The key to personal finance is spending what you need to spend but saving some of your paycheck as well. Whether your savings is in a low-interest gaining account or mutual funds and stocks, it is always important to set something aside for your future. Before you can decide whether to feed a stock portfolio or a company 401k plan, first follow these three simple steps to start saving today.

1. Have your paychecks directly deposited with a small part of that check set aside for savings. Most employers can handle this for you with some simple paperwork. For instance, you can have 95 percent of your check deposited directly into your checking account with the remaining five percent deposited into savings. The easiest money to save is the money you never see.
2. Don’t walk around with large amounts of cash in your wallet. It is tempting on payday to put a large chunk of your cashed check into your wallet. Unfortunately, this can encourage frivolous spending on items you really don’t need simply because you have the money with you. Instead, put a small amount of your paycheck on a card such as Vision Prepaid. These cards are almost universally accepted and you won’t be able to spend more than what you have prepaid on the card.
3. Leave your savings alone. A savings isn’t really a savings if you are constantly dipping into the fund for exotic purchases like vacations or a new car. This shouldn’t be a rainy day fund. Instead, this is money set aside for your future or very important matters. Pretend the money does not exist and it will be there for you when you need it the most.