If your company offers direct deposit, find out if you can split your paycheck into two or more separate accounts. It only takes five or ten minutes to fill out new direct deposit forms, and you’ll be able to choose how much of each paycheck—either a percentage of your take-home pay, or a specific dollar amount—goes into which account. Some employers require you to submit voided checks to initiate direct deposit, while others only need your routing and account numbers.
You’ll get used to seeing only the amount that goes into your primary checking account each pay period, instead of watching your whole paycheck get whittled down by transactions like rent, your grocery bill, and your transfers to savings. Making your savings automatic—and putting it somewhere you can’t see it all the time—reduces your chances of falling short on your financial goals.