This is How to Save $1000 From Scratch in 45 Days (No Latte Skipping Required)

 

The impetus for this “mini challenge” – to save 1000 as quickly as possible – came from my realization the other day that at 31 I only possess one savings account. 

I'd never really noticed it before until we started getting big gifts to help fund our wedding expenses. I didn't want to mix in funds earmarked for the event with my own savings. So, I decided to open up another savings account (the one I'm using for this project is with Ally, but I got so motivated I opened up one with CIT Bank as well.)

 

I began to wonder if all of my “lack of savings woes” are due to the fact that maybe I just wasn't doing enough; that having more than one savings account could be the magic bullet I need to finally build a really strong, healthy savings muscle.

 

And before say, “you can save 1000 in 45 days because you work full-time and have a blog,” let me stop you right there.

 

• First of all, anyone can earn the extra cash to save up $1,000. It's not hard if you're willing to sacrifice your free time to do it. 
• Also – other than the initial $100 I used to open the account, this account was funded through found money – a.k.a. cash I wasn't expecting or didn't intentionally plan to save. 
• Most of my affiliate commissions come through Paypal or through my bank account, not via check. And lately, all of my “extra” money is tucked away for the wedding/honeymoon/new house purchase.
• Right now, I don't have a ton of money just lying around to sit on. So don't @ me about this. Just do it. 

 

How I Managed to Save 1000 in Just 45 Days

 

Mainly, I want to show how easy it is to scrounge up cash from all the little corners of your life. Think of it as the equivalent of finding coins in your couch cushions. I have a million (just kidding…. like, four) “save the change/roundups” apps on my phone. And that made a big difference. 

 

So, here's how it went:

7/10 – $100 initial deposit (from my personal savings)

7/11 – $10 transfer from Qapital

7/12 – $350 savings from my Acorns account – (This one is a tad misleading. I'd been saving up this money for about three months and had “forgotten” it.)

7/13 – (Multiple)

• $43 Venmo cash out
• $68 unexpected affiliate commission check from a closed account
• $25 transfer from Qapital
• $28.50 Ebates cash back from shopping. (I use the Ebates Chrome Extension and it automatically gets me cash back anytime I shop online.)

Total  for July= $624.50

8/5 – $26.00 – small affiliate commission check

8/12 – (Multiple)

• $65.00 – Another transfer from Qapital
• $142 – Albert transfer (my new fav)
• $73.71 – cash out from ThredUp for clothes I sold in July

8/16 – $79.23 – transfer from Acorns

+ $.78 in interest

Final Total = $1,011.22

80% of the contributions above are from the pockets of cash the money-saving apps are stashing away for me.

Truthfully, I wasn't paying attention at first. $70 here and there isn't that sexy. But look at how much I was able to save in a month and a half just by letting the tech do its thing! Truly, every little bit helps. 

This challenge (to save 1000 as quick as possible) works for individuals who KNOW they could be saving more but end up living paycheck to paycheck each month. 

 

The Tech/Services I Used for This Challenge

1. Ebates

 

2. Qapital 

 

 

3. Acorns

 

 

 

4. Albert

 

5. ThredUp

 

 

 

Wrapping Up

 

I hope this piece proves my point: that really anyone could use the found money they have: birthdays, holidays, raffles, etc. and get up to that $1,000 threshold pretty quick. I believe everyone has these small pockets of money sitting around. Instead of spending it, put it away and save it so you can stay out of credit card debt when the unexpected occurs. 

Just be sure to put it into a separate savings account you can't immediately access it. 

Once you save up $1000 you just might get motivated to continue saving even more. Keep going! Every little bit counts, especially when it comes to saving money.