Having a stack of money in your wallet is fun. Collecting it – not so much! Saving money is a habit. Just like Rome was not built in a day, it takes time to inculcate money-saving habits in your routine. For now, forget the strategies or rigorous financial planning, adopt these fun ways to collect money and see the result at the end of a quarter –

Collect your Favourite Denomination in a Box

When five rupee coin was introduced, I was so crazy about it that I started collecting it in a jar. It looked really fancy to me. I did it for 10 months and when my craze wore out, I had accumulated close to ₹ 800. I was pleasantly surprised by collecting such a big sum without even realising it. All I did was to put the spare five rupee coin in a jar. I bought a bicycle for my brother with it. You can also do the same – pick your favorite denomination and start collecting it in a jar, box or piggy bank.

Avoid Temptations, Save Instead

I was addicted to ice cream and pizza, who is not? I splurged on it. Result – thin wallet and thick waistline. To put an end to this, I put my mind to owning an expensive watch and started saving towards it. Every time I felt like having a pizza or an ice-cream, I took that money and saved it instead. It taught me to sideline temptations, and in no time ‘self-control’ became a habit. And, so did saving money! You will see many millennials saving money for their goals and dreams these days.

Create a ‘Happy Me’ Fund

Treat yourself, with money of course. Every time you achieve something, hit a milestone or receive a compliment – put ₹ 500 in your ‘Happy Me’ Fund. Use this money to buy something valuable or invest it. It’s a great way to save and multiply your happiness. It becomes a virtuous cycle of happiness. Try it!

Divert Money – From Installment to Investment

For those who are nearing the end of installment payment of any loan, use this amount for investment now. Instead of paying off the debt now you’ll be transferring the exact amount to an investment plan – Fixed Deposit, SIP, Recurring Deposit or liquid or ultra short term funds. As you never had this amount in hand to spend, you won’t miss it. You will be adding to your investment without feeling the weight of it. It’s a clever psychological trick to collect money.

Make a Habit of Spending the Change

This is my mother’s way of managing money in her purse. She always carries change in a ziplock bag. She has a system of spending it. Under ₹ 50 purchase, she uses the money in the ziplock. This way she always has money in her wallet, not a bundle of tens and twenties. Follow this habit and you will realise you have more money in your wallet than earlier. There will be less ATM withdrawals, which means more money in your bank account. Simple, isn’t it!

Pick any of these tricks, use it and share your experience with us. If you have any new trick up your sleeve, share your money wisdom in comments below.

A Company Secretary by profession, Saru found her true calling in writing. She blogs at sarusinghal.com which she religiously updates every Monday for the last four years.