How to Replenish Your Savings

This past year has been very rough on finances and most people have used savings to get by. Using emergency funds to survive prolonged unemployment, an unexpected large expense or a medical emergency is the best way to make it through financial hardship. If your savings are depleted, though, it’s best to start rebuilding as soon as possible.

Here’s how:

Set a goal

Before getting started on saving up money, establish a tangible goal. You can try to recover the value of the savings lost or start smaller, with a more attainable goal. Bear in mind that experts recommend having funds to cover three to six months’ worth of living expenses set aside in an emergency fund or savings account.

Trim your spending

A good place to start finding extra dollars for saving is by reviewing your spending for ways to cut back. Look for expenses that can make a difference in a monthly budget without dramatically affecting the quality of life.

Find a side hustle

A great way to land extra funds is to find a side job that doesn’t require a major investment of time. Some options include taking surveys on sites like Swagbucks and doing gig work for companies like Uber and Lyft.

Sell your old treasures

Turn forgotten treasures into moneymakers by selling them online. You can sell old clothing on ThredUp, unwanted jewelry on Worthy.com, and unused sports equipment on Swap Me Sports. Use the cash earned from these sales to jumpstart your new nest egg.

Make a plan

Once you have a goal in place and you’ve maximized monthly contributions toward savings, it’s time to create a plan. Map out a timeline of how long it’ll take to reach your goal when putting away as much as possible each month. Remember: The more aggressively you save now, the sooner you’ll reach your goal.

Start saving

The best way to ensure that putting money into savings each month actually happens is to make it automatic. You can set up an automatic monthly transfer from your CSE Checking Account, or any checking account, to your CSE Savings Account on a designated day of the month. Give us a call to discuss your options.

Put unexpected windfalls in savings

To speed up the process of rebuilding depleted savings, you may want to resolve to put unexpected windfalls into an emergency fund or savings account. This can include tax refunds, a work bonus, and gift money.

Rebuilding depleted savings isn’t easy, but the security of having a safety cushion to get you through a financial setback will make it well worth the effort.

To learn more, head to our SMART Financial Education Center for an interactive module on Savings, tailored just for you!