How to Save Money Without Thinking About It

In our culture of instant gratification, the idea of saving for the future might seem antiquated. But at a time when the economic deck seems stacked against you, thanks to a student loan debt crisis and fresh memories of the 2008 Wall Street meltdown, opening a savings account will give you a big advantage in the future.

According to a 2015 survey, just over 70 percent of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings and another 21 percent don't have a savings account at all. If you stash your cash under the mattress or in a no-interest checking account, you're actually losing money thanks to inflation. Here's why thinking about saving today will accelerate your financial health tomorrow.

5 Surprising Reasons You’re Suddenly Broke

You’ve learned from experience that shopping for food on an empty stomach is a bad idea. (Nothing like handing empty bags of chips to the cashier.)

But buying clothes when you’re hungry is even worse for your wallet, finds recent research from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Feeling hungry fires up your brain’s “acquisition” system, the study authors say. Think of it as your “I need something” reflex: Even though the thing you need is food, that reflex makes you more likely to spend money on non-food items, the study shows