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How to Save $2,000 by Summer

With four months to go until summer, there is plenty of time to set aside money for a vacation, a long-delayed home repair or whatever else you need to enjoy those fleeting warm months to the fullest.

Finance experts say it’s crucial to have a goal. Without one, it’s easy to lose motivation and start spending frivolously. You also need a separate account for your savings. “You can’t leave money in your regular account and expect it to be there,” says Linda Matthew, owner of Money Mindful Personal Finance Coaching in Sacramento, California. “There’s no such thing as leftover money.”

[See: 10 Costs You Can Eliminate in Retirement.]

Once you have your goal and a designated account, it’s time to start saving. Here’s a reasonable way to get $2,000 in your bank account by summer.

Bank Your Tax Refund

Potential Savings: $500

The IRS reports the average tax refund received in 2016 was $2,860, so it’s conceivable you could meet your $2,000 savings goal simply by filing your taxes and banking the return. Even if your refund is much more modest or you need to use part of the cash for other purposes, setting aside $500 in savings can give you a strong start.

Change Your Withholding

Potential Savings: $150

Saving money isn’t simply about spending less. “Really, the income side is just as important as the expense side,” says Jean Wilczynski, a financial advisor with Exencial Wealth Advisors in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Changing employer tax withholdings is one way to instantly boost take-home income. Those who get a $500 annual tax refund could change their withholding to minimize future refunds and put $150 back in their pocket during the next four months.

Eat in More Often

Potential Savings: $400

Eating out can majorly drain your budget. By packing lunches, skipping the morning coffee run and dining at home each night, it’s not hard to save $100 or more per month on food, even for small households. “It’s a trade-off between your time and money, so that’s a tough one for a lot of people,” Wilczynski says. If you absolutely can’t eat at home every night, Wilczynski suggests at least switching to take-out meals, which can trim 10 to 20 percent off the tab if tips aren’t needed.

[See: How to Save for Retirement on Less Than $40,000 Per Year.]

Try a New Grocery Store

Potential Savings: $240

Even eating at home can be expensive if you’re shopping at the wrong grocery store. Arielle O’Shea, a retirement and investing specialist for NerdWallet, estimates she has saved $60 a week on groceries since switching from Whole Foods to Wegmans. “I’m not suggesting you should go around to every store and compare the price of beans,” she says. However, checking out the other stores in the area could mean you can buy the same items and spend less. By saving just $60 a month with smart shopping, you’ll be $240 closer to your $2,000 goal.

Cut the Cable, Phone and Internet Bills

Potential Savings: $320

While the cost of some utilities, such as heat and water, can be relatively fixed, others can be pared down. The price of cable, phone and internet services can be highly variable, and often there are less expensive alternatives available. For instance, those who ditch their cable completely in favor of a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu may be able to save as much as $320 or more by summer. If you don’t want to cut a service completely, O’Shea recommends calling to ask for a discount or inquiring into whether a less expensive package is available.

Trim Transportation Costs

Potential Savings: $300

Cutting out seemingly small expenses can add up to significant savings over time. Let’s say that you regularly use Uber to take rides that cost $7 each. By eliminating three of those drives a week and walking or taking public transportation instead, you may be able to save $300 during the next four months. Meanwhile, those who drive to work may find carpooling can dramatically reduce the amount they spend monthly for gas.

Eliminate Unused Subscriptions

Potential Savings: $90

Failing to cancel trial subscriptions or services you no longer need results in lost dollars. “Inertia costs you a lot of money,” O’Shea says. “You put it on a credit card and then forget about it.” Eliminating one or two small monthly subscription fees could put $90 back in your pocket by summer.

[See: 25 Ways to Enjoy Retirement on a Reduced Income.]

Make It a Game

Potential Savings: Unlimited

While the above strategies should put an extra $2,000 in your bank account by June, there’s no reason to stop there. By making a game of your spending habits, you could save much more. O’Shea says some people save by stashing away all their $5 bills, matching every dollar they spend with a dollar in savings or using an app such as Acorns to round up purchase prices and make automatic deposits into savings or investment accounts. Matthew suggests seeing how long you can go without making certain purchases, such as not buying any new clothes until summer.

However, all these ideas won’t do any good if you spend extra elsewhere. “If you don’t actually save the money, reaching your goal is not going to happen,” O’Shea says.

More from U.S. News

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How to Save $2,000 by Summer originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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