How to Save $500 in 3 Months — How Do You C.U. (2024)

Jun 15

How to Save $500 in 3 Months

Saving $500 dollars can be challenging. In college, I always had 3 jobs at any given time and still found myself getting “Below $100” alerts for my checking account with no cushion. When someone asked me if I had a savings account, I wistfully recalled the last $90 I had saved in it when I was 19 and quickly spent it on college expenses. I had no idea where all my money was going.

Five years later and I’m finding myself with a comfortable savings account with my credit union and I couldn’t be happier to have a fund for emergency situations. I know those funds will also grow and turn into a down payment for my first home.

If your financial struggle is anything like mine, here’s what you can do to jump start saving $500 in 3 months.

1. Open a savings account. My entire deposits went straight into my checking account. Big mistake. As it turned out, I had terrible financial discipline.

What I did: Put $5 in a savings account with my credit union. You have to start somewhere! It enabled me to feel like I could keep saving.

What you can do: Open a savings account today!

2. Create a budget plan. Line up all of your monthly expenses, including the average cost spent on gas and groceries.


What I did: Took advantage of my credit union’s budgeting tools and found $200 a month--$100 per paycheck—that I could comfortably save.

What you can do: Get on the budgeting track and start your own system for smart spending.

3. Get rid of one frivolous expense. It’s fun to have the latest technology and monthly subscription treats (hello, Ipsy), but what can you live without?

What I did: Looked at all of my monthly subscriptions and tried the “30-Day Challenge”. If I could live without it for 30 days, I found it wasn’t that important to keep spending money on it. Because of this challenge, I eliminated cable and saved $50 a month.

What you can do: Talk to your s/o, kids, or roommate about what you consider a “guilty pleasure” and see if you can complete the 30-Day Challenge.

4. Set a savings goal. After you save $500, how will you use it? Get together and make a plan for the money you worked hard to save.

What I did: Saving money felt so great that our family kept going and doubled it. We averaged the cost for most large vehicle repairs ($800-$1,000) and decided to dedicate the savings for vehicle emergencies.

How to Save $500 in 3 Months — How Do You C.U. (2)

What you can do: Split up your savings goals! Talk about how you want to use your savings. Consider investments, like CDs or Holiday Savings accounts, or plan a trip in one year to use with a small portion of what you’ve saved.

How can you save $500 in three months? Share your saving tips in the comments below!

How to Save $500 in 3 Months  — How Do You C.U. (2024)

FAQs

How to Save $500 in 3 Months — How Do You C.U.? ›

If you wanted to save $1,000 in three months, for example, you'd need to save roughly $84 per week. That timeline can also provide you an opportunity to invest in a high-yielding time deposit account.

How can I save $500 quickly? ›

8 ways to save money quickly
  1. Change bank accounts. ...
  2. Be strategic with your eating habits. ...
  3. Change up your insurance. ...
  4. Ask for a raise—or start job hunting. ...
  5. Consider a side hustle. ...
  6. Take advantage of a credit card that offers rewards. ...
  7. Switch up your transportation habits. ...
  8. Cancel subscriptions you don't really need or use.

How to save an extra $500 a month? ›

15 Ways To Save An Extra $500 Per Month
  1. Use A Cash Back Reward Credit Card For All Spending. ...
  2. Use Spending Tricks To Boost Savings. ...
  3. Use Online Saving Tricks For Stuff You Already Do. ...
  4. Get Rebates For All Online Shopping. ...
  5. Drop The Gym Membership. ...
  6. Get Organized. ...
  7. Buy Used And Sell Used. ...
  8. Compare Prices On Everything.
Nov 9, 2023

How to save up $1,000 in 3 months? ›

If you wanted to save $1,000 in three months, for example, you'd need to save roughly $84 per week. That timeline can also provide you an opportunity to invest in a high-yielding time deposit account.

