by: Georgie Miller

It’s still early in the year, but if you’re like me, you’ve already failed at a New Year’s resolution (or five). I think one of the reasons so many resolutions fail is that they require that you take an action (or not take action) every single day. Saying I won’t buy myself coffee every morning is easy. However, if I have to drive or walk by the coffee shop on a daily basis, it’s only a matter of time before my willpower gives out and I’m in line for some caffeinated bliss.

That’s why I experience more success by using strategies that fall into the category of “set it and forget it.” In other words, if I only have to do something once, then I don’t have to worry about a daily inner battle that I’m all too likely to lose. A little bit of effort up front can save me quite a bit later. How do you do that? Here’s a simple two-step process for effort-free savings.

Step 1: Determine how much you want to save and work backward
How much do you want to be putting aside every month, and why? Once you know that, then all you have to do is to figure out how to keep that money from hitting your checking account where it’s likely to be spent.

Let’s say I set a goal to save $200 per month. Rather than having my entire paycheck from my job go into my checking account, I can set up my direct deposit to be split between two accounts. Assuming I get paid twice a month, a hundred bucks from every paycheck can go directly into a high-interest savings account. The rest can be deposited into my checking account normally.

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