Just Get Started

When I was 16, I got my very first job. As you can probably imagine, it didn’t pay very much. The minimum wage at the time was $3.35 an hour and I probably averaged less than 15 hours a week.

Before I got my first car, I would have my dad drive me to the bank every payday and I would deposit $5 or $10 into savings. I remember on one of those visits my dad said to me, “You don’t really need to worry about putting this back you know, it’s not that much anyway.”

I ignored my dad’s advice and kept showing up every payday. Those $5 and $10 deposits eventually turned into much more over the years, but one thing remained constant: A commitment and a sense of accomplishment from stashing some away and watching my accounts grow.

I started my savings habit at a very young age. But just because you didn’t start as young doesn’t mean you’ve lost the opportunity. Today is as good a day as any to change that.

And don’t get hung up on the amount, especially at first. Just commit to saving something. Or if you’re already saving something, increase the amount slightly. For those of you with debt, the same concept applies.

It’s not so much the amount that matters but the mindset you’ll develop by sticking with it and seeing progress.

So today, just focus on getting started, nothing more, nothing less.

Rick