Saving is a financial goal for many Americans. But when you only have so much extra cash left over after paying all your living expenses, saving may feel impossible. Don't let your current financial situation keep you from saving. Even a small amount of money saved can add up. Setting aside $200 per month is an excellent place to start.
Here are two ways you can put $200 per month to great use as you work to reach your financial goals.
1. Earn free money as you establish an emergency fund
A solid emergency fund can save the day when you must cover an unexpected cost. If you don't yet have an emergency fund, it's never too late to start building one. By contributing $200 each month, your fund will add up throughout the year -- $2,400 is a solid amount of cash.
Since most checking accounts don't earn interest, keeping your extra funds in a savings account is smart. One option is a high-yield savings account. Many of the best high-yield savings accounts offer annual percentage yields (APYs) of 4.5% or more. With this type of account, you can access the funds at any time without penalty.
Our Picks for the Best High-Yield Savings Accounts of 2024
SoFi Checking and Savings 
APY up to 4.60% Rate infoYou can earn the maximum APY by having Direct Deposit (no minimum amount required) or by making $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits every 30 days. See SoFi Checking and Savings rate sheet at: https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. Open Account for SoFi Checking and Savings Member FDIC. | APY up to 4.60% Rate infoYou can earn the maximum APY by having Direct Deposit (no minimum amount required) or by making $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits every 30 days. See SoFi Checking and Savings rate sheet at: https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. | Min. to earn $0 |
Citizens Access® Savings
Open Account for Citizens Access® Savings Member FDIC. | | Min. to earn $0.01 |
American Express® High Yield Savings
APY 4.25% Rate info4.25% annual percentage yield as of May 31, 2024 Open Account for American Express® High Yield Savings Member FDIC. | APY 4.25% Rate info4.25% annual percentage yield as of May 31, 2024 | Min. to earn $1 |
So, how much extra cash can you earn from interest as your cash sits in the bank? If you keep $2,400 in a high-yield savings account with a 4.5% APY for one year, you'll earn around $108, depending on how frequent the interest is compounded. That's much much better than earning $0 by keeping it stashed in your checking account.
Your balance will grow if you continue to put $200 per month into your account. You'll also benefit from compound interest, which is interest earned on interest. This could be an excellent way to put $200 per month to good use as you work to improve your finances.
2. Focus on long-term growth by investing your extra cash
Another option is investing. However, you should know there's no guaranteed return when investing your money. You'll need to be comfortable taking risks and remember that returns can fluctuate. But investing can produce good returns. Over the last 30 years, the stock market has had an average annual return of around 10%, as measured by the S&P 500.
Investing using a tax-advantaged retirement account could be a good option if you already have a sizable emergency fund. One option is a traditional IRA account. With this type of account, your contributions may be tax deductible. Plus, your earnings won't be taxed until you take a distribution. You can open a traditional IRA with a brokerage firm.
Are you wondering how much your money can grow as you invest your extra cash to save for your retirement years? Let's imagine you decide to invest $200 per month for the next 30 years. Here's a look at the potential account growth after 10, 20, and 30 years with an 8.5% annual rate of return using the compound interest calculator from Investor.gov.
| Time Invested | Total Money Invested | Estimated Total Balance |
|---|
| 10 years | $24,000 | $35,604.24 |
| 20 years | $48,000 | $116,104.83 |
| 30 years | $72,000 | $298,115.34 |
Data source: Author's calculations
Don't delay saving for your future
It's never too late to start saving for the future. Whether you choose to put your savings toward building an emergency fund or focus on long-term growth by investing for retirement, your future self will be glad that you prioritized your personal finances. Even if you can only afford to set aside $200 per month -- it's worthwhile to get started now.
These savings accounts are FDIC insured and could earn you 11x your bank
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FAQs
You can save for the future, even if you can only afford to set aside $200 monthly. You can put $200 monthly into a high-yield savings account and earn interest as you work to build an emergency fund.
How much will I have if I save $200 a month? ›
Investing as little as $200 a month can, if you do it consistently and invest wisely, turn into more than $150,000 in as soon as 20 years. If you keep contributing the same amount for another 20 years while generating the same average annual return on your investments, you could have more than $1.2 million.
