{"id":162,"date":"2016-07-19T01:36:59","date_gmt":"2016-07-19T01:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/financialaid.syr.edu\/ofl\/?page_id=162"},"modified":"2021-12-20T17:41:38","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T17:41:38","slug":"pay-yourself-first","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/financialaid.syr.edu\/financialliteracy\/financial-basics\/pay-yourself-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Pay Yourself First"},"content":{"rendered":"

By paying\u00a0yourself before others, you are\u00a0building the habits and discipline it takes to gain peace of mind with an emergency fund, save for large purchases and trips, and invest for long-term wealth building. Learn these steps now so that you can be ready to apply them when you transition to a career.<\/p>\n

How Do I Pay Myself First?<\/h2>\n
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  1. Open a savings or money market account at your local bank or credit union of choice.<\/li>\n
  2. Each pay period, create your budget and title\u00a0the first expense “savings.” Set a fixed amount or a percentage that you are going to save right away.<\/li>\n
  3. Once you are\u00a0paid, immediately transfer the money into your savings account manually or via\u00a0auto-transfer.<\/li>\n
  4. Build up emergency savings for unexpected events in this account.<\/li>\n
  5. Once your emergency fund is fully funded (three to six months’ cost of living expenses), identify your most important short, medium, and long-term goals.\u00a0Estimate how much each of these goals will cost.<\/li>\n
  6. Set up a separate savings or investment account for each of your major goals. When you’re ready, talk to an investment professional to help determine your investment plan based on your time frame and tolerance for risk.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Saving and Investing 101<\/h2>\n

    Once you have your emergency fund in place, start thinking about retirement savings and investments. To save for large expenses\u00a0like a down payment on a home or a car, consider starting a separate savings account outside of your regular checking and emergency fund accounts. Label\u00a0the account and allocate\u00a0a fixed amount to it every month until you hit your goal. To save\u00a0for longer-term goals like your children’s education\u00a0and your retirement, talk to a licensed professional about your tolerance for risk and your investment strategy. Take the time now to read up on stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and further your saving and investing knowledge.<\/p>\n

    Resources<\/h2>\n