From someone who knows what it’s like to have more month than money
👀 First, Let’s Keep It Real
If you’re barely making it from paycheck to paycheck, saving money probably feels like a joke.
You’re not trying to build an investment portfolio right now.
You’re just trying to survive the week.
And that’s exactly why this post exists.
You don’t need a perfect plan — you just need a place to start.
✅ Step 1: Ditch the “Fancy Budget” Myth
Forget charts. Forget apps. Forget color-coded madness.
All you need to do is write two things:
- What comes in
- What goes out
That’s it.
You can use your phone, a notebook, or the back of a receipt.
I once used a cereal box flap. Seriously.
✅ Step 2: Cut Just ONE Thing
Don’t overhaul your whole life.
Pick one small expense to skip this week:
- That one takeaway meal
- That impulse buy at the kiosk
- That Uber you could maybe walk instead of
Now… take that exact amount and set it aside.
Even if it’s just $2.
💡 That’s your first win. And yeah, it counts.
✅ Step 3: Hide the Money From Yourself
Because let’s be honest — if it’s in your normal account, it’s gone.
Try this:
- Move it to a “ghost” account with no card
- Put it in a jar and tape it shut
- Send it to a mobile wallet you forget the password for
- Hand it to someone you trust
Make it hard to touch.
Make it inconvenient to spend.
✅ Step 4: Give It a Name That Means Something
Don’t call it “savings.” That’s boring.
Call it:
- “Rent Backup”
- “No Panic Fund”
- “The Month I Didn’t Cry” Jar
- “Just in Case” stash
Put a name on it. Make it real.
✅ Step 5: Start Stupidly Small (On Purpose)
You don’t need to save $1,000.
You need to prove to yourself you can save anything.
Start with:
- $1 a day
- $5 a week
- $10 this month
Once you see it add up, your brain stops treating savings like a punishment — and starts treating it like power.
🧾 My Real Budget (Back When I Made $1,300)
| Income | $1,300 |
|---|---|
| Rent | $400 |
| Food | $220 |
| Transport | $150 |
| Debt repayment | $180 |
| Airtime + extras | $150 |
| What’s left? | ~$100 |
Out of that $100?
Some weeks I only saved $5.
Other weeks, nothing.
But one month, I got to $40.
That $40 saved me when a medical bill popped up out of nowhere.
✅ Bonus: A Rule That Helped Me Save More Without Thinking
If I skipped it, I saved it.
- Didn’t take that Uber? Save the $6.
- Didn’t eat out Friday? Save the $12.
- Found something on sale? Save the price difference.
It felt like paying future me. And future me was always thankful.
💬 Final Words (Not From a Guru, From a Regular Human)
You’re not lazy. You’re just tired.
You’re not bad with money. You’ve just never had breathing room.
But even in the chaos, you can still build something.
- $5 at a time.
- One skipped soda at a time.
- One tiny “I did it” moment at a time.
And one day, that “nothing” will become something that saved you.
You’re already doing better than you think. Keep going.