Most personal finance books and blogs talk about saving money by being a smart, frugal shopper by using coupons, buy one get one free, reading sales circulars, or signing up for merchant phone apps; but I have yet to read any advice on what to actually do with the amount of money you save.

If I only admitted that I saved half the retail price on a pair of sneakers, which is about $40 in savings, then that’s one thing, but that only makes my checking account balance higher by $40 . I’d probably find another item to spend that $40 on since it’s technically free, right? Get more retail for my money, so to speak.

Instead, my hack strategy recommendation is to discipline yourself to sweep away that $40 you save in your savings account.

Here’s an example, I just saved about $23 on my last trip to the grocery store through coupons, store sales, and using the grocery store club card. The amount I saved is on my receipt $22.84. I use my rewards credit card to cash in on some flyer miles that I’ll pay off as soon as possible when I get home. But while I’m at the grocery store, I use my phone to transfer that $22.84 I would have spent had I paid full retail price and that goes from my checking account to my savings account.

I have a habit of putting these savings aside, whether I save $2.25 or $100 or more when it comes to money and savings, small amounts, no matter how small you may think, will eventually add up to tangible results. This strategy has allowed me to really “bolster” my savings account and it’s also an easy way to save.

In order to do this you will need

1. A checking account and a linked savings account, preferably from the same bank or credit union

2. Your bank or credit union must have online banking so you can transfer money from your check to your savings. Ideally, if your bank has a phone app that allows transfers, that’s even better. You don’t want to wait that long to make your savings transfer; do it while the winning feeling of saving money is still fresh.

Think of it like a scorecard to show how much you save on purchases.