3 daily saving exercises

Listen to the behavioral economists and you would know that the best way to save is to make it automatic. People who put their savings on automatic pilot save more, and save effortlessly.

(The reason is that once you've got cash in hand, your primitive brain is far more likely to drag you to a store to spend it than to save the money for some far-off goal. Best to just make the bucks disappear before you get your paws on 'em.)

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Look at me: A born spender, I have coaxed myself into being a saver--thanks to automatic transfers--and now have $5,632 in my saving accounts (which includes a big one for emergencies, and smaller ones for vacation and necessities--not retirement, which is separate).

But an equally important habit that boosts savings is to do three little things things every day--I just did them right now, they only take a few minutes:

1) Log onto your checking account. If there is some spare cash in there, sweep it into savings.
2) Empty your wallet. Or at least take out the smaller bills and stash them in your sock drawer (current total in my accessory drawer: $27).
3) Plan one way to save today. Bring lunch instead of buying it. Vow to drink the FREE office coffee instead of lovely lattes. If you have after-work plans, scale them back (Netflix and pizza at your house sounds great to me). Leave your plastic at home for a day (it might need to rest).