Sponsored Building up a savings account can be difficult for people in their 20s and early 30s. A lot of us are new in our careers and not earning the "big bucks" just yet, some are still recovering from student loan debt, and others are just starting to learn the intricacies of budgeting and money stuff. I've always been financially aware, but I didn't really worry about saving money in my 20s—I wanted to travel the world! So travel (and spend money on travel) I did. But now that I'm a little older I've started to worry that I don't have much of an emergency savings—I'd like to think that I'm invincible, but the truth is that emergencies (and unexpected expenses) do happen and it's better to be prepared than not. With than in mind, I'm challenging myself to save an extra $1000 in 2015 to give myself a bit of financial peace of mind, and I think I've come up with a feasible way to do it! To some of you $1000 may not sound like a lot, but for me it can be challenging to put aside extra money because of my endless student loan payments (sigh) and living in a really expensive city (double sigh). Setting aside small amounts of money on a regular basis is less of a burden for me than plunking down hundreds of dollars at once, so that's how I've structured my savings strategy. So without further ado, here's my plan: I've started and ended the year with very low amounts because that's when most people's financial burden is the highest—sometimes it takes a bit to recover from holiday gifting and travel expenses, you know? But the sooner you start saving on a regular basis, the easier it is to get into the habit—even if it's only a few dollars per week. Already have a healthy emergency fund? Here are few other things you could do with $1000: Set it aside as a "holiday gift fund" to take the edge off shopping next year Contribute it towards education costs (college ain't cheap, man) Pay off debt Use it towards travel Save it towards a deposit on a new home Buy yourself something you really, really want (or need), but otherwise might have trouble affording without going into debt. The possibilities are endless! And if you've been thinking of opening up a new checking and/or savings account to squirrel away extra money, now's a great time to do it—Capital One 360 is offering awesome new customer bonuses this Black Friday weekend! 360 Checking: $100 bonus 360 Savings: $100 bonus ShareBuilder: Up to $1,250 bonus (tiered offer) Home Loans: $1,250 off closing costs Refer a Friend: $40 bonus per successful referral Visit their website for more details and terms. I really like Capital One 360 because both their checking and savings are fee-free and earn interest, plus their mobile app makes it super-easy to deposit checks and manage other aspects of your account on the go. Additionally, their Automatic Savings Plan makes it simple to pre-schedule transfers so you don't miss a week. And if you're already a customer, consider taking advantage of the referral deal! Both you and the person you refer will earn a bonus. Speaking of bonuses, having slightly more than $1000 in your little nest egg isn't exactly a bad thing, right? Act quickly if you want to take advantage of these deals though—The Capital One 360 Black Friday sale ends at 11:59ET on December 1st, 2014! Do you have an emergency savings account? Do you prefer to save small amounts of money often or larger amounts occasionally? Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. For more information, check out my full disclosure policy. #FinancialPeace #CleverGirls