When I first set out to build my emergency fund, I did what most people do: I tried to save in big, dramatic bursts. “I’ll put away $200 this week,” I’d tell myself, and then I’d pull it off. For about a week. Then life would happen, and I’d drop back into old habits. The issue wasn’t that I lacked willpower—it was that I was trying to do too much at once. My savings felt like a constant struggle. Every dollar felt like a battle. But then, somewhere along the way, I discovered something simple that made saving feel a lot easier: the $20 trick. It’s not revolutionary. It’s just a reminder that you don’t have to save like a millionaire to make a difference. And it worked for me—so I’m sharing it in case it can help you too.
Here’s the trick: Every time I got paid, I set aside $20. Just $20. It wasn’t the life-changing amount I dreamed of. It wasn’t even enough to make a huge difference in my total savings in the beginning. But the magic of it wasn’t in the dollar amount—it was in the habit. The $20 didn’t feel like a sacrifice. It felt like an easy win. It didn’t add stress to my already tight budget. It was just enough to make saving feel… doable. And when you’re starting from scratch, that’s a pretty big deal.
It started small—$20 after every paycheck, quietly moved into my “Peace Fund” account. After a few months, I didn’t even have to think about it. It was automatic. I wasn’t waiting for extra money. I wasn’t putting off savings for the “right time.” I was simply saying “yes” to small, consistent actions. And that’s how the balance started growing. Slowly but steadily.
What made this trick work wasn’t the number itself. It was the consistency. When I could set aside $20 without thinking twice, it felt like I was already winning. And the wins added up. The small deposits that seemed insignificant at first began to build on each other. $20 here, $20 there—before I knew it, I had a decent buffer between me and the “what ifs” of life. And that buffer made all the difference.
Here’s what I learned from that $20 trick: You don’t need to wait for big moments to save. You don’t need a sudden windfall or a dramatic lifestyle overhaul. You just need consistency. A small, sustainable habit that you can do without feeling overwhelmed. And when the going gets tough—and believe me, it will—those small habits will be the things that carry you through. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about how much you save in one go. It’s about how often you show up for yourself.
If you’re struggling to get started, give the $20 trick a try. If $20 feels like too much, make it $10. Or $5. The point isn’t the amount—it’s that you do it, over and over, until it becomes second nature.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. You don’t need to have it all together. You just need to start with something small, and build from there.