Saving money is a common goal, but it can also feel daunting and overwhelming because our finances are a source of stress for many of us. While there is no quick fix for financial anxiety, we can do many little things to help ease our concerns and work towards increasing our savings so that this goal is far less overwhelming. Here are nine things you can do to help you reach your goal.

1. Track Your Spending

Tracking your spending is one of the first things you can do to start you on the path to saving successfully. Tracking lets you see where your money is going, enabling you to evaluate potential areas to cut costs and determine whether you live within or beyond your means.

Make a list of your spending for the past month or two by looking over your bank and credit card statements or sorting through receipts if you use cash. With this list in hand, you can see where you’re spending your money (for example, whether your money is going to essentials like rent, food, and utilities or non-essentials like eating out), and you’ll have a starting point for building realistic and measurable goals and a budget.

2. Have a Defined Goal (or Goals)

Once you have an overview of your spending habits, you can start shaping SMART goals that align with your spending, current income, and short- and long-term plans. Common savings goals include building an emergency fund, saving for a holiday, buying a home, starting a family, and retiring. Knowing why you are saving, rather than just saving because you should, can help you stay committed to your goal and reach it faster.

Your savings “why” can also help determine a concrete savings amount to work towards. For instance, if you’re saving to build an emergency fund, you can look at your typical monthly spending and multiply your total spending by three. Doing this will give you the amount you need for a three-month emergency fund that will allow you to continue life as usual in the event of losing a job, getting sick, or an unexpected event.

3. Budget

With set goals, you can shape a budget that will help you achieve your goals. You can determine how much of your income will go to each savings goal and essential and non-essential expenses. A good practice to remember with a budget is that it’s not set in stone. You’ll want to come back and reevaluate it from time to time.

4. Reduce Spending

Once you have a budget in place and start tracking your spending, you can identify areas where you can cut costs. It may be as simple as canceling unused expenses (like subscriptions to services or apps you don’t use) to more time-consuming, cost-reducing habits like meal planning and prepping, flyer shopping, or hunting for deals (like finding a casino bonus if you enjoy gaming in your spare time and want to reduce your spending on it without giving it up entirely).

5. Automate Your Savings

Once your budget is set up, you’ll know how much you want to save each month. To make saving even easier, you can set up your banking to automate your savings. Rather than manually transferring money to your savings accounts, set up an automated transfer for each payday. You’ll be saving towards your goals on autopilot, so you don’t have to think or stress about it the rest of the time.

6. Open a High-Interest Savings Account

To help your savings grow, consider using a high-yield savings account to earn more interest. This type of account will essentially earn you free money, making it a great place to hold your emergency fund or savings for a holiday.

7. Start Investing

Another way to help your savings grow, particularly for long-term goals like retirement, is to start investing. Investing typically offers higher returns than high-interest savings accounts, helping your savings keep pace with inflation and grow over time.

It’s important to note, however, that if you have debt, it’s usually better to pay off your debt before starting to invest, as the interest you have to pay on debt outweighs the gains you’d make from investing—although exceptions like mortgages exist. If you’re unsure how to invest or whether it’s right for you, consider consulting a financial advisor.

8. Earn Cashback

One of the best ways to have your spending habits work for you is to take advantage of cashback programs. These allow you to earn cashback on purchases you’re already making, helping you save more. A popular way to get cashback is to look for a cashback or rewards credit card that offers points for spending in specific categories.

9. Increase Your Income

If, after tracking your spending, creating a budget, and cutting costs, you still feel like you’re not reaching your savings goals or aren’t reaching them as quickly as you’d like, you may want to consider ways to increase your income. You can do this by asking for a raise, finding a second job, taking on freelance work, or starting a side hustle.

Conclusion

Saving more money can feel daunting, but when you break down the task into realistic goals, it becomes less overwhelming and more attainable. Begin with tracking your spending and then see how you can shape your budget and spending around your goals. You may find that you need to increase your income or decrease your spending on non-essentials to reach your goals, but once you achieve that goal, you’ll be grateful to your past self for setting you on the path to success.