When my client Serena sat down with me to talk about her finances, she was at her wit’s end. “Mei Lin, I’ve tried everything,” she said. “Budgeting, cutting back, tracking my expenses—it all feels like punishment. I want to save for my future, but I’m so tired of feeling like I have to sacrifice everything.”
Serena’s frustration resonated with me. Saving often gets a bad reputation for being synonymous with deprivation, but it doesn’t have to be that way. As I told Serena, the key to successful saving isn’t about giving up everything you love—it’s about finding balance. Saving for your dream future should feel empowering, not exhausting.
This is the story of how Serena and I turned her financial stress into a clear, joyful plan for achieving her goals. By following a simple three-step system, she was able to save for her dream future without sacrificing her happiness along the way.
Step 1: Define Your Dream Future
When Serena first told me she wanted to save for her future, I asked her what that meant. “I just want to feel secure,” she said. But as we talked more, it became clear that her vision was bigger than just financial security. Serena dreamed of owning a cozy apartment in the city, traveling to a new country every year, and building a career that allowed her to work on her own terms.
“Your dream future needs to be specific,” I told her. “The clearer your vision, the easier it will be to create a plan to achieve it.” Together, we broke down her dream into actionable goals:
- Save $50,000 for a down payment on an apartment within five years.
- Build a $10,000 travel fund to visit her dream destinations.
- Create a $20,000 emergency fund to give her the freedom to explore career changes.
Once Serena’s goals were clear, she felt a renewed sense of purpose. “Now it feels real,” she said. “I know exactly what I’m working toward.”
Step 2: Create a Savings Plan That Works for You
The next challenge was building a savings plan that aligned with Serena’s lifestyle. Like many people, Serena had tried restrictive budgets in the past but found them impossible to stick to. “I don’t want to live like a hermit just to save money,” she said. “There has to be a better way.”
To make saving sustainable, we focused on three core principles:
1. Automate Your Savings I helped Serena set up automatic transfers to her savings accounts, ensuring she saved a fixed amount every month before spending anything. “Pay yourself first,” I told her. By automating $1,000 a month across her three savings goals, Serena was able to stay consistent without even thinking about it.
2. Prioritize What Matters Most Instead of cutting back on everything, we identified areas where Serena could save without feeling deprived. For example, Serena loved dining out, so we set a budget for two nice meals a month. On the other hand, she realized she rarely used her gym membership and canceled it, saving $50 a month.
3. Use Small Wins to Build Momentum To keep Serena motivated, I encouraged her to start with small, manageable savings milestones. Each time she reached a new milestone—like saving her first $5,000 for her down payment—we celebrated with a small reward, like a spa day or a fancy dinner. “It feels so good to see my progress,” Serena said. “It makes me want to keep going.”
Step 3: Make Saving Fun and Rewarding
One of the biggest reasons people struggle with saving is that it feels boring or restrictive. To combat this, I encouraged Serena to find creative ways to make saving enjoyable.
1. Track Your Progress Visually We created a vision board filled with pictures of Serena’s dream apartment, her bucket list travel destinations, and inspirational quotes. Every time she added to her savings, she updated her board with new milestones. “It’s like I’m watching my dreams come to life,” she said.
2. Find Joy in Frugal Living I introduced Serena to the idea of “value-based spending.” Instead of focusing on what she couldn’t have, she focused on what brought her the most joy. For example, she started hosting potluck dinners with friends instead of going out, saving money while still enjoying quality time.
3. Turn Saving Into a Game To make saving more fun, Serena used apps that rewarded her for saving, like cashback apps and gamified savings platforms. She also joined a savings challenge with friends, turning her financial goals into a friendly competition.
Overcoming Setbacks
Saving isn’t always a smooth journey, and Serena faced her share of setbacks. One month, an unexpected car repair drained her emergency fund. Another month, she overspent on a vacation and felt discouraged about falling behind on her goals.
During these moments, I reminded her that setbacks are normal. “It’s not about being perfect,” I told her. “It’s about staying committed to the bigger picture.” To help her recover, we adjusted her budget temporarily and found ways to cut back in other areas, like skipping a few non-essential subscriptions.
By staying flexible and focused on her long-term vision, Serena was able to bounce back from these challenges without losing momentum.
The Results: Saving for Happiness and Freedom
After two years of consistent effort, Serena had saved $24,000 for her down payment, $5,000 for her travel fund, and $10,000 for her emergency fund. “I never thought I’d get this far,” she said, beaming with pride. “It feels amazing to know I’m building the life I want without giving up the things I love.”
What made Serena’s success so rewarding wasn’t just the money she saved—it was the sense of control and confidence she gained along the way. By finding balance and prioritizing joy, she turned saving from a source of stress into a source of empowerment.
You Can Save for Your Dream Future Too
Saving for your dream future doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your present. By defining clear goals, creating a sustainable plan, and finding ways to make saving enjoyable, you can achieve financial freedom while still enjoying your life.
Start by asking yourself: What does my dream future look like? Once you have a vision, break it down into actionable steps and commit to taking small, consistent actions every day. Remember, it’s not about being perfect—it’s about staying focused on the journey.
With the right mindset and strategies, you can save for your dream future without feeling deprived. Your goals are within reach—all it takes is a plan and the courage to start.
