Start with $5; Get $12,000

This story about how a writer who saves every $5 bill she comes across, and in three years has amassed $12,000, is the most e-mailed story today on Boston.com.

I had a similar idea in my 31 Days of Saving article, though I suggested saving $1 bills. (Maybe fives is the better way to go). I’ve never tried it, but I’ll bet it works wonders. The closest I’ve come was when I worked at Starbucks I received cash tips of between $10 and $30 a week. I stashed those away and had over $1,000 in less than a year. Do you set aside cash for savings? How do you do it?

Related Posts

What's Next?

Reading this site, you're already ahead of most people when it comes to your finances. Why not keep going? Help secure your financial future. Take action today:

Join the Conversation!

What's your take on this story? Have a related question or comment? Share it now in a comment:

reply

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