Saving-The Small Bit of Comfort That Got me Rolling

      I'm presently sitting comfortably on a decent sized savings account. This is a pretty amazing feat for me. I never cared to save before and really never thought I would or could.  Just wing it was my motto for the last 9 years when it came to paying the rent, utilities, and child care.
     My big break came one year ago when I was no longer able to afford my expensive apartment or the room I had rented from a coworker. 2 moves in six months and one storage unit later I was living back at home. I was forced to start saving at that point. My dad said "stop spending, start saving, and get out and live independent".

     The first thing I did to get the ball rolling on savings was to 1) sell personal items. This was not my idea for I had no intention of letting go of my luxuries. I sold my biggest possession of all which was my truck. I loved that truck and it was paid off, but it was a gas guzzler and I was taking it in way too often for repairs. It had to go. I was able to use my parents van, which at the time seemed like a terrible trade-off. I learned to love the better gas mileage and ease of mind that comes with a newer vehicle.

    The second piece of advice that I got to start saving was to have an 2) automatic amount transferred to a savings account from my paycheck. What! I was baffled by this idea. It sounds silly now when I think about the mindset I had then. The first few paychecks passed as I cringed at the thought that I couldn't use this money. As the months have passed, I have seen my savings grow a little at a time and it feels good to know that I have money.

    After the first month, I was at the point where I could safely save myself. So I began putting as much as I could of my paychecks into my own savings account that I had access to. I also keep a small change jar that holds any cash or coins that I have in my possession. I got rid of all automatic payments and services I could live without and widdled my bills down to the bone. And I am just getting started in this new found mindset.