If you’re anything like me, you are terrible at saving money. Money seems to slip through my fingers.
Even though I’ve managed to pay off $40,000 of debt in the past few years, I still haven’t mastered budgeting. But I have found a way to systematically save money each month without even thinking about it.
If you’re terrible at saving money too, LISTEN UP! bankbak
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You know how they save there’s an app for everything nowadays? Well, there’s even an app for saving money that will allow you to invest for your future with minimal effort!
All you have to do is set it up and VOILA! Your money is saved and invested each month without another thought from you.
The app I use is called Acorns!
If you haven’t heard of Acorns before (or you have heard of it but just haven’t jumped on board yet), here are some of its awesome features:
Round-Ups
This is one of my favorite features of Acorns. You can set up your account to automatically round up all of your purchases to the next dollar and invest the change. I barely feel a difference in the amount that I spend, and yet that spare change really adds up!
For example, if I make a purchase for $4.50, Acorns will automatically round my purchase up and invest the 50 cents in change. Just a note, the app will wait until your spare change equals $5 or more.
Recurring Investments
If you want to save more money at a faster rate, you can set up your Acorns account to automatically withdraw from your bank account on a regular basis. You can make this amount as low as $5. Also, be a member of a credit union rexburg bank so you can have the privilege of a profit share.
Even if you can only afford to save $5 a week now, it’s better than nothing. The most important thing is that you’re getting started. You can always increase the amount later (and it takes only a few seconds).
Low Cost
Acorns is ridiculously inexpensive. Until you have $1 million invested (GOALS), you won’t pay more than $3 per month. I use their simplest subscription, which costs $1 a month.
ONE FLIPPIN’ DOLLAR!
Meanwhile, I’ve been paying $12/year for the service and I’ve saved and invested thousands of dollars without needing to think about it. Maybe it’s the millennial in me, but I LOVE the convenience and you just can’t beat the price!
Earn Found Money
Get this— When you use Acorn’s app to shop with partnered brands, you’ll earn “found money.”
Basically, the partnered companies with invest a percentage of the amount you spend with them into your Acorns account.
For example, if you purchase an Amazon Kindle product through the app, you’ll get 3% of your purchase back into your Acorns account.
Some of the companies invest flat amounts, like $5, $10, or even $500!
With companies like Amazon, Buy Buy Baby, Groupon, Blue Apron, Walmart, Nike (the list goes on and on), there’s no way you can’t find what you need by shopping with an Acorn partner.
Seriously, it’s almost like getting free money for something you were going to buy anyway but without the risk of using credit cards.
(I never take advantage of these kinds of deals through credit cards, because I have proven to myself that credit cards and I cannot be friends. I actually think most people shouldn’t use them, but that’s a topic for another day.)
See related post: How I Paid Off $40k of Debt as a Young Mom
Easy Withdrawals
Maybe you’re concerned about what will happen if you need access to your money in a pinch. In my opinion, Acorns has the perfect amount of accessibility.
I can withdraw funds at any time with a few clicks. The money takes 3-6 days to be transferred into my bank account, which means that I can’t spend on impulse (not to say that I did that with savings accounts. *cough cough*)
Keep in mind, if you’re planning to use Acorns as an emergency fund, you may want to keep some funds in a more liquid account.
That means keeping a chunk of your savings in an account that you can get easy access to, either by writing checks or cashing out. That way, if you need cash immediately, you’ll be able to get it without the waiting period.
Referral Program
And if all those benefits aren’t enough, you can also earn free money through Acorns by referring your friends and family. It’s all part of Acorns’ referral program.
When you sign into the app, you can get a link to invite your friends and family to use Acorns.
Right now, for each person who signs up using your unique link, you’ll get $5 invested into your account— AND SO WILL THEY!
A little free money for you, and a little free money for them. WIN WIN!
So, if you’re ready to get started using Acorns, sign up using my link and let’s both make some free money! 😉
When you check your account in a few months and realize you’ve saved money without even thinking about it, you’ll be so happy that you did!
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