Now Or Never: How To Start Saving Money Immediately

Anyone who has been able to save money and amass some sort of savings account or emergency fund will tell you that their success didn't happen overnight, but was the product of months and years of budgeting and spending that wasn't overblown.

But that doesn't mean that saving money can't happen right away. Granted, the idea of saving is a marathon and not a sprint, but you still can start making money moves that are going to put cash in your pocket without wasting one more minute of ice.

You can start with a quick glance at your budget and eliminate items that you have convinced yourself you can't live without when in actuality it's the exact opposite.

Let's say your average cable bill is around $240, and that includes all the bells and whistles. Why not start thinking about pairing that down to the basics or putting together another plan that incorporates lesser alternatives, such as a $50 internet plan and a few streaming options at around $10 to $12 a piece. You could easily keep that cable bill at or a few dollars under a $100.

That can save you more than a $1,000 per year and over the course of your next 20 years working, that's $20,000 to put toward retirement.

And speaking of retirement, why not start paying into a retirement plan? If you're not doing so and your company offers some sort of 401K, you're missing out on the money when they match your contribution either dollar for dollar or at 50 percent to your total.

The general rule of thumb about budgeting and saving money is that you have to go without, and that isn't always the case. If you love to shop for clothes, do so in the off-season, such as buying a winter jacket in June or shorts in the winter months. You'll save about 50 percent off the sticker price, and still have the same clothing you longed for during the season, minus the hefty price tag.

Saving money might seem like a daunting process if you haven't been able to do so, and often we don't think saving is even possible with only a few dollars set aside at the moment. But you can't get to your goal of having a reasonable, respectable chunk of change in the bank without starting somewhere, in this case with budget cuts that are can't-miss.