Frugal gets a bad rep. It does! But it doesn’t have to. You could reclaim frugality so you can live your best life.

Why would you want to save money?

Money provides freedom. And a whole hell of a lot of it. When you’re just starting out, you don’t have a lot of money, ergo you don’t have a lot of freedom. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can have MORE freedom. How? Yes, by making more money, but also by being smart with the money you have!!

A safety net account is money you need if you get a horrible roommate and have to move out immediately. Or if you require an emergency dental surgery. It’s money to help if you get laid off (and in today’s job climate with mergers and such, it’s vital).

The first step is starting a rainy day fund. Set aside money every day so you can save up three to six months of money.

How?

Be mindful of the money you’re spending. Do you need to be spending the money? Yes, you have to shell out for rent, food and utilities. But do you have to spend out for new clothes, dinner out or for fancy workout classes? Or can you find cheaper alternatives?

Go on a spending “diet.” Allocate an amount you would prefer to spend on the essentials and cut back in other areas. Sub out a fancy coffee for homemade coffee and sock it away.

Rope in your friends to help. Instead of going out, stay in and make it fun to stay in. The more folks on board to save money, the easier it will become.

Start small but do it consistently. Make incremental progress each day. Set a goal such as you’ll save $100 a month and actually do it every month. That’s only about $3/day.

Make it automatic. Set up automatic transfers from your checking to your savings account.Takes out the guesswork so it’s consistent and done for you.

Incrementally saving money so you have 3-6 months of a security net will ensure you’re prepared if anything comes up. As soon as you’ve got it, do not touch it. You’ve worked hard to build it up. Hands off. And congrats on your first step of being financially free.