This Boring Habit Is Truly the Secret to Saving Money
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We've been taught that money rewards action: Work harder, earn more.
While that trope is often true, when it comes to building wealth, the opposite is usually the case.
Doing nothing, literally, might be the most profitable thing you can do.
You get rewarded for being lazy
When done correctly, investing is the rare place in life where being lazy pays off. You set up automatic transfers into your 401(k), IRA, or brokerage account, invest in low-cost index funds, and then… stop touching it.
No tinkering, no timing, no panicked selling. Just the same boring routine every month.
That's because compounding needs one thing more than anything else: time. The longer your money sits there, the more it grows on itself.
If you put $500 a month into an index fund earning 7% annually, you'll have around $600,000 in 30 years, even though you only contributed $180,000.
That extra $420,000 is just time doing the heavy lifting.
Why most people fail
The challenge is resisting the urge to do more.
Every market dip or hot stock tempts people to act. They switch funds, pause contributions, or try to "wait for the right time."
The truth is, markets reward patience more than precision. When it comes to saving money, and also pretty much everything in life, consistency always beats intensity.
If you're thinking you might need some help on this front, this no-cost quiz from our partner, SmartAsset, makes it easier to find a fiduciary financial advisor.
Make your money boring
The trick is to make saving and investing so automated you forget it's happening.
- Automate transfers into a high-yield savings account or investment account.
- Use index funds or target-date funds so you don't have to pick winners.
- Ignore the noise. News headlines aren't your financial advisor.
It might feel passive, but it's actually the most active form of discipline.
When you feel like doing something, don't
If your portfolio is built on sound choices, "doing nothing" isn't neglect. It's strategy. You're letting time and compounding work for you while everyone else tires themselves out trying to beat them.
Our Research Expert
Jake FitzGerald is a full-time Editorial Strategist and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, leading content production and distribution while also writing about credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial products. He has more than a decade of experience editing and shaping financial content to give readers clear, trustworthy money advice. His work focuses on delivering practical insights that empower people to make smarter financial decisions. Off the clock, he’s a fan of college football tailgates and still loyal to his favorite putter -- despite what his short game suggests.