The fastest honest routes
Automate $10 a week
Ten weeks, zero decisions. Most banks schedule recurring transfers in two minutes.
Sell one thing
The console you don't play, the bike in the garage: one listing often clears $100 alone.
Bank one cut
Cancel one forgotten subscription and move its exact amount to savings monthly. $15/month is $100 by summer.
Round-up sweeps
Card round-ups quietly gather $15-$40 a month — set it and check back.
Set it up right the first time
Separate account, boring bank distance
Not a shoebox (fire, theft, temptation) and not checking (spending gravity). A savings account one transfer away.
Name it
'Emergencies' converts a number into a promise. Named accounts get raided less.
Tell one person
Accountability is free performance enhancement. A partner, a friend, a sticky note on the fridge.
Sources: CFPB — Start Small, Save Up