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

[jpg7n16]

1) Post here on the forums. It forces me to think about finances everyday.

2) Use budgeting software. I don't wanna keep track or write down everything, I'd much rather have the software do it for me and sort it later. I use YNAB.

3) Automatic investing (401k payroll deductions, auto transfers, etc.)

[FinanceVideoGuru]

Helping Save

I created a bills payment chart.This started way back about 16 years ago,when I had some really big debts and had lost my job. I created it as a way to track my monthly expenses and eliminate all the nonsense spending. Now this Monthly chart is a staple in my monthly budget and expense tracking, and helps out in more ways than one.
It also spring boarded my planning in creating my Emergency Fund. currently I only have 2 months worth of funds in there, but it is slowly growing to three.
Hope this helps.

[GREENBACK]

The single most thing that made me save was watching others around me that didn't.

Great statement. Everyone should pay attention to this.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Marry someone with the same financial mindset.

[solvision]

Reading the book: "The Richest Man in Babylon"

[KiwiJo09]

I created a bills payment chart.This started way back about 16 years ago,when I had some really big debts and had lost my job. I created it as a way to track my monthly expenses and eliminate all the nonsense spending. Now this Monthly chart is a staple in my monthly budget and expense tracking, and helps out in more ways than one.
It also spring boarded my planning in creating my Emergency Fund. currently I only have 2 months worth of funds in there, but it is slowly growing to three.
Hope this helps.

I do this too! I have a calendar (the cheapest one I could find) and I write down when bills are due and when I plan to pay them so that I don't get overwhelmed when it comes time to pay them. Doing it this way has helped me in so many ways. Now, I don't worry so much about whether all the bills are paid. I also have written in the corner how much money my emergency fund should have in it at the end of every month.

[mohawkstrip]

Sold my car and didn't buy another one. I live in a pretty big urban area, so I can bike or take transit most places. My $350 car payment/month + $100 insurance/month + $50 gas/month + maintenance, parking and repair costs save me an average of $8,000 every year.

Best thing I ever did for my health and for my pocketbook. Car culture is a scam, and until you add the numbers up, you don't realize how much money you're putting into a car (a depreciating asset).

[jpg7n16]

Car culture is a scam

Unless you live in an area like Dallas (like me)

Don't know about you, but walking/biking the 15 miles to work each day (30 miles round trip) would get old really quickly. Especially on the 100 degree days in summer.

[LuckyRobin]

I think for me it's the act of blogging. It gives me a place to be accountable every day around like minded individuals who are trying to get out of debt and save up for their futures, because I don't have those sorts of people around me in real life. Without blogging and reading the forum and the blogs here, I honestly don't think I'd have found a way to get out from under the mountain of medical debt we were in when I started. I am grateful every day that I found this website and with the advice found here will finally be out of CC debt by the end of this year.

[creditcardfree]

I think establishing and maintaining an emergency fund has been crucial to our long term financial health. It keep us from getting into credit card debt or spending more than we earn. If you can't maintain an EF, then likely you are spending more than you earn, in my opinion.

[My English Castle]

Making a concerted effort to live on one income while we earn two. It gives us a cushion, stability, and an emergency fund. We don't always make it, but do most of the time.

[carolan]

I have raised 2 children on my own with some child support until they were 18. I have a nice house that is paid for, a nice car and I took early retirement. The things that helped me the most were having a budget that I reviewed every pay day and not going shopping unless I needed something.

I put my money into these categories:
Financial freedom (directly off my cheque and into retirement savings plans)
Necessities
Play
Give
Savings (vacations, furniture etc)
Education

Divide your income up to have these categories reach 100% of your income. The biggest chunk will be necessities, which should be about 60%. If your necessities % is higher, you need to eliminate some things, live simpler.

When I go shopping I have a list and I stick to it. If I don't need something, I don't buy it, even if it is on sale.

[maat55]

The very real possibility that SS/medicare will collapse during my lifetime. I saved moderately for retirement, until I became convinced that my savings would not be enough in the event of SS/medicares demise.

[greenskeeper]

“The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest” A.E.

[Ima saver]

I started the envelope system 45 years ago before I had a checking account. I still use it every payday and it has always worked for me. I pay my credit card off in full and only use it cause it pays us back 3% a month on purchases from home improvement stores. (and dh is a licensed builder so he uses home depot a lot)