How to save $1,000 in 30 days? ›

11 Easy Ways to Save $1,000 in 30 Days
  1. Create a Budget. ...
  2. Automate Your Savings. ...
  3. Create a Savings Bingo Sheet. ...
  4. Negotiate Your Bills. ...
  5. Separate Wants From Needs. ...
  6. Plan Your Meals. ...
  7. Buy Generic Brands. ...
  8. Cancel Unnecessary Subscriptions.
Sep 26, 2023

How to save $500 in 3 months? ›

How to Save $500 in 3 Months
  1. Open a savings account. My entire deposits went straight into my checking account. ...
  2. Create a budget plan. Line up all of your monthly expenses, including the average cost spent on gas and groceries. ...
  3. Get rid of one frivolous expense. ...
  4. Set a savings goal.
Jun 15, 2017

How to save $5000 in 100 days? ›

The 100-envelope challenge is pretty straightforward: You take 100 envelopes, number each of them and then save the corresponding dollar amount in each envelope. For instance, you put $1 in “Envelope 1,” $2 in “Envelope 2,” and so on. By the end of 100 days, you'll have saved $5,050.

How to save $300 in 1 month? ›

10 Tips for Saving $300 in 30 Days
  1. Skip drive-thru coffee and fast-food lunches. ...
  2. Do an audit of all your bills. ...
  3. Cut the cord(s). ...
  4. Cancel memberships and subscriptions you don't need. ...
  5. Set up an automatic transfer from checking to savings. ...
  6. Sell stuff.

What if I save $1,000 a month? ›

If you earn this 10% average annual return over a full two decades while putting in $1,000 per month during that entire time, you could end up with a nest egg of $687,306.72. Now, you may be thinking that $1,000 a month for 20 years is a lot of money -- and you're right.

Is saving $500 a month good? ›

The short answer to what happens if you invest $500 a month is that you'll almost certainly build wealth over time. In fact, if you keep investing that $500 every month for 40 years, you could become a millionaire. More than a millionaire, in fact.

What is the $1000 a month rule? ›

One example is the $1,000/month rule. Created by Wes Moss, a Certified Financial Planner, this strategy helps individuals visualize how much savings they should have in retirement. According to Moss, you should plan to have $240,000 saved for every $1,000 of disposable income in retirement.

How can I save a lot of money in 3 months? ›

How to save money fast: 17 tips to grow your savings
  1. Learn to budget and understand your finances. ...
  2. Get out of debt. ...
  3. Create a designated savings account. ...
  4. Automate your savings. ...
  5. Automate your bills. ...
  6. Put a spending limit on your card. ...
  7. Use the envelope budgeting system. ...
  8. Cut back on rent.
Aug 12, 2022

How to save $1000 in 90 days? ›

Now that you've been saving for 35 days, you should have a good handle on how you'll be able to save on a regular basis. To hit your $1,000 savings goal in 90 days, you'll need to save $75 each week from week 6 through week 13. At the end of the 90 days, you'll be a rockstar with a $1,000 emergency fund.

What if I save $20 dollars a day? ›

Setting aside $20 a day could help you save $1 million for retirement—if you start early. Saving $1 million or more for retirement may seem like an intimidating goal, but the process doesn't have to feel overwhelming.

How to save up $10,000 fast? ›

6 steps to save $10,000 in a year
  1. Evaluate income and expenses. To make room for saving, you'll need a meticulous budget that outlines all your sources of income and all your expenditures. ...
  2. Make an actionable savings plan. ...
  3. Cut unnecessary expenses. ...
  4. Increase your income. ...
  5. Avoid new debt. ...
  6. Invest wisely.
Apr 2, 2024

What's the 30-day rule with money? ›

Here's how it works: When you have the urge to make an impulse purchase, wait for 30 days and give yourself time to think about it. While considering the purchase, deposit the money you need for it into a savings account. If you still want to buy that item after the 30-day period is up, go for it.

How can I get $500 right now? ›

What To Do When You Need $500 By Tomorrow
  • Sell Stuff You Own.
  • Use The EarnIn App.
  • Use Cash Survey Sites.
  • Pawn Stuff For Cash.
  • Borrow The Money.
  • Flip Stuff For Cash.
  • Try Gig Economy Jobs.
  • Sell Your Vehicle.

What is the 30 day rule? ›

The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.

How to save a $500 emergency fund? ›

Steps to Build an Emergency Fund
  1. Set several smaller savings goals, rather than one large one. Set yourself up for success from the start. ...
  2. Start with small, regular contributions. ...
  3. Automate your savings. ...
  4. Don't increase monthly spending or open new credit cards. ...
  5. Don't over-save.

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