After the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the wallet can feel thin in January. For those who want to get started with their savings and actually manage to keep their savings promise, there are some tips.
– Start small, start small, says Micael Dahlén, professor at the Stockholm School of Economics.
After the spending of the weekends, January can be the starting point for new financial habits. To be successful with saving, a tip is to set a clear goal and know why you are saving.
– In a weak moment, I promised my children that we would buy a sports car within the next three years, says parent Jacob Almstedt.
In addition to having a clear purpose and time frame for your savings, Micael Dahlén recommends automatic monthly savings, so that you don’t have to use your willpower every time you set aside money. But then it is also required that there is enough money in the account.
– Start small, start small. If you immediately at the beginning of the month put aside the money you want to save instead of thinking “I’ll do it when I see how much I have left”, because then the risk is that you won’t have anything left, he says.
That’s how much we save per month
We save everything from a few hundred Swedish kroner to several thousand kroner a month. According to the online broker Avanza, their customers saved an average of SEK 4,600 a month in 2024, and at competitor Nordnet, the monthly savings was SEK 1,700.
TV4 Nyheterna has asked people in town how to succeed in saving. Many believe that it is important to keep track of the money so that you don’t waste it on small things.
– I think the best thing is not to fall for all this stuff that all the influencers say you must have. But do I really need this, or is it just because I follow some influencer who thinks I should have it, Isabell Jardhammar asks herself.
Save together
For those who find it difficult to save, the economics professor suggests a way that can increase motivation.
– Save together with someone, a friend, family member or similar. It’s easier to do together. You keep an eye on each other and encourage each other, and what’s more, it can be something extra wonderful you do together once you’ve saved up, says Micael Dahlén.