Save Your Way to Millions

When I say that you can get rich (or rich enough) without lifting a finger, it probably sounds too good to be true.

But then again, you can opt for other ways that would sound more realistic that it may seem. You can boost your bottom line automatically, and control your finances too!

Here is an easy money-management system that actually works. There is a miracle at its center that will amaze you. In fact, it has already amazed many people when they have tried it themselves. Once you start down this road, you will wind up spending less and you will also wipe out your consumer debt and other financial burdens. In the end, you will be able to work on it in order to solve your way to millions.

The key to this system: Save more money.

However, there are people who may contend that it is such an impossible scheme. Some even insist that they are already living paycheck to paycheck.

The fact is you can indeed save more than what you are doing right now.

How? Have money automatically taken out of your paycheck or your bank account. Most of us spend whatever we have available in our checkbooks ñ and maybe a bit more. If you limit that amount, your spending will magically shrink to fit.

As a test run, try taking $10 out of what you have in your wallet each day. At the end of the month, your life would not change much, but you will now have a tidy $300 tucked away.

Try to repeat this technique over a year and you will have added about $7, 200 to your savings without ever noticing what you gave up. If $10 seems like too much, start with $5.

Your bank can set up automatic payments to a savings or investment account; or you can do it yourself through an online bank account.

Here is how to build wealth through automatic savings:

1. Eliminate your consumer debt

Credit card interest payments do not seem very large from month to month. But paying 15% on an $8,000 balance adds up to $1, 200 a year.

However, if you pay off the debt and add $1,200 to investments that earn an average of 8% a year, you will have $59,000 after 20 years and $149,000 after 30 years! That is a lot of money, indeed!

So, eliminate your debt as fast as you can using funds deducted from your checking or saving account.

To figure the highest monthly payment you can afford, use the financial calculator that is being provided by many sites available in the Internet today. And with timely, automatic payments on your credit cards, you will also avoid costly late fees.

2. Set up an emergency account

Move money automatically each month from your checking account into an account earmarked for unexpected expenses. Aim for a sum that will cover three monthsí worth of basics like mortgage, food, utilities, car payments, etc.

Once you have built this nest egg, you would not have to withdraw from long-term savings if crisis hits like you suddenly need something to compensate your hospital expenses. You can also use automatic savings for planned expenses such as holiday gifts or a vacation.

3. Check your companyís retirement plan

In the United States, there is an employer plan such as a 401(k) or 403(b), wherein your company will deduct a percentage of your income from each paycheck and invest the sum in your choice of instruments, which are mainly mutual funds.

In other countries, some big companies match employee investments to encourage savings, so if you invest more, you may receive more from your company.

4. Check out other options

If you are self-employed, you can set up a plan with a mutual fund company and make automatic contributions from your bank account. Or you can get a pension plan.

5. Pick the right investments

Saving money is just a start. You have to choose investments that will earn money over the long haul.

Look for a lifestyle mutual fund, which puts a portion of your money in diversified stocks and the other portion in bonds, and maintains a solid balance between the two.

Another good choice is a ìtarget retirementî fund. Its portfolio becomes more conservative as you approach retirement age.

With all these things in mind, there is no secret to building wealth. You need to live on less than you make and invest the surplus well. When you save and invest automatically, it is that much easier to reach your goals.