 Short Term Financial Goals To Set For Success
6 Medium Term Financial Goals You Should Have
11 Long Term Financial Goals You Should Have
6. stop eating out
Eating out, going to the Drive Thru or picking up a meal from your local restuarant will cost much more money than cooking from scratch at home. It’s very rare that you can pick up food for $1 a portion, but it’s pretty easy to make food for that price, if not less.
Eating out you can easily spend $50 on a meal for two people. Whereas, with some budgeting you could make that $50 last all week if you spend it at the grocery store. What a difference!
Think of it like this: if you usually spend $300 a month on eating out, that could be $300 saved immediately.
7. make more money
Sometimes we get so fixed on the idea of saving money that we forget to earn more money. It’s important to remember that you can’t save without earning, and a side hustle doesn’t have to cost any money at all.
The best way to start saving money is by learning how you can make more of it. For instance, what if you could turn your hobby into a creative side hustle?
There are several options on the market today that allow people to sell their skills online and get paid for doing so, Etsy, Ebay and Facebook Marketplace for starters.
Not sure where to start? Check these free trainings that can propel you to earn big money on the side.
Become a proofreader – sign up for this FREE 76 minute workshop to find out more
Become a Virtual Assistant – grab your copy of this FREE ebook detailing 150+ services you can offer as a VA
Freelance writer – download this FREE list of 200+ writing niches to identify what you can get paid to write about
Selling on Amazon – sign up for this FREE email course on everything you need to know about selling on Amazon
Become a transcriptionist – sign up for this FREE 7 lesson mini course on how to become a transcriptionist
Related posts:
How To Make 300 Dollars Fast: 30 Proven Ways To Make Money
40 Amazing Ways For Teens And Kids To Make Money
The Best Work From Home Jobs When You Need Flexibility
8. Don’t let sales tempt you
Don’t let sales tempt you. You can save a lot of money by not buying things you don’t need or want. The secret to saving money is not just about cutting costs and going without, but also becoming more conscious of your spending habits.
Sales are pure temptation so try to avoid then if you can. Don’t window shop, don’t go to the mall for entertainment and unsubscribe from all those emails you get with enticing offers.
9. Think about what the real cost is of each item
In order to save money, think about the life cost of everything you buy. Think about what the real value is of your time and how much an item costs in terms of your life.
What I mean is, if something costs you $50 to buy, how much of your life have you given to pay for the $50. How long did it take you to earn it? And therefore, was that $50 item worth that many hours of your life?
Maybe, maybe not.
I got this diamond advice from one of my favorite books of all time –
Try calculating the cost-to-life ratio for anything you are buying. It will help you gain control over your finances and make decisions in a more realistic, thoughtful manner.
For more help with understanding your finances, these books are my go to favorites.
The Best Personal Finance Books
These are best personal finance books I recommend to anyone who wants to grow their knowledge and take control of their money. Try and buy a used copy - it's good money sense!
Clever Girl Finance: Ditch debt, save money and build real wealth
The perfect book for beginners focused on women. Women tend to earn less and live longer. We need to know how to manage our own money.
The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
The 7 baby steps to a total makeover of your money and your ability to manage it. Get out of debt and build your savings.
Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together (Broke Millennial Series)
Written by a millennial for the millennial. A beginners guide with a strong emphasis on the mental aspect of managing your finances.
Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence
This book changed my relationship with money forever. Focused on achieving financial independence (work becomes optional).
Is saving a thousand dollars a month good?
You’re awesome! You deserve to save money, and you can do it too. Saving a thousand dollars is a great achievement regardless of your income. If you haven’t yet hit your $1000 target, don’t give up because you’ve come this far so keep going till you hit your goal.
Learning how to save 1000 dollars in a short space of time is a challenge for anyone. You’ve made some great new habits this month so why not continue with them and see where you end up?
Start taking back control of your money by grabbing your copy of the Money Saving Starter Guide today.
Come and follow me on Pinterest for more money saving hints and frugal tips!
Last Updated on 28th November 2021 by Emma
