Want to Save Consistently? Why Not Automate It?

Hey, do you mean to save money each month? But somehow it just doesn't happen. Life gets busy, temptations pop up, and savings gets pushed aside. What if you could make saving happen automatically without even thinking about it? Let's talk automation. In a world where crushing debt keeps you trapped, where living paycheck to paycheck has become your new normal, and where the dream of retirement seems impossibly out of reach, there's hope.

Join financial evangelist Ralph Estepp Jr. A man who's walked through the fire of financial failure and emerged stronger on the other side. Welcome to Ask Ralph, the show where real world experience meets biblical truth. To break the bondage of financial despair, get ready to take control of your money, break free from the financial stress, and align your resources with God's purpose for your life. This is Ask Ralph with Ralph Estepp Jr.

Hey there and welcome back to your daily Ask Ralph. I'm Ralph. So glad you're starting your week with me. As we continue our series the Joy of living below your means, we're still working to break that cycle of

financial shame with confidence. After our weekend recap, we're back to daily actions. We've talked about starting an emergency fund today. Let's make saving even easier. Let's talk about the intention versus the reality of saving money. Maybe you plan to save a certain amount each month, perhaps for that emergency fund we discussed. Or you've got another goal in mind.

But then payday comes and bills get paid and you have some everyday expenses, maybe even a few months that creep in, and by the end of the pay period or month, you realize, hey, I forgot to transfer money to savings. Or maybe there's just nothing left to save. You might feel frustrated with yourself by lacking discipline or lacking consistency even though your intentions were good.

Well, that gap between wanting to save and actually doing it consistently, often because we rely on memory or willpower, which fails us, that's the single difficulty that we're addressing today. Here's the thing. Relying solely on willpower or remembering to save money manually is tough. In our busy lives, there will always be competing demands for our money and for our attention.

But the principle of paying yourself first, setting aside savings before you spend the rest, let me just tell you that's the key to building wealth and the key to building security. Automating this process aligns perfectly with wise planning and discipline. It takes the daily decision making and that potential for forgetfulness completely out of the equation, making saving a consistent background habit rather than an effortful task. See, now you'll Be saying, Raph, how can we.

What, what can we do? How can we bridge

that gap between intending to save and actually saving consistently? How do we make saving, as you mentioned, effortless? Well, you know, I've got an answer. And the single incredibly powerful solution is to set up an automatic recurring transfer from your checking account directly to your savings account. Listen, even if it's just a small amount, automating, it works wonders. Now you're probably saying, Ralph, how does this benefit me?

Well, I'm glad you asked that question because I've got an answer. It's consistent. See, that transfer happens every single time on schedule, whether you remember or not. It's effortless. Well, at least after you've set it up. Once you set it up, it requires no ongoing effort or willpower. It prioritizes savings. You truly pay yourself first before the money gets spent anywhere else. And it adds up.

Even small amounts like $10, $25, $50 per paycheck accumulate significantly over time thanks to that consistency. Listen, I looked back at my own account. I started taking a hundred dollars from my bi weekly pay

a few years back and the other day I logged into my other account and wow, I had over $16,000 in that account. Yes, it works. And finally, it builds the habit. It trains you to live on slightly less as the savings are removed automatically. The solution, it's effortless consistency. Automate your savings. All right, well, let's put this magic to work. Here's your one action step for today. First thing you need to do is decide on the detail. Start by asking yourself how much.

Choose a small realistic amount that you can comfortably transfer automatically right now, maybe that's $10 per paycheck, or maybe that's $25 a month or $50 a month. You can start small if you need to because you can always increase it later. Then ask yourself, how often are you going to do that on payday? Are you going to do it on the first of the month? Maybe weekly. But pick a frequency and then ask yourself where. Which savings account will you go to?

Maybe it's going to go to your baby emergency fund until it's funded or you have another savings goal account. Second thing I'm going to encourage you to do is log into your bank. Go to your bank's website or mobile app and do it today, right after you're done listening. Number three, set up that transfer. Find that section for transfers. Now usually it's called something like recurring transfers

or automatic savings or something similar to that and set up that transfer from your checking to that chosen savings account with the amount and frequency that you decided. And number four, you want to confirm that it's active. Double check that the transfer is scheduled and ready to go. And here's a bonus tip. You can see if your employer allows for split direct deposits and have it done that way it really works and it's out of sight, out of mind.

Now you might be saying, Ralph, why do I need to bother automating this? Because it directly fights that inconsistency of savings caused by forgetting or spending the money first. It also removes that willpower from the equation and guarantees that savings happens consistently. And it makes building your emergency fund or that savings goal practically effortless over time. Well, let's pray. Father God, thank you for the tools and the technology that can help us be better stewards.

Lord, help my friend listening today as they set up an automatic savings transfer. Lord, grant them wisdom in choosing the amount and the frequency. May this act of automated discipline help them consistently build their savings for emergencies and for those future goals. Lord, help them trust you with this process and resist that temptation to interfere with the plan unnecessarily. Lord, we just thank you for the power of consistent

habits. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen. All right, we'll take those few minutes today and set up that automatic transfer. Listen, even $10 a paycheck adds up to $260 a year if you're paid bi weekly automatically. It's one of the simplest, yet most powerful things that you can do for your financial future. Okay, we've put savings on autopilot. Now let's look at potentially reducing some major fixed expenses to free up more money to save or to use elsewhere.

Be sure to join me back here tomorrow on Ask Ralph where we're going to ask this question. Could you be overpaying for insurance? I've got some answers on tomorrow's show and if automated savings sounds like a great idea, I want to encourage you share this episode with someone else. You can find resources and links in our new website at Financially Confident Christian. So until tomorrow, automate your progress and keep seeking Him.

First, let's keep pressing to become financially confident Christians. Stay financially savvy. God bless you and have a great day today. Thank you for joining us on the Ask Ralph show and with a simple click to subscribe, we'll invite you back to our next episode Episode. And remember, financial issues don't have to be complicated. Just Ask Ralph. The information contained in this episode

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