Saving is a financial goal for many Americans. But when you only have so much extra cash left over after paying all your living expenses, saving may feel impossible. Don't let your current financial situation keep you from saving. Even a small amount of money saved can add up. Setting aside $200 per month is an excellent place to start.
Here are two ways you can put $200 per month to great use as you work to reach your financial goals.
1. Earn free money as you establish an emergency fund
A solid emergency fund can save the day when you must cover an unexpected cost. If you don't yet have an emergency fund, it's never too late to start building one. By contributing $200 each month, your fund will add up throughout the year -- $2,400 is a solid amount of cash.
Since most checking accounts don't earn interest, keeping your extra funds in a savings account is smart. One option is a high-yield savings account. Many of the best high-yield savings accounts offer annual percentage yields (APYs) of 4.5% or more. With this type of account, you can access the funds at any time without penalty.
So, how much extra cash can you earn from interest as your cash sits in the bank? If you keep $2,400 in a high-yield savings account with a 4.5% APY for one year, you'll earn around $108, depending on how frequent the interest is compounded. That's much much better than earning $0 by keeping it stashed in your checking account.
Your balance will grow if you continue to put $200 per month into your account. You'll also benefit from compound interest, which is interest earned on interest. This could be an excellent way to put $200 per month to good use as you work to improve your finances.
2. Focus on long-term growth by investing your extra cash
Another option is investing. However, you should know there's no guaranteed return when investing your money. You'll need to be comfortable taking risks and remember that returns can fluctuate. But investing can produce good returns. Over the last 30 years, the stock market has had an average annual return of around 10%, as measured by the S&P 500.
Investing using a tax-advantaged retirement account could be a good option if you already have a sizable emergency fund. One option is a traditional IRA account. With this type of account, your contributions may be tax deductible. Plus, your earnings won't be taxed until you take a distribution. You can open a traditional IRA with a brokerage firm.
Are you wondering how much your money can grow as you invest your extra cash to save for your retirement years? Let's imagine you decide to invest $200 per month for the next 30 years. Here's a look at the potential account growth after 10, 20, and 30 years with an 8.5% annual rate of return using the compound interest calculator from Investor.gov.
| Time Invested | Total Money Invested | Estimated Total Balance |
|---|
| 10 years | $24,000 | $35,604.24 |
| 20 years | $48,000 | $116,104.83 |
| 30 years | $72,000 | $298,115.34 |
Data source: Author's calculations
Don't delay saving for your future
It's never too late to start saving for the future. Whether you choose to put your savings toward building an emergency fund or focus on long-term growth by investing for retirement, your future self will be glad that you prioritized your personal finances. Even if you can only afford to set aside $200 per month -- it's worthwhile to get started now.
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FAQs
You can put $200 monthly into a high-yield savings account and earn interest as you work to build an emergency fund. Another option is to contribute to a tax-advantaged account, like a traditional IRA, which could be a good move if you want to focus on long-term growth as you plan for your retirement years.
How much will I have if I save $200 a month? ›
Investing as little as $200 a month can, if you do it consistently and invest wisely, turn into more than $150,000 in as soon as 20 years. If you keep contributing the same amount for another 20 years while generating the same average annual return on your investments, you could have more than $1.2 million.
What is a realistic amount to save per month? ›
At least 20% of your income should go towards savings. Meanwhile, another 50% (maximum) should go toward necessities, while 30% goes toward discretionary items. This is called the 50/30/20 rule of thumb, and it provides a quick and easy way for you to budget your money.
Is saving $300 a month good? ›
Putting aside $300 per month by the age of 39 could set you up to be a millionaire by the time you retire. Investing in exchange-traded funds is a good way to minimize risk and simplify your overall investing strategy.
What if you save $100 dollars a month? ›
Your Retirement Savings If You Save $100 a Month in a 401(k)
If you're age 25 and have 40 years to save until retirement, depositing $100 a month into a savings account earning the current average U.S. interest rate of 0.42% APY would get you to just $52,367 in retirement savings — not great.
Can only save $200 a month? ›
You can put $200 monthly into a high-yield savings account and earn interest as you work to build an emergency fund. Another option is to contribute to a tax-advantaged account, like a traditional IRA, which could be a good move if you want to focus on long-term growth as you plan for your retirement years.
Is $600 a month savings good? ›
But when it comes to what they need to be saving, it depends. So, if we're starting with a 30-year-old, they should be probably saving close to $580, $600, at least, a month. And that's if they're going to earn a high rate of return. So it depends on how aggressive and risky that they're looking to be.
Is saving $500 a month a lot? ›
Having a plan for your savings account is key to managing and growing your finances. Saving $500 a month is an excellent starting point. Yes, it's ambitious, but it's achievable and will set you up financially over time.
How much money should a 23 year old have saved? ›
Rule of thumb? Aim to have three to six months' worth of expenses set aside. To figure out how much you should have saved for emergencies, simply multiply the amount of money you spend each month on expenses by either three or six months to get your target goal amount.
How much do I need to save a month to get $10,000? ›
To reach $10,000 in one year, you'll need to save $833.33 each month. To break it down even further, you'll need to save $192.31 each week or $27.40 every day. These smaller chunks are much more realistic and simple to comprehend, making it easier to track your progress.
How $100 a month can help make you wealthy
| If you invest $100 a month for this many years... | ...this is how much you'll end up with. |
|---|
| 5 | $8,058.73 |
| 10 | $21,037.40 |
| 15 | $41,939.68 |
| 20 | $75,603.00 |
2 more rowsOct 1, 2023
Either way, you haven't hit your peak earning years, so you're not earning a lot. However, a good rule of thumb for a 21-year-old is to have $6,000 in a savings account for emergencies and long-term financial goals.
Is $1,000 a month a lot to save? ›
Saving £1,000 a month could have a substantial impact on your long-term financial well-being. At an average interest rate of 2.35%, saving £1000 a month for ten years would result in a total savings of around £130,994. It's crucial to strike a balance between saving and meeting your current financial needs.
Is saving $$200 a month good? ›
Saving $200 a month is sufficient and effective for those who don't have a lot of financial power to start building a second source of income, if the author of this project is educated enough financially, in 4 years, this source of income could provide him with a salary equal to or greater than that of his job.
How much is $200 a month for 20 years? ›
Many retirement planners suggest using a more modest annual return of 6% when forecasting the long-term performance of a portfolio. At 6%, after 20 years the $200-a-month portfolio would be worth $93,070.
What happens if you save $1 dollar a day? ›
Over the same period of time, that one dollar a day will earn $6690 in interest over 30 years and you'll end up with $17,492. If you manage to secure a 5% interest rate, your 30 years of adding one dollar a day will earn you $14,186 in interest, with the end result tallying $24,989.
How much is $200 a month for a year? ›
$200 monthly is how much per year? If you make $200 per month, your Yearly salary would be $2,400. This result is obtained by multiplying your base salary by the amount of hours, week, and months you work in a year, assuming you work 40 hours a week. How much tax do I pay if I make $200 per month?
Is $200 a month good for investing? ›
If you're investing $200 per month while earning a 10% average annual return, you'd have around $395,000 after 30 years. While that's a long time to invest, keep in mind that this investment requires next to no effort. All the stocks are chosen for you, and you never need to decide when to buy or sell.
How much per month to save $10,000 in a year? ›
To reach $10,000 in one year, you'll need to save $833.33 each month. To break it down even further, you'll need to save $192.31 each week or $27.40 every day. These smaller chunks are much more realistic and simple to comprehend, making it easier to track your progress.
How much is $200 a week for a month? ›
If you make $200 per week, your Monthly salary would be $867.
