4 simple tips to fatten your bank account

This post comes from Donna Freedman at partner site Money Talks News.

You want to save. You swear you're going to save. But you said that last year, too, and your bank account doesn't look much healthier.

Saying "I need to save" means you've recognized a basic financial fact: You need to take responsibility for your financial life. You really intend to do it -- one of these days. (Read: Sometime between next week and never.)

Or maybe you're just financially overwhelmed, especially if you haven't gotten a raise lately or if you've undergone a spell of unemployment. It's easy to convince yourself that you'll save "later."

The best time to start saving money? Ten years ago. The second-best time? Today.

Want 2014 to be the year you turn things around? Four simple tactics can make all the difference.

Step 1: You need a goal

The first thing to do is set a specific goal. "In 2014 I'm going to start an emergency fund" or "I resolve to have a healthy bank account this time next year" are both fatally vague. How much of an EF? What's a "healthy" account? Try this instead: Pick a specific sum. It could represent, for example,your emergency fund, the cost of a long-deferred vacation or a down payment on a house. Your choice.

You could divide that amount by 12 and put that resultinto savings each month. Or you coulddivide that goal by 52. Why 52? Because a small, weekly savings plan is less traumatic than a once-a-month withdrawal. You learn to live on what's left week by week, vs. losing a (relatively) big chunk all at once.

Let's start with an easy example: the $500 that personal finance writer Liz Weston recommends as a starter emergency fund. Divide $500 by 52 and you get $9.61, which rounded up makes $10.

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4 simple tips to fatten your bank account