Need help saving? Have that one thing you’re really looking forward to getting, but can’t seem to get enough money to buy it?

Everyone (well almost everyone) has had that. Whether it’s a house, a car, or even an X-Box 360 / PlayStation / Nintendo Wii, everyone is looking to find some money lying around to make that extravagant purchase.

Here are some easy ways to save money without really feeling like you’re on a budget. These will only work if you are NOT currently living outside your means. If you just seem to spend your paycheck every time you get it (your bills do NOT outweigh your paycheck) – there are ways to stop!

1. What are your actual living costs? This should include rent, food, utilities, etc. Don’t forget to include money for going out / dates, car repairs / gas, and other miscellaneous expenses.
2. Do you know how much your paycheck is? Silly question for most, but there are people (like my mom) who have no idea what their actual paycheck is. Compare it to your expenses – how much money do you have left over?
3. Where are you spending your money? Do you even know where all your money goes? Many people have quite a bit of their money that they can’t account for. Are you going to Starbucks or out to lunch every day? These costs all add up.
   

   I have a friend who had to pay for school – his mom was giving him money every month to cover his expenses and it never seemed to last. Once we took a look at what he was spending it on we realized he spent over $300 on food – he was going out every meal, but it didn’t seem like it was adding up because it was only $5 - $10 each time.

4. Once you’ve figured all of these out, decide what you can live without. Do you need to go out to lunch everyday or can you bring your lunch most days? Why not buy a coffee machine and save yourself the $5/day at Starbucks?

These 4 steps take almost no time and can really help you start to save money. It is important to have some money in savings – otherwise what will you do if the horrible happens? If you do all of this and realize your bills outweigh your pay, I’ll visit that later. Remember, you do need to leave yourself money for some treats – it is your money after all.