Things To Save Up For.

Everyone wants to save money, well everyone I have ever met in my entire life anyway.

But a lot of them have trouble finding something that they actually want to save for, we all have the normal expenses that we have to fork out money for, and by doing such we forget to save for the other things we want in life.

Why Save Money For Something?

Saving up for something is a great way to get out of the bad habit of just buying stuff without considering if you can afford it, saving up for something is a great way to think ahead.

By having money saved you can avoid taking on any unnecessary debt, which trust me you do not want to have, I have seen people have their whole lives ruined by debt.

So when I started saving money and began helping others to save money, it has been the best thing of my and their lives (well one of the best things).

So here are some things that are worth saving money for.

Down Payment on a House.

A house is probably the most expensive thing you will ever buy in your whole life, especially with housing prices on the rise and only expected to grow over the next few years. But it can be also one of the best things you ever do, if you do it smart.

Typically if you want to save up for a home down payment you will want to save at least 20% of the price of the house.

2. A Car.

Now most people think that you need to buy a brand spanking new car for it to be a decent one, this is bull****, excuse my language but its stupid to pay full price for a brand new car when you could get the same car second hand but still in near brand new condition for a lot less.

Obviously it won’t have little to no km’s, you would need a brand new car for that, but you can still get one with a decent or small amount of km’s that will still run for a long time, depending on how well you take care of it.

Also it is smart to make sure that the previous owner has taken care of it as well, like had regular services and check ups, the point being you can pick up a great car for anywhere between $10,000 – $20,000 (however this depends on the type of vehicle that you want.

3. To Pay Off Debts.

I know what you are thinking, why should I save to pay off debts? Why not just put the spare cash straight towards it instead of saving it?

Because you should have a system to pay off debts rather than paying them willy nilly.

Trust me it does help having a system, for instance you might be paying $50 – $100 a week off of your debts, after shopping, rent and all the essentials you may have say an extra $50 laying around, I would recommend you not spend this on just whatever you want, that is only going to keep you in debt longer.

I would recommend putting it in a bank account that you can’t touch easily, or a safe lockbox somewhere you won’t think about it, then every pay put the extra $50 into that, after a few paydays you could have up to $200 in there, which will pay off a decent chunk off your debt, depending on how much it is obviously.

Now you may be wondering why should I do it that way? Why not just put in the $50 each pay? Because you will feel like crap for it, feeling like you are scraping at the bottom of the barrel to pay it off, saving up the $50 to a bigger amount and paying off a bigger chunk of your debt in one go will make you feel a whole lot better, hell and for paying off a big chunk you should go celebrate.

Now I don’t mean get back into more debt by going out for the night, make sure you have the money for that too, even if that means putting separate money away for that as well.

4. A Holiday.

This I have found is one of the most common things people save for, besides a car and a house, and in my opinion it is one of the best.

You save all that money and you deserve to spoil yourself and your family with it (or just you if you need some well deserved alone time).

If you are anything like me I want to go to Movie World, especially to go on the Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster, or you may want to go to a relaxing beach, whatever it is, saving up for a holiday is one of the best things you could save for.

5. College Courses.

I love college courses, I have a Certificate in Creative Writing, a Diploma in Private Investigations and a Diploma in Counselling and Psychology.

You may be thinking why the mixture? Well because I love knowledge, and I do implement these things into everyday of my life, whether it is writing a mystery/horror novel with the knowledge from both my Creative Writing and Private Investigations courses, or working towards becoming a counsellor in my future.

There is no limit on knowledge and all the things it can help you with in the future, so if there is a subject that is of interest to you, you won’t regret saving up some money to learn it.

6. Gym Equipment.

With the whole world being on lockdown pretty much at the moment, getting out to the gym to exercise is practically impossible, and if you are like me and enjoy staying fit and healthy (while doing a Virtual Fitness Challenge of Mount Everest at the current moment) it is a good idea to save up the buy the stuff yourself, I have already bought myself a treadmill and am saving up for a exercise bike in the near future.

7. Honeymoon.

I was shocked when I found out that most people in their lives never had a honeymoon, my own parents never did and I felt sorry for them, a lot of people (practically women) dream of the honeymoon, going to a romantic beach or Disney World, wherever and whatever it is, most people never have the money to actually do this, and that is disappointing.

So saving up for your dream honeymoon could be one of the best things you could ever save for, even if you have already been married for 30+ years like my parents, you can still have that honeymoon you were dreaming of, there is no rule your honeymoon has to be right after your wedding, and if people tell you there is, tell them to stuff it.

8. Wedding.

This is very similar to saving up for a honeymoon, instead it is what comes before, the actual wedding. Nearly every woman I have ever met has dreamed of the day they get married, and sadly too often than not it has been a massive disappointment.

Most of the time because of the lack of savings, that beautiful dress that will make you feel like a princess for the day, the gorgeous spot where you want all your wedding photos taken, the yummy cake and food, it all costs a lot of money.

Sure you don’t need to spend out hundreds of thousands of dollars to be happy, but it will still at least cost you a fair amount, depending on what you want of course, so saving for it may just get you closer to that dream that you want, just as long as you remember to marry your dream too.

9. Vet Bills.

I have an American Staffie, she is gorgeous, my fur baby, however there has been a lot of bumps in the road along the way, a fake pregnancy, de-sexing due to the fake pregnancy, being allergic to the stitches, anxiety medication, it has cost me a lot! But I had the money, because I saved up for it before the problems even happened.

The vets at my town know I am on a disability pension, so they know I live fortnight to fortnight on limited money, so when they asked me, can I pay for it? I could see the concern in their eyes.

The moment I said ‘yep I have it all in savings’ they looked at me like I had popped out a second head, I explained to them that I put money away every single payday for if and when situations like this pop in to surprise you, they were thrilled and told me that they wish every pet owner would do that, they have seen people get into debt paying off Vet Bills, so this one is always at the top of my list.

10. Emergency Savings.

Last but certainly not least, emergency savings is the best thing you will ever have.

Whether it is because your car breaks down or you need a new freezer otherwise you will lose hundreds of dollars worth of frozen food, having emergency savings is the wisest thing you will ever save for.

I definitely recommend you keep this in the bank, I knew someone who had over $10,000 under his bed only to lose it in a fire, which is another emergency you may need those savings for.

So this one I would definitely recommend, because too many people think ‘oh that will never happen to me’ I’m here to tell you it bloody well can and if you aren’t ready for it, you are going to be in a complete shit show if and when it does.

So there you have it, a list of things you can and should save for, whether its only a small amount you put away each pay, it will be worth it in the end.

I hope you have enjoyed my post, and gotten some helpful stuff from it, maybe even some honest eye openers.

If you are interested in more financial advice and tips be sure to check out my other posts and subscribe for more to be coming.

Kind Regards Nicola.