To get your new year’s saving resolutions off to a healthy start, we ran a sweepstakes on the Get Rich Slowly Facebook page. More than 300 (310, to be exact) people told us what their new year’s goals were, and from those entries, we randomly chose winners to receive $50 gift cards. And the winners are… (drumroll):
Linda Beuthe
Michael Brewer
Lynn DeRocco
Erika Imhoff
Amy Lee
Andrea Neuschuez
Congratulations! To collect your gift cards, please email socialmedia@getrichslowly.org with your name and address so that we can send out your gift cards immediately.
Goals for 2013
Lucky winner Michael Brewer has set himself a goal that should be easy to achieve: “I want to save a dollar in the first week of the year, 2 dollars in the second week, 3 dollars in the third week, etc., etc.” By our calculation, Michael will save $1,378 – not a massive amount, but his method is easy and kind of fun.
Among the common savings themes from all of the entrants were saving for a home down payment, fully funding an emergency account, and paying off credit card debt and school loans.
Many others are plowing cash into 401(k) plans and other retirement savings vehicles.
Reader Peter Young has an ambitious retirement savings goal: “I will take one out of every two paychecks and save the ENTIRE thing toward retirement. (Above and beyond maxing out pretax options.)”
Another reader, Jon McKenzie, is planning to kick soda and fast food to rev up his retirement savings: “I am taking my soda and fast food money and adding it to my Roth IRA savings. I figure by cutting back on these things I can easily save $30 a week, so I have set up an automatic transfer at the end of the month for an additional $120 into the Roth IRA fund. And as a bonus…by cutting back on soda and fast food I will be around to enjoy my retirement!”
Reader Cathy Curtis is giving up buying things too: “My 2013 New Year’s Savings resolution is to Not Buy Any Clothing, Jewelry, Accessories or Shoes for 365 days starting January 1, 2013.”
Alona Capehart is saving for the next generation: “We were blessed with our first grandchild last month. We are starting a savings account for him beginning this year. We have already budgeted a specific amount to be deposited each month.”
Thanks to everyone who gave us their ideas for saving in 2013. Let us know how you’re doing in your quest for savings and please share your ideas to inspire others.
GRS is committed to helping our readers save and achieve your financial goals.Savings interest rates may be low, but that’s all the more reason to shop for the best rate.Find the highest savings interest rate from Ally Bank, Capital One 360, Everbank, and more.
This article is about Debt, Retirement, Savings
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
Discover is a paid advertiser of this site. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the Discover online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards.
SEARCH FOR RECENT ARTICLES
Sad I didn’t win, but Congrats to those who did. I’m doing well so far in my quest to pay off the mortgage! My advice: just stick with it. It takes discipline to do something for the entire year, which I suspect is why most people fail. The key is to not beat yourself up when you begin to slip, and instead use it as a learning opportunity, and get back on track.
loading....
Congrats to the winners! Peter Young’s plan of a 50% savings rate is aggressive and impressive!
I’d also commend Jon McKenzie on giving up fast food, though I hope it’s implied he’s packing his lunch; “slow” food is usually more, not less expensive
loading....
Samantha, every time you make thay extra payment to the principle of your mortgage, always remember that you will never have to pay interest on those dollars again. Give yourself a pat on the back for owning another piece of your life.
loading....