EARN MORE, SAVE MORE,SPEND LESS

By Krantz Mwantepele

On the journey to become richer, there is theory: earn more, save more and spend less. But in practice, it's harder than it sounds.To combat the weakness so many of us feel when it comes to saving money, I will help you with some tricks to overcome those roadblocks in financial planning. This is a continuation of my last post,SAVING FOR A BETTER FUTURE.

The popular image of people who don’t save for the future is that they lack self-control. But, the reason saving is hard is less about self-control and more about a scarcity of attention.

If you have urgent current expenses to cover, then future priorities like college and retirement fall off your radar because they are simply less pressing.When saving is so hard, how can you get better at it?People think saving is difficult because they think it requires a heroic tightening of your budget. In reality, you can make a big dent with automation and by capitalizing on a few opportunities requiring self-control.

For example, I have a healthy savings rate. But I don’t consciously save anything. I just have a chunk of every paycheck go straight to a savings account. With the money I get, I actually spend money without any planning 

I overcame my scarcity of foresight by setting up this system. It’s like jumping into a pool: You just have to steel yourself and do it once, and you get benefits going forward. The ability to save automatically is among the most powerful tools available to us.

Have you noticed that your money just isn't stretching as far as it used to? Well, you're not alone. With the prices of oil and gas soaring, credit card debt increasing and adjustable rate mortgages fluctuating, a lot of people are feeling the pinch. But there are smart ways to cope. By modestly reigning in whatyou are spending and reviewing your monthly bills, you can end up with hundreds, if not thousands, of extra dollars in your pocket this year. Follow these money-saving tips and you'll be well on your way.

Save money every day. Learn how to budget and stand on your own independent feet. 

                                                                                                                              

This is second article in a series of sponsored posts for the Barclays Savings Challenge. Follow the discussion on Twitter and Facebook and share your own experience by using the hashtag #AfricaSaves. Visit the Barclays website for more information about their savings account.