For the longest time, saving money felt like something I should be doing but never actually managed to do.

Every payday, I would get my salary, pay for what needed to be paid, spend on the things I wanted, and somehow end up with almost nothing left.

Saving always felt like something I would do “when I have enough money.”

The problem? I never seemed to have enough.

Eventually, I realised that if I wanted to save, I couldn’t just wait for money to magically be left over at the end of the month. I had to actually make saving part of my routine.

Today, I’m able to keep around 17% of my total income as savings. It didn’t happen overnight, and I definitely didn’t start by putting away a huge amount.

Here are the five things that helped me get there.

1. I Increased My Sources of Income

The first thing I realised was that there was only so much I could cut from my expenses.

There are plenty of ways to save money, but if your income is limited, constantly trying to spend less can only take you so far.

So instead of focusing entirely on cutting expenses, I started looking for ways to increase my income.

Having additional sources of income gave me more breathing room. Instead of every peso being assigned to an expense, I finally had a little extra that I could put toward my savings.

It also changed my mindset.

I stopped thinking, “How can I survive on what I have?” and started thinking, “How can I increase what I have?”

2. I Pay My Bills Immediately

One of the biggest changes I made was paying my bills as soon as I received my salary.

Before, I would look at my bank balance and think, “Wow, I have this much money!”

Then I would spend throughout the month and slowly watch that amount disappear.

Now, once I receive my salary, I immediately take care of my bills.

That way, I know exactly how much money I actually have available for everything else.

It’s much easier to make responsible spending decisions when you know that your rent, utilities, subscriptions, loans, and other obligations have already been taken care of.

3. I Categorised My Money

I also stopped treating my entire salary as one big pile of money.

I started dividing it into three basic categories:

Needs – food, transportation, groceries and other everyday necessities.

Bills – fixed payments and financial obligations that have to be paid.

Savings – money that I intentionally set aside and try not to touch.

This sounds simple, but separating the categories made a huge difference for me.

When I know that a certain amount is for savings, I don’t look at it as money that I can spend.

It’s no longer “extra money sitting in my account.”

It’s my savings.

4. I Started Small

This is probably one of the most important lessons I’ve learned.

When I first started saving, I didn’t try to save a huge percentage of my income.

I started with an amount that felt almost too easy.

The goal wasn’t to become a perfect saver immediately. The goal was to build the habit.

Even if the amount was small, I could look at my account and say, “At least I saved something this month.”

Eventually, saving became normal.

Once I became comfortable with the amount I was putting away, I gradually increased it.

And that’s how I eventually worked my way toward my current goal of keeping 17% of my total income.

For me, consistency mattered more than starting big.

5. I Stopped Buying Things Just Because I Could

This one was probably the hardest.

I had to become more honest with myself about the difference between wanting something and actually needing it.

Just because I could afford something didn’t mean I needed to buy it.

I also stopped constantly “treating myself” whenever I had a little extra money.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying your money. I still treat myself sometimes. But I realised that if every stressful week, good day, bad day, payday or minor accomplishment became a reason to buy something, I would never get ahead financially.

Now, before buying something unnecessary, I ask myself:

“Do I actually want this, or do I just want the feeling of buying something?”

That little question has saved me a lot of money.

From $0 to 17%

Looking back, I don’t think there was one magical thing that suddenly made me good at saving.

It was a combination of small changes.

I increased my income.

I paid my bills first.

I gave every part of my money a category.

I started saving small amounts and gradually increased them.

And I became more intentional about what I spent my money on.

Most importantly, I stopped waiting for the perfect financial situation to start saving.

I started with what I had.

Going from $0 savings to keeping 17% of my income has made me realise that saving isn’t necessarily about earning a huge salary or never enjoying life.

Sometimes, it’s simply about being intentional with the money you already have.

And honestly, seeing that savings percentage slowly increase over time feels much better than any impulse purchase ever did.