5 minutes setting up automatic transfers on my phone made saving money completely painless - and borderline fun

• To get the most value from my high-yield savings account, I set up automatic deposits twice per month.
• Automatic deposits keep my balance growing effortlessly, encourage me to save more, make saving painless, and sweep money into an account where it can grow with more interest.
• Automatic deposits took about five minutes to set up on my phone. Since doing it, I've seen my balance grow while putting less effort into my saving.
• See Business Insider's picks for the best high-yield savings accounts »

While I'm great at cutting costs and saving money, I'm not always the best at stashing the money away.

I've got big money goals, and I'm currently saving for a down payment on a house. While I think about this goal often, remembering to actually make deposits into my preferred savings spot, a high-yield savings account, isn't always high on my list.

So, I did something that changed how I save: I automated deposits from my checking account into my high-yield savings account. It's easy - I logged into my bank's app on my phone and instructed it to automatically transfer the same amount of money from checking to savings after every payday.

By doing this, I never have to think about saving - it just happens. It's been helpful for consistency, and I've prioritized and increased my savings because it all happens automatically. I never forget to move my money.

I never forget to save anymore

Let's be honest: Saving for a future goal probably isn't on your mind every day.

Life is busy and full of distractions, and it's so easy to forget to initiate that transfer. If you're making deposits automatically, it's impossible to forget to save one month. You don't have to think about it, and it makes saving one less item on the monthly to-do list.

I'm always excited to check my balance

Checking on my high-yield savings account is something I look forward to now. With automatic deposits set up twice monthly, my balance grows twice per month. I generally check my account on my phone, and twice per month when I open my app, I see that my balance is higher, and I love that feeling. Every month, I feel like I've given myself a surprise gift.

It's made saving painless because I don't notice the money is gone

Even though I'm saving aggressively, I don't feel the pain of a large transfer out of my account. When it all happens automatically, I don't think much about it. It makes saving feel like something that I have to do, not something that's optional. By setting up automatic savings, the money just goes into the other account where it earns more interest seamlessly. I can't imagine a simpler way to build wealth than to "hide" the money from my checking account in an account where it earns lots of interest.

Automating my savings has made my account more useful, and I save more because of it

No matter how high your interest rate is, your savings account only grows as much as you're willing to put into it. Whether you're saving for a down payment or are working towards saving for a car, vacation, or another financial goal, you've probably noticed that your deposits are what really makes your account grow. By keeping that savings account growing automatically, I never miss an opportunity to save.

It's also encouraged me to save more. When I have a little bit of extra cash left over at the end of the month, I add that to my high-yield savings account on top of the amount that has already gone in through the twice-monthly deposit.

Setting up automatic deposits from my checking account to my high-yield savings account has made saving simpler and more rewarding. I'm reaching my goals quicker and with less effort than I ever did by making manual transfers and deposits, and the automation has made the process simple and painless.

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