Automate Small Money Moves

I didn't decide one day to do an Ironman competition, and then go out and do it the next day. It took months and years of small steps every day to build up to what I have accomplished. Smart financial planning, saving, and investing are the same way.

Small steps towards big decisions can make a big impact.

I schedule workouts on my calendar as I do my meetings. Then I lay out my clothes, gear, and nutrition the night before. That way I can be on autopilot in the morning. I’m dressed and out the door before my brain realizes what’s going on.

A similar idea for saving could be making the decision in November to raise your 401(k) contribution by 1% starting January 1^st. It helps soften the blow a little. And your future self will thank you.

And think about building up your different accounts for short, medium, and long-term goals – which we call the 3 buckets. You wouldn’t fill up a bucket by taking it to Niagara Falls. Fill it slowly over time. Saving eventually becomes second nature. I do this myself. I call it Ari Saves. I cut out some small expenses here and there that I didn’t really need like cancelling cable to go with streaming services, and finally getting rid of that old landline phone. Yeah, I don’t know why I still had it for so long. I started putting that $200 a month into the S&P 500 for a bar mitzvah fund for my son. Five years later, that fund paid for a family trip to Israel for my son when he turned 13. It was a trip of a lifetime. And it was made possible by small steps for big results.

What small steps can we help YOU make in order to conceive, believe, and achieve your goals?