How much is $200 a month for 4 years? ›
Answer. Using the present value of an annuity formula, a $200 monthly payment over 4 years at 4% annual interest allows for a loan amount of approximately $8,442.42. Therefore, with a $200 monthly payment, you can afford a loan of approximately $8,442.42 over 4 years at a 4% annual interest rate.
How much is enough to save per month? ›
At least 20% of your income should go towards savings. Meanwhile, another 50% (maximum) should go toward necessities, while 30% goes toward discretionary items. This is called the 50/30/20 rule of thumb, and it provides a quick and easy way for you to budget your money.
What can I do with 200 a month? ›
Find out how you can start building wealth by investing just £200 a month along with some of the best ways to invest your cash.
- Invest in index funds or ETFs.
- Robo-advisor platforms.
- Dividend-paying stocks.
- Multi-asset funds.
- Pick a portfolio of shares.
- Invest with a tax-efficient account.
You can put $200 monthly into a high-yield savings account and earn interest as you work to build an emergency fund. Another option is to contribute to a tax-advantaged account, like a traditional IRA, which could be a good move if you want to focus on long-term growth as you plan for your retirement years.
How much is $200 a week for a month? ›
If you make $200 per week, your Monthly salary would be $867.
How much is $200 a day hourly? ›
$200 daily is how much per hour? If you make $200 per day, your hourly salary would be $25. This result is obtained by multiplying your base salary by the amount of hours, week, and months you work in a year, assuming you work 40 hours a week.
Is saving $2,200 a month good? ›
If you can hack it, putting away $2,200 per month will make you a millionaire in 20 years, and $6,000 per month will get you there in 10.
How much is $500 a day per hour? ›
$500 daily is how much per hour? If you make $500 per day, your hourly salary would be $62.50.
Source: NerdWallet survey conducted online March 30-April 3, 2023, by The Harris Poll among 2,035 U.S. adults. Savers say they typically set aside $985, on average, in a normal month, according to the survey. The median amount reported is $250.
Is $500 a month good enough to save? ›
Most financial planners advise saving 10% to 15% of annual income. A savings goal of $500 a month amounts to 12% of your income, which is considered an appropriate amount for that income level. Assuming your income increases by an average of 4% per year, this automatically increases your savings amount by 4%.
Is saving $50 a month good? ›
Investing only $50 a month adds up
Contributing $50 a month to an investment account can help create impressive savings, even at a moderate 5% annual growth. It's a common myth that you need a few thousand dollars to begin investing.
Is $200 a day good money? ›
While $200 a day may not seem like a lot of money compared to what some people make, it can add up quickly over time. If you're able to make $200 a day consistently, that's $6,000 a month or $72,000 a year. For many people, this is a substantial amount of money that can make a significant difference in their lives.
Is 200 dollars a lot of money in the US? ›
$200 can get you 209L of milk, 1667 kWhr of electricity, or about two months of public transit in a major city like LA or Chicago. In the grand scheme of things, it's not a lot of money. The median income for a full-time worker is $936 per week, so $200 is just slightly more than one day's work.
Can I live on $1,000 a month? ›
But it is possible to live well even on a small amount of money. Surviving on $1,000 a month requires careful budgeting, prioritizing essential expenses, and finding ways to save money. Cutting down on housing costs by sharing living spaces or finding affordable options is crucial.
Is $200 a month good for investing? ›
If you're investing $200 per month while earning a 10% average annual return, you'd have around $395,000 after 30 years. While that's a long time to invest, keep in mind that this investment requires next to no effort. All the stocks are chosen for you, and you never need to decide when to buy or sell.
How much per month to save $10,000 in a year? ›
To reach $10,000 in one year, you'll need to save $833.33 each month. To break it down even further, you'll need to save $192.31 each week or $27.40 every day. These smaller chunks are much more realistic and simple to comprehend, making it easier to track your progress.
How much will I have if I save $100 a month for 30 years? ›
Investing $100 per month, with an average return rate of 10%, will yield $200,000 after 30 years. Due to compound interest, your investment will yield $535,000 after 40 years. These numbers can grow exponentially with an extra $100. If you make a monthly investment of $200, your 30-year yield will be close to $400,000.
How much do I need to save per month to get 100k? ›
Consider the math. Knowing that saving $1,000 per month can get you to $100,000 in six years can be very motivating and motivation can help you stick to your budget and skip buying that new BMW.
