Simple Way to Save

If there’s a way to make saving simpler, then SmartyPig is the website that does just that. SmartyPig allows you to create savings goals that are linked to your bank accounts for automatic transfers. Tell the site what you’re saving for, how much and when you want to reach your goal, and it’ll tell you the amount of money you need to set aside each month to reach it.

Once you’ve reached the goal, you can redeem the money for a SmartyPig Mastercard, transfer the money back to your bank account or redeem it for a gift card from partnering merchants such as Amazon and Best Buy that offer a certain percentage cash back.

The other nice feature this site has is the ability to let your friends and family know about your savings goals. Say you are saving for a trip to the Bahamas, a down payment on a car or a college fund for the kids—you can notify them of your goal instead of getting gifts you don’t want. SmartyPig provides a nice little widget that you can post to your Facebook page or blog so people can see how much more you need to reach your goal and the option for them to help contribute to it.

Currently SmartyPig offers one of the highest interest rates at 3.25% APY, although this can change without notice. It’s also FDIC insured and there’s no cost to using it.

Talk about making your life easier. What a great idea that really helps people save money for the things they want.