Saving for retirement isn’t getting any easier. With inflation a constant challenge and salary increases often not enough to outpace it, every dollar counts. Here’s what financial experts say about finding extra money for your nest egg.
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The Side Hustle Advantage
Have a consulting gig on top of your day job? You might be leaving money on the table.
“Even if you have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, if you have self-employment or consultancy income, you may be eligible to contribute to a SEP IRA,” explained Marguerita Cheng of RetireGuide. One of her clients earned $38,000 from consulting and was able to stash away an extra $8,000 for retirement.
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The Insurance Game-Changer
Here’s a simple move that paid off big for Cheng: “By increasing my deductible from $500 to $1,000, I was able to save $408 per year.” That’s found money for retirement.
The Subscription Cleanup
Emily Millsap, CFP and manager of financial planning at Avantax, got brutally honest about those sneaky monthly charges: “I currently have a $20 gym membership I’ve been meaning to cancel. That’s $240 per year that I could put to much better use — for example, by contributing it to my 401(k) or IRA!”
The Debt-First Strategy
Before you max out those retirement contributions, Stewart Willis, president of Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax, suggested taking a hard look at your credit cards: “Evaluate whether it makes sense to pay off high-interest debt, as falling rates may not apply to credit cards.”
The Car Payment Trick
Just paid off your car? Cheng recommended “saving half [the amount of the payments you were making] to build up emergency savings and the other half for retirement.”
After all, you’re already used to not having that money in your monthly budget.
The 5-Minute Phone Call
“Call your cell phone, insurance and internet providers and ask for a discount,” Millsap said. “It sounds simple, but it’s often lucrative.”
The 1% Solution
“Even a 1% increase can really add up over time!” Millsap said of retirement contributions. Small changes today can mean big differences tomorrow.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Unique Ways To Save for Retirement in 2025
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