Saving money is one of the top financial goals people have. You may want to save for a trip to Europe or for a down payment for a car. Whatever your reasons, it can be hard to start saving money. You can start saving four ways: budgeting, cutting expenses, using cash, and shopping with deals.

The first way to save money is by creating a budget. Find out your monthly bills, and then add in the rest of your spending. Focus on your cost of living first before budgeting for dining out. Along the same lines is cutting expenses. If your budget doesn’t include savings, you may need to cut certain expenses, like your daily coffee run or your entertainment budget. With budgeting and cutting expenses, you should have an idea of how much you can save a month.

Once you’ve made a budget and cut expenses, focus on using cash over credit when shopping. Using cash can help you manage your budget better. Credit can seem like you aren’t spending any money. When you physically have to hand someone cash, you see how much money that thing costs. It may help you make better financial choices. Along with using cash, always find deals and discounts on the items that you plan to buy. Most grocery stores offer memberships with certain discounts on items. If you need something from a larger retailer, most have email sign-ups to get a discount (just remember to unsubscribe after your purchase).