How to manage your money

Money habits work best when they run on their own. These routines automate saving, investing and paying down debt, and add a short weekly check on where your money goes.

4 routines that help

1. Not saving enough for retirement

   Automate investing $50 every payday

   Workers who had their savings raised automatically with each pay raise went from saving 3.5% to 13.6% of their pay.

2. No emergency fund

   Auto-save $50 every payday

   Money worries take up mental bandwidth, so a small cash buffer for surprise bills may ease the pressure.

3. Overspending on a budget

   Review your spending 30 minutes a week

   Reviewing the last 7 days of purchases once a week lets you spot overspending while there's still time to adjust the month.

4. Paying off credit card debt

   Automate weekly debt payments

   Automating a weekly extra payment turns paying down credit card debt into steady progress that doesn't depend on willpower.