We all know that saving money is essential and is something important which needs our serious attention. Despite it all, we only do less and less of it. Your savings don’t reflect how smart you are or how much willpower you got but is a mirror to your lifestyle. There are so many simple ways you can follow to save money but there are times when we psychologically fail to comply with that. So here are the most basic and practical ways to keep cash in your hands.

Saving money is no fun and we have all probably realized that at some point. So, in order to develop a good financial habit, you need to start tricking your brain. There are multiple ways you can do so but check out the top 3:

1. The main trick is to watch your small, frequent purchases – We know we are not machines and we certainly don’t carry an abacus to calculate every spending of the day. So, what we can do is give ourselves a limit like use ride-sharing apps thrice a week or the number of times you eat out in a week or if you bought the most expensive shoes from the store. It’s much better to watch these small everyday spending because they take up most of our money, unknowingly. Trick your brain to stay away from it until it’s absolutely crucial.

2. Automate your bills – Another very effective tactic to save money is making your billing automatic by scheduling recurring payments, this could additionally help you get rid of any debts. Consider using certain apps to help you do that. It allows you to automate payments through apps as well as keep a close eye on the progress of your savings with reminders and spending reports. You can always have a report for your spending, incase you go off track.

3. Envision your goals – Visualizing your goals might sound “new age”, but there are enough studies to suggest it really works. For example: athletes use imagery to visualize their perfect run or jump and you can use that to motivate you to save money. Begin with, imagining what you want to save for, then visualize how you will effectively save — such as setting aside a certain amount from each paycheck for a particular reason. Then, very soon those thoughts will turn into habits, effectively rewiring your brain and within a few months you can see how much more money you actually have.

As this can work differently for everyone, here are a few additional ways to start saving more:

– Save as much as you can when you have to spend.

– Saying “no” is no fun, so don’t think of it that way. Instead, make your brain view every “no” as a “yes.”

– Start small – save a few dollars on every time. Don’t let the itch get you.

– Pretend you make less.

– Time is money, and your money equals your time. Instead of thinking of a purchase as a monetary transaction, consider it as an exchange of your time.