How to Save for the Styles You Really Want

This post is sponsored by Chase.

In 10 years of blogging, I’m so happy that I’ve maintained the Economy of Style motto, namely that net worth does not determine your net style. I continue to uphold the idea that all of our style purchases should be affordable, that is, we are able and willing to pay for them. When there are styles we want but can’t afford right away, why not save for them? Today, I’m sharing my top 5 tips for saving for those special purchases.

How to Save for the Styles You Really Want

1. Choose something to save for. Do you want a new designer bag or that high-end watch you’ve been eying? Whatever it is, write it down. Starting with a specific goal will set everything else in motion.

2. Take stock of all of your expenses. Are they wants or are they needs? I started recording my expenses as wants vs. needs, and I was blown away by how much I spent each week on frivolous things like lattes. I don’t even like lattes that much. Finn by Chase, a fully mobile bank that debuted exclusively in St. Louis, makes taking stock of expenses easy and engaging. Finn allows users to mark all expenses as needs or wants with a like, frown, and even an angry face emoji depending on how they make them feel. What I love about the feature is it allows us to visualize our expenses and the motivations behind them. Lattes didn’t make me happy, but I had to visualize my spending on them to really grasp that. A hot tea though? I can drink those all day.

3. Make a Budget. I started accounting for every single penny that passes through my account. Remember this 2011 budgeting post? I still use the same excel spreadsheet to keep track of my monthly spending. Doing so has allowed me to set realistic spending and saving goals and to hold myself accountable for meeting those goals.

4. Make Saving Automatic. Automating the process of saving helps your savings grow without thinking about it. Finn even has an interesting feature that allows you to set your own autosave rules to build savings depending on a purchase. Are you a big coffee drinker? Using Finn, you can set  a rule to save $5 every time you buy a coffee. How easy is that?

5. Pick the Right Tools. Fees can eat away at your balance and hence derail your saving goals. Thus, it’s so crucial to make sure you choose the right tools. I’m a fan of Finn because there are no monthly fees. Right now, there’s even a FREE $50 sign up bonus!

That’s it! 5 easy steps to the big smiles you’ll have when you save for the styles you really want.