Winning the lottery or getting lucky with a risky investment may make headlines, but many people build their long-term wealth quietly and gradually.
That’s because putting several simple practices in place, such as automating your savings and investing, can help you build your nest egg and reach your goals over time. And by cutting out small expenses, you’ll have more money to invest in your future. Here are seven money habits you can put into practice today to help grow your net worth.
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1. Automate your investing
Saving and investing your money consistently becomes easier when you don’t have to think about doing it.
If you have a 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement savings plan, you likely already have automated investing set up. But you can automate your contributions to tax-advantaged accounts like individual retirement plans (IRAs) as well. While experts at Fidelity recommend saving 15% of your pretax income each year for retirement, start with contributing what you can and increasing your contribution amount each year, as well as when you get a raise.
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2. Do an insurance audit
If you’ve already bought home and car insurance, you don’t have to stick with the same provider. In fact, you may be able to save money by shopping around regularly, like every year or two or when your policy is up.
You won’t always find a better deal when you reassess. But sometimes, you may find less expensive option or be able to negotiate better terms with your insurance company.
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3. Stick with inexpensive store brands
Sometimes, a store brand is just as good as the big-name ones. When you visit the supermarket, try to default to buying the store brands for goods like pantry items, frozen vegetables, coffee, paper towels and cleaning supplies. This won’t necessarily produce a huge windfall, but it can help you save money without sacrificing quality.
4. Negotiate fees
When it comes to negotiating fees, you’ll never know what you can get reduced unless you ask — and you may be able to negotiate more than you think.
For example, sometimes banks or credit card companies are willing to waive fees if you make the request. The same goes for internet and cable companies, as well as gyms. Plus, there may be a promotion going on you can snag that you wouldn’t have known about unless you asked.
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5. Do a digital purge
Online marketers often say that the money is in the email list. If you’ve ever been tempted to make a purchase from a company that sends you regular emails, you understand why this is. Go through your inbox and unsubscribe to newsletters and promotional emails you don’t need so that you’re not tempted to pull out your credit card next time you read them.
6. Regularly pay off credit cards
Debt can be an important part of a strong financial life, but it can also be detrimental to your long-term wealth if you don’t prioritize paying it off. This is especially the case for high-interest debt, like credit card debt. Set up automatic payments on credit cards and other high-interest debt to make sure you’re staying ahead of the debt, and not forfeiting your money to interest.
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7. Limit impulse buys
If you’re excited about an item you see online or in the shop window, it can be easy to pull out your credit card and swipe. Try implementing a time-out rule, where you don’t make any non-essential purchases of over a set amount of money for a set amount of time, like purchases that cost more than $100 for 24 hours. Waiting to shop for non-essential items forces you to gauge if the item or service will add real value to your life. The time-out rule can minimize impulse spending and keep more money in your wallet.
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