Finally hit my emergency fund goal after 11 months of picking up weekend shifts

I had been trying to save $5,000 for emergencies for like 2 years, but kept dipping into it for random car repairs and vet bills. So last January I started working Saturday mornings at a local restaurant and put every single tip straight into a separate savings account. Did anyone else find that separating the money physically made it way harder to touch?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jordan1mo ago

Did you read that book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear? He talks about how separating your money into different accounts is like making it harder to do the wrong thing. I did the same thing with a separate checking account for my car fund. It really works because you have to make a conscious choice to transfer money out, which makes you stop and think twice before spending. Kept my savings safe for almost a year now just by having that extra step.

john65029d ago

That "conscious choice" part is the real key, not just the account setup. It's like how I have to put my phone in another room to stop myself from scrolling at night. Once you add a speed bump between impulse and action, you realize how many bad habits are just autopilot. People think willpower is the answer, but it's way easier to just make the wrong thing slightly harder to do. Same reason I stopped buying junk food when I started paying in cash instead of tapping my card.