Okay, confessions time.

I’m bad at saving money. Really, really bad.

Wait, let me amend that. I’m not so bad that I’m in severe debt or anything like that. I pay off my credit card bill each month. I even have an IRA and a 401k.

I’m just terrible at putting money aside for that rainy day fund. You know the one. The one that helps you out when you are coveting a new pair of boots for fall. The one that helps you pay for a last minute weekend getaway to Cabo. The one that allows you to spend a few extra days in Paris to make your annual vacation magical. Or, most importantly, the one that is there for you if you get sick or get laid off.

Yeah, that one. I’m horrible at that one.

{Image via Patterson Maker & Gadabout. prettystuff.tumblr.com}

I suspect that a lot of women my age are in this same boat. We’re not necessarily irresponsible with money. But, we go out with our friends. Have cocktails. Buy crap at Sephora. Get our hair did. Find five shirts on sale at J.Crew and can’t say no. And then, after all that, we pay rent. We’re well meaning, and are conscious of the fact that it’s important to save. We keep thinking “Next year. Next year I’m going to put away $X-thousand dollars. And it’ll be great.”

And then we don’t.

It’s a vicious cycle, and this month I decided to make a change. So did a friend of mine.

We were eating lunch, chatting, and she mentioned this exact topic. It was such a relief to hear that someone my age felt similarly about not remembering to save. Tough as it is to look in the mirror and realize I haven’t made saving money a huge priority, it made me feel a little better to know I wasn’t alone.

“Okay, that’s it,” I told her, “We’re ending this now. When we get to a computer, we’re going to immediately create automatic withdrawals into our savings account. And, let’s plan on giving each other $20 a week. We can each make a piggy bank, and put each other’s money in it. You can’t go to the other person and ask for your money unless you really, really need it, or reach a savings goal.”

I’m pretty excited about this new plan. At first, it was off-putting to think about $20 a week plus an additional couple-hundred into savings every month, on top of all the other expenses. But when I costed it out, I realized $20 is SO easy to put aside. Don’t eat lunch out for two days; bring it instead. Boom. There’s your $20.

The more I thought about all this, the more I wanted to kick myself for how simple it really is. And it also got me noodling on some tips that I think will help me, which I wanted to pass on. Of course, take these with a grain of salt. Like I said, I’m not the world’s authority on saving money. But everyone has to start somewhere. Right?

Set yourself up for success

Use your bank’s automatic withdrawal services to deduct money from your paycheck bi-monthly. Of course, the tough part is limiting your access to your savings account, otherwise those of us without willpower (raising hand) can just move the money back over into checking. The solution?

Find products that meet your needs

I have a savings account with ING, and since there are no access points other than an online interface (i.e., no debit card, ATM or teller access), and since it takes a few days to transfer money from my ING into my checking, that helps me avoid temptation. To use the money in this account, I have to plan ahead. Also, ING tends to have a pretty good interest rate.

Stash in multiple places

I once heard some story about a woman in Israel who had put money under mattress for years and years. It didn’t earn any interest, obviously, but over the course of her life she accrued over a million dollars in savings. I’m sure she had no idea she had that much under there! By putting money in a few different places — a CD, a savings account, and even a jar — you’ll probalby be surprised at how much it all adds up when you really do need it.

Get a saving buddy

Find a good friend you trust to help keep you accountable. If you’re saving money with a friend, they’re going to notice when you roll into brunch with a new handbag.

Learn to budget

My biggest downfall is that I didn’t learn how to do this early enough. But, I’m catching up with services like Mint.com. Mint is a free service that helps you visually see where your money is going. There are also a ton of software programs out there that can help you do the same thing. However, they can cost a lot of money — which I always found pretty ironic.

Set your goals

Part of my problem in saving is that I never had a clear picture of what I was saving for. This past year, when I was planning a big trip to France, I realized the value of setting a savings goal. I knew I needed X amount by a certain date. Even if you’re not saving for anything special, setting a goal like “I want to have ten thousand in a liquid savings account by this date, just in case I need to leave my job, or have a medical issue” can be a motivator.

Don’t “binge” save

You recognize you need to save. You do great for a month — limiting how much you eat out, not shopping, stashing some money away into your savings. After a month of being good, you splurge and have a few weeks where you overdo it. Your monthly credit card statement shows up, and you panic. And then you’re back to square one, feeling bad about yourself. Trying to save like this is no better than binge dieting. Live a little! I’ve realized that I’ll be more successful at saving money if I don’t beat myself up for not putting away a million dollars by next year. Building a nest egg takes time. I have to be okay with that. Save early, safe often, not in unrealistic spurts.

I’m definitely still learning tricks and setting boundaries for myself. What are some of your tips for saving money? I’ve love to hear them!