Saving trends, strategies and other ideas as we sail into 2026

In this resolution-focused time of a new year, saving more is tops on the list for many of us.

But how do we eke out savings from our already-tight, post-holiday budgets? Save with SPP decided to take a look around to see how people are planning their saving strategies for 2026, focusing on new trends and ideas.

At MoneySense, there’s agreement that saving is difficult “with budgets tight and inflation driving the cost of groceries and everyday necessities higher.”

But the article suggests that making “small monthly changes can add up over the year.”

Certified financial planner Kelly Ho tells the publication that few people have a good handle on how much they make, and how much they spend. “It’s just a matter of really understanding how much money is coming in and how much is going out,” she tells MoneySense.

Once you have that nailed down, you can increase what’s left after the bills are paid through mini-cuts to your budget. Have a good look, Ho suggests, at what you are paying out in subscriptions for TV shows, music, and other services.

These invisible little costs — $10 here, $15 there – can add up to a hefty burden on the credit card, the article explains. If you cut a service – even just $10 a month – the savings can add up. “You multiply that by 12 months, multiply that over several years, plus, you know, potential investment growth. That’s a lot of money on the table,” Ho tells the magazine.

Another good idea in the article is being “intentional” about what you spend when you are on vacation. “Every single individual I’ve spoken to has underestimated the cost of travel,” she tells MoneySense. “I don’t know if many people actually keep track of what they’re spending when they’re there at their destination.” So, don’t stop budgeting just because you’re on vacation – establish a budget and stay within it.

From This Is Money in the U.K. come three more ideas.

There’s the 100-envelope challenge. You get 100 envelopes, the article explains, and number them from one to 100.

“Each week, savers pick out two envelopes at random and put the amount shown on the front into them. In 50 weeks, they would have saved £5,050 (or in Canada, that much in dollars),” the article explains – an amount that could “turbocharge” your savings.

Other 2026 trends include “no spend” and “no buy” challenges, the article continues.

“As part of the no-spend challenge, people will go through strict periods of not purchasing anything beyond absolute necessities or use up all the products or food they already own before replacing them as a way to save money,” the article tells us.

“There is a ‘no buy’ thread on social media platform Reddit where revenge savers share the savings they have made from limiting their spending,” the article continues.

“Revenge saving?” Let’s read on.

“It involves carefully tracking how much you are saving, as with normal budgeting activities,” the article notes. “But revenge saving goes a step further by deliberately not spending and taking part in savings challenges to build up a pot of savings.”

So, a savings plan enhanced by conscious non-spending challenges. Wow.

The Dallas Express, via Yahoo! Life, offers up some more strategic saving thoughts.

There’s the classic, sound idea of “automating savings transfers,” the “setting up… of automatic moves from chequing to savings right after payday – even as little as $10 or $20 per paycheque – helps `pay yourself first’ without relying on willpower.”

What about cutting back on food delivery?

Chicago certified financial planner Valerie Rivera tells the Express “after housing and childcare, the third-largest expense I often see is food delivery… Think about what would happen if you redirected $50 every month that was going to takeout and put it in a savings account.”

Final ideas from the Express including shopping more often at thrift stores, reducing electrical costs by such measures as switching to LED bulbs, and building an emergency fund.

We can add two more that worked for us. We had a variable mortgage. When interest rates went down for our second five-year term, we kept paying what we had paid before at the higher interest rate. We didn’t feel any pain but were paying the mortgage off more quickly.

Another tip, which we picked up from doing this blog, was the idea of simply taking a set percentage of your take-home pay off the top of every paycheque and putting it into savings. We started small, at three per cent, and increased the amount when we could. Then you live on the 97 per cent. It has worked.

If you are saving for retirement via the Saskatchewan Pension Plan, the idea of paying your future self first can easily be arranged. SPP permits pre-authorized contributions from bank accounts or even credit cards.

That way, you are directing savings dollars in a “set it and forget it” way to SPP, who will then grow those savings by investing them in our low-cost, professionally managed pooled fund. At retirement, you can collect a lifetime monthly income via an SPP annuity, or opt for the more flexible Variable Benefit.

Check out SPP today!

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In the U.K., Gen Z confident about retirement, despite not saving or having pensions

Despite “the high cost of living, stagnating wage growth and lower job security,” a surprising 38 per cent of British Gen Zers say they are “confident in their financial future,” reports This is Money.

The data, compiled by U.K. pension firm M&G, found that only 17 per cent of those aged 45 to 54 shared that confidence, the publication adds.

“Although almost half of Gen Z don’t currently have a workplace pension, a fifth still expect to be able to retire when they are in their 50s,” the article reports, adding “this is despite the fact their pension age is likely to be at least 68.”

This suggests, the publication continues, a disconnect among younger folks about how much money they’ll need when they are retired, and when to start saving.

“It suggests young people’s optimism might be down to a lack of information about how much they need to save for retirement — and how much of a difference it can make if they begin saving earlier in life,” This is Money adds.

Alarmingly, only 30 per cent of Gen Zers asked fear running out of money in retirement, compared to 44 per cent of those “in their late 20s and early 30s” and 52 per cent of those aged 35 to 54, the publication continues.

 “It’s refreshing to see such positive attitudes from Gen Z towards their financial futures, but optimism alone isn’t enough to guarantee a comfortable retirement,” M&G’s Anusha Mittal tells This is Money.

There should be more focus on long-term retirement savings, even for the young, the article adds.

“As few as eight per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds say that building a pension pot is one of their financial priorities. Some 49 per cent said a priority was to spend money on things they enjoy,” the article explains.

Indeed, retirement saving may not be much of a priority for younger Britons, the article notes.

“Most of my savings go towards life experiences, especially travel, which I see as a valuable way to spend money while I am still young,” assistant psychologist Cynthia Wong, 27, tells This is Money. “I believe that wealth is defined by meaningful experiences, and I prioritize them over saving for things that feel distant like retirement,” she states in the article.

Wong goes on to say that saving for retirement may become more of a priority for her later on.

M&G’s Mittal contends that now is the time to start retirement saving.

“Unless Gen Z’s enthusiasm is matched by action — including better understanding of where their money is going, how much they’re saving, and whether it’s enough — they could be sleepwalking into a ‘too little, too late’ scenario when it comes to retirement readiness,” she states.

Workplace pensions are a great thing, but are becoming scarcer, forcing many to save on their own for their retirement. If you’re in this category, the Saskatchewan Pension Plan may be the savings partner you’ve been looking for. Open to any Canadian with registered retirement savings plan room, SPP does the heavy lifting for you, investing your savings in a professionally managed, low-cost pooled fund. At retirement, your income options include getting a monthly annuity payment for life, or the more flexible Variable Benefit.

Check out SPP today!

Join the Wealthcare Revolution – follow SPP on Facebook!