More than 40% of people in their twenties don’t have any type of savings account.  Other people say they would save, but they just can’t find any money in the budget to set aside.  Here are a few ways everyone can save some money without even realizing you’re saving it (and you aren’t likely to notice you’ve saved it either!)

1)  Get a Bank of America “Keep the Change” account.  Whenever you use your check card to make a purchase, the change is rounded up to the nearest dollar and debited from your checking/savings account.  The difference is deposited into a savings account for you.  So if you’re purchase comes to $11.50, the debit will be $12.00 and the extra .50 cents is placed into your savings account automatically.  When you’ve saved a substantial amount, you can move it to a higher interest savings option of your choice.

If you don’t want to use Bank of America, you could actually do this manually, but you will “realize” you’re saving a little more than if you use the automatic Keep the Change account of Bank of America.  Everytime you make a purchase, transfer the change to your savings account online.

 2) Use Upromise and connect it to all of your bank cards and credit cards.  Whenever you use your cards to make a purchase, you could be putting aside some savings offered through the Upromise network which can then be used towards a child’s education or placed in a 529 account.

3) Replace your lightbulbs with the energy saving ones.  They cost a bit more initially, but they last 5 to 10 times longer than a regular lightbulb and consume less electricity when turned on.  Turn off the lights, television and other electronics when they’re not being used, and replace appliances with the energy-saver versions whenever it’s time to buy new ones.  The money you save on your electric bill will be considerable; not to mention you’re helping the environment.

5) Let your car save you money.  If you properly inflate your tires you can increase your car’s fuel efficiency.  Changing your air filter and driving under 60 miles per hour all help your gas go further too, as does having a gas cap that fits properly (reduces the amount of gas that evaporates before it’s used).  None of these things require a ton of effort on your part; but will go a long way in saving you money.