I confess. I didn't always do such a great job with saving my money.

In my younger days, I got off track. And it took me a while to get

with the program again, even though I knew it was in my best

interest to save.

How about you? Has setting aside money been an issue for you?

Let's face it. Unless we're going to inherit great wealth, we'll

need to tuck away some money. And, if you're still reading, chances

are you won't inherit from your wealthy relatives (smile).

So, how do you take that initial, small step to saving? Well,

picture a jogger, if you will. You have to admire her. She's out

there jogging in the early morning hours, determined to do her

thing. And she does it every day. It takes a certain amount of

dedication to jog daily. Motivation. Determination.

But, she didn't wake up one morning and begin jogging ten miles that

day. If she tried to do that, chances are she'd be too sore to run

again for quite awhile.

No, it's likely she began with much smaller steps, perhaps walking

three times a week, working up to every day. She might have

alternated her steps with jogging until at last, she was out there

jogging every day.

So you see, she didn't start out jogging. Her starting point was

walking.

And so it is with saving... one small step at a time.

For you, previous commitments and lack of time may be important

factors. You'd like to begin saving money, but your gut tells you

that your methods must be compatible with your lifestyle. If they're

easily done, that's even better. So, you'll want to find methods of

saving that will keep you out of the overwhelm mode.

If you live a somewhat hectic lifestyle, food may be one of your

largest expenses. Eating out at lunchtime, not having time to pack

the kids' lunches, or eating dinner out several times a week all add

up.

So, if you're a busy person who spends extra money on food due to

your schedule, let's think of this as your starting point.

TIP: The most important strategy you can implement is to always use

your least busy evening (or day) to get started.

Below are some examples of how you might find and set up your own

starting point.

Spend Less on Lunches

a) Pick one night of the week when you have the least amount of

errands or running to do after work. This is the perfect evening to

pack a lunch for you or the kids.

b) Pack lunches only on your chosen day when starting out.

c) Once you've done this for about a month, pick one more

evening/day that would work well with your schedule.

d) Immediately tuck away the amount of money you've saved through

making lunches. That's your reward! Write yourself a check if need

be.

You could also use that money and save even more by stocking up on

sale items (buy only items you use on a regular basis.) This way,

you'll never be caught off guard with no food in your pantry or

freezer.

Spend Less Eating Out

Since dinner costs more to eat out, you'll save more money by

finding a simple solution to eating out less at dinnertime.

To cut back on eating out, simply use your least busy evening/day to

cook up a double batch of food. Freeze the extra as a backup meal

for one of your busiest evenings.

Spend Less on Groceries

Try spending just five dollars less when grocery shopping. Do it for

a month or so. Then practice spending seven dollars less during the

next month's grocery shopping. If possible, shop on your least busy

day/evening.

These are all do-able. Not so much as to be overwhelming, and they

place you at a great starting point.

If your food and grocery bills are under control, consider other

ways how you might take advantage of your least busy evening or

day to tuck away some money.

So, set your starting point now. What's your least busy evening?

Which one thing can you do, one time this week?

Go for it, then do it again!