100 Frugal Tips in 100 Days: Tip # 81

Tip # 81 After you pay something off, keep paying yourself

This is easiest to do if you are paying something off via a monthly payment plan (car, credit cards, student loans, house, etc). It's an awesome feeling to make a final payment on something. But once that money isn't going toward something specific, it can easily get lost in your budget. Set up an automatic investment/deposit plan with your savings account for the same amount. Although if you have other "bad debt" hanging over your head, I would recommend using this "extra" money to pay it off first.