Saving money is less about spreadsheets and more about psychology. Most people fail to save not because they lack income, but because they lack structure.

The trick is to hide money from yourself before you can spend it. That’s why automatic transfers work; they exploit our laziness for good.

When your salary lands, set a scheduled debit to move R250 every week into a separate account. You’ll never notice the subtraction, but you will notice the accumulation.

Behavioural economists call this “mental accounting”. It’s the same principle that makes you hesitate to spend a full R1 000, but not blink at four R250 purchases. By splitting your savings goal into smaller chunks, you turn self-discipline into default behaviour.

Banks know this: they’ve built “goal saver” features that reward consistency over size. A year of quiet discipline will deliver R12 000 – enough for a small emergency fund or the start of an investment habit.

After setting up the scheduled debit orders one should redirect found money, bonuses, refunds, and birthday cash straight into savings. That money isn’t in your monthly budget, so it won’t be missed. Psychologically, it’s “free”, but financially it’s gold.

The truth is that saving painlessly is about design, not willpower. Automate, divide, and forget. By making saving invisible, you make it inevitable.