Let’s all admit this dirty little secret out in the open – it’s a lot more fun to spend money than to put it away for a rainy day. That’s why saving money has to become a habit in order for us to keep doing it month after month.

The benefits of saving money far outweigh the temporary disappointment of not making the purchase we want at the moment. Saving money gives you the freedom of lending money to yourself when you need it. That alone brings a feeling of satisfaction that is hard to put into words.

So let’s explore some simple money saving habits that anyone can start doing today to build wealth and secure your future.

Simple Money Saving Habits Anyone Can Do

1 | Find Creative Ways to Reduce Your Spending

If your expenses are so high that you can’t save as much as you’d like, it might be time to cut back. Identify nonessentials that you can spend less on, such as entertainment and dining out. Look for ways to save on your fixed monthly expenses like television and your cell phone, too.

Here are some ideas for trimming everyday expenses:

• Cancel subscriptions and memberships you don’t use—especially if they renew automatically.
• Commit to eating out only once a month and trying places that fall into the “cheap eats” category.
• Give yourself a “cooling off period”: When tempted by a nonessential purchase, wait a few days. You may be glad you passed—or ready to save up for it.

2 | Learn The Difference Between Your Wants and Your Needs

Good savers write down a list of their basic needs, their wants, and their big wishes. This ways you’re better able to tell the difference.

The problem is when our brain sees something it wants to buy, its powerful force will begin to go to work rationalizing why it’s a need instead of a want. If you learn to have a “cooling off” period when making purchases that you’re not sure about, you might by surprised how many times you actually decide to pass on it.

3 | Live on What You Can Really Afford

This is where everything begins. It’s the root of all good financial habits. In fact, if you can’t figure out how to live within your means then there really is no point in trying to set financial goals.

To “live on what you can really afford” means that you spend less than or at least equal to the amount of money you bring in each month.

If you want to live within your means, you have to know what your means actually are. Are you spending more than you make each month? Or are you able to stash a little bit of extra money into savings each month? If you can’t, you don’t have enough margin.

4 | Track Your Expenses

Tracking your expenses can be daunting because you have to be 100% honest with yourself every day about where your money is going.

However, this is the most important financial habit to have. You must be very diligent and completely honest with yourself regarding your spending.

Each evening, record everything that you and your family purchased that day. Make sure to keep all of your receipts, credit card statements, and notes so you are able to look back on each expenditure.

5 | Reduce Your Credit Card Debt

Carrying high balances on your credit cards can hurt your overall credit rating by raising your overall credit utilization rate. This is basically the percentage of available credit that you’re actually using.

It is highly recommended that your utilization rate be much lower than 30%. Your utilization rate accounts for 30% of how your credit score is calculated so it’s a pretty big deal.

Start by paying down more than your minimum balance on your highest balances and keep doing that each month until you are where you need to be.

6 | Review Your Monthly Billing Statements

You may not notice that your Internet or cell phone bill fluctuates a few dollars every now and then. This is often due to many small charges and fees that are tacked on to your monthly billing statements.

Not to mention that app you signed up for and never used or that monthly service that you thought you needed and forgot about and need to cancel.

Go through and highlight any charges on your bills that you cannot clearly determine a purpose for. If you find that you are paying a few extra dollars every month for a line item that does not make sense, call the company and try to dispute the charge.

7 | Set Up Your Savings on Auto-Pay

Setting up automatic transfers is one of the easiest ways to save. To make headway on your goals, auto-transfer a few dollars into your savings account each week.

For instance, if you’re trying to save $1,000 in six months for a new computer or a trip, automatically transfer $42 a week into your savings account.

Which ever money saving habit you choose to adopt, the point is to start practicing the habit of saving money today. There’s only one guarantee – your future self with thank you.