Saving is an Act — And a Beautiful One

Saving is more than just setting money aside — it’s an act of self-respect, discipline, and vision. It’s a conscious decision to plan with what you have today while preparing for the life you want tomorrow.

This Financial Literacy Month, we are reminding ourselves that there can be no true financial success without understanding the power of saving. It is one of the most basic, yet transformational, building blocks of wealth.

History shows us that those who embraced saving as a lifestyle, not just a task, often changed the course of their lives — and their communities.

Take Maggie Lena Walker, for example. Born in 1864 in Richmond, Virginia, she became the first Black woman to own and operate a bank in the United States. But what drove her was not just ambition — it was a belief in the power of saving. She encouraged Black families to “put their pennies together” at a time when banking was not accessible to everyone. She lived below her means, practiced intentional saving, and used that financial discipline to help more than 600 Black families buy homes. That is legacy-building through a lifestyle of saving.

Saving for the future protects you from:

• Emergencies

• Financial surprises

• Unplanned decisions that lead to debt or regret

But more than anything, saving creates peace of mind. It gives you options. It gives you power.

So this month, challenge yourself:

• Save something, even if it is small

• Automate your savings if possible

• Celebrate every dollar you choose to keep for your future

Because when you make saving a lifestyle, you are not just preparing for what is next — you are protecting what matters.