When I looked back at my financial situation a year ago, I felt that there was never enough money left in my account at the end of the month. It would run out within a few days of receiving my salary, and waiting for the next one to arrive made me feel insecure. With everyday expenses, going to the store, small shopping trips, and buying things I saw on social media, I couldn’t even know exactly where my money was going. If this situation continued, I realized that if I had an emergency in the future or if I had to achieve my desired goals, I would have no financial security. At that moment, I decided that no matter how little I earned, I would start saving at least 10% of it consistently. Although it wasn’t a big amount, I felt it was important to start.

The challenges I faced in the first few months were enormous. First of all, it was difficult to decide exactly how much “10%” meant and where to cut it. Since I hadn’t made a list of my monthly expenses, it took me a while to sort out which expenses were essential and which were unnecessary. Second, the power of habit was very strong. Things like going to cafes for coffee, going out with friends, and shopping online were things that happened automatically to me, and I found it very difficult to give them up or reduce them at first. There were times when I failed to meet my savings goal in some months, and then I felt frustrated and discouraged. Third, some of my family and friends didn’t take my decision very seriously. I often heard questions like, “You still have a little money, what are you going to do with it?” Although this affected me mentally, I tried to stick to my decision. Also, since I didn’t have any savings habits until then, my knowledge of basic financial matters like bank account types and automatic transfers was also limited. So, I had to spend time and effort gaining that basic knowledge. But despite all these challenges, seeing that I had even a small amount left in my account at the end of the first month gave me great satisfaction and encouragement.

After my first month of experience, I realized that to save consistently, I needed to follow a planned approach. So, I decided to create a monthly budget. First, I started writing down my monthly income and all my daily expenses. I used a small book for the first week, but it soon became too cumbersome, so I started using an online budget app. This app allowed me to categorize my expenses by category, such as food, transportation, bills, entertainment, and savings. This allowed me to clearly identify which areas of my money were being spent the most.

One of the main methods I used in planning my budget was an adaptation of the “50/30/20” rule. That is, 50% of my income was for essential expenses, such as rent, food, and travel, 30% was for non essentials that I wanted, such as entertainment and shopping, and the remaining 20% was for savings and debt payments. Of that, I was especially careful to set aside 10% exclusively for savings. To achieve this, I set up my bank account so that the 10% would be automatically transferred to a separate savings account on the day I received my paycheck. This is a method called “pay yourself first,” that is, saving before spending. I can say that this was the most successful decision in my savings process because it completely solved the problems of “forgetting to save” or “not having enough money left to save.”

In addition, I followed a few small strategies to reduce my daily expenses. For example, I made a habit of only going out to eat once a week, making my own coffee at home, and thinking about my purchases for a few days to avoid impulse buying. Also, small actions like comparing different stores to find the same items at lower prices and canceling monthly subscriptions that I didn’t need all had a positive impact on my monthly savings. When all of these strategies came together, reaching my savings goal month after month became a much easier and more natural process.

By consistently saving 10% of my salary over the course of a year, I was able to achieve a significant financial transformation. First, I successfully built an “emergency fund” to rely on during unexpected situations. Previously, even a minor issue could disrupt my entire monthly budget. Now, being able to handle such situations without stress brings me great relief. Furthermore, looking at the total savings accumulated by the end of the year filled me with surprise and satisfaction, seeing how small, incremental amounts had grown into such a substantial sum. This capital enabled me to start a short term investment or plan for a future goal, such as a trip or a course.

Beyond the financial changes, I also experienced a significant shift in my mindset and behavior. The anxiety and sense of insecurity I initially felt regarding money have now diminished considerably. My knowledge of money management has grown, empowering me to make better decisions both professionally and personally. In particular, I have developed the ability to distinguish between a “need” and a “want,” enabling me to make more deliberate choices regarding activities like online shopping. I also came to realize that saving money is not merely about making sacrifices, but is a process of enhancing one’s quality of life.

The most important lesson I learned this year was that saving a significant amount of money does not require drastic, sudden actions. Rather, consistent, small steps can create a major difference over time. I also understood that saving is not a one time decision but a habit that must be maintained continuously. Although there were months when I failed to meet my goals, I developed a mindset of trying again instead of giving up completely due to those setbacks. Moving forward, I plan to further increase my savings rate and properly invest the funds I have accumulated. All in all, this year marked a significant milestone, not only in my financial life but also in building my self confidence and my ability to achieve future goals.

This year long journey of saving 10% of my salary taught me that managing money doesn’t require a huge income or drastic changes. What is needed is consistency, a simple plan, and a commitment to keep going. Despite the challenges, disappointments, and setbacks I faced in the early months, they made me steadfast in my decision because they made me realize the importance of financial security. Today, I have an emergency fund, can plan for future goals with the money I have saved, and can make more confident decisions about money. If you too want to save money but don’t know where to start, start today, even with a small percentage. The rest will pay off over time.