Name the single most important thing that has helped you save money

[disneysteve]

So my question is, what is the most important thing that you do that keeps you on track and saving money.

I've been following this thread and reading the responses and trying to come up with my own answer but I honestly can't explain it. I truly believe that some people are simply born savers and I'm one of them. From a very early age, I was obsessed (for lack of a better word) with saving money. Whether that meant filling my piggy bank, collecting all the pennies I could get ahold of or checking every pay phone and vending machine for discarded coins, I was always saving and counting and rolling coins. Of course, as I got older, coins became dollar bills and I did my best to keep funding my savings account. I never got nuts about it to the point of not enjoying life or forgoing necessities, but I kept living well below my means. I married a woman who isn't quite as obsessive but is still very conscious of what things cost and how much she is spending. When we first got married, we were saving 6% of our take-home pay. We gradually bumped that up as circumstances allowed and now find ourselves saving 25% or more of gross pay each year. I believe we are on course for a comfortable retirement while still getting to travel, dine out and enjoy our lives on a day to day basis now.

[jteezie]

It has been a progression for me:

1. Short term -I was surprised by all my extra income when I started college so I didn't really know what to do with it. I let my bank account grow. At that point, I was setting short term goals to raise my account value.
2. Suze Orman - By accident, I saw an episode of the Suze Orman show which taught me compound interest. I began saving for the growth potential.
3. Opportunity Cost - As I studied economics, I began to incorporate opportunity cost in the equation. Spending a dollar now mean throwing away $20 later.
4. Avoiding Mistakes - As the great recession hit and I heard stories of people's misfortune, I realized that I should avoid the same mistakes that others made (i.e. not saving for retirement, not focusing on education).
5. Peace of mind - Now I save because I like the options it creates. I can work because I enjoy it, not because I need a paycheck.

[cypher1]

Whether that meant filling my piggy bank, collecting all the pennies I could get ahold of or checking every pay phone and vending machine for discarded coins, I was always saving and counting and rolling coins.

Wow. I used to do the same thing as a young kid. My dad likes to remind us at family get togethers of me laying on the ground getting quarters underneath a soda machine. Honestly for me, I think it was more of greed than savings

[littleroc02us]

I have a new one. Marrying my wife. You would never catch her on a forum like this writing about financial issues, but it seems like the woman was born with the ability to manage money frugally. I can't get her to spend a dime, she saves everything.

[NolaP]

Definitely learning from past mistakes - racking up credit cards bills in my 20s and then paying them off. I realized it would become endless if I didn't stop spending and start saving.