Why Your Checking Account Is the Best Place to Start Saving

Let’s talk about something no one seems to talk about: the power of keeping money in your checking account.

Most people treat their checking account like a junk drawer—random international coins, a few dollars, and maybe an old stick of gum. But your checking account isn’t just a place for money to pass through—it’s a strategy. A cushion. A safety net. A balance that makes you feel secure rather than stressed.

Logically, it makes sense. And yet, I’ve seen so many people struggle with this.

Maybe you’ve thought:

• “If I keep extra money in my checking, I’ll just spend it.”
• “I should move everything into savings so I’m not tempted.”
• “I don’t trust myself to have money sitting there.”

Here’s the truth: A true money magnet—someone who attracts and sustains wealth—could have $100M sitting in their checking account and not touch it. They know exactly what that money is there for.

This is why we always recommend that our clients have one month of expenses as their $0 in their checking account.

Protection. Stability. Immediate access.

Think about it: if you have an emergency and need cash right now, a savings transfer could take 1–3 days to process, depending on your bank. That’s not ideal when your car breaks down, your pet needs a vet visit, or an unexpected bill is due today.

There’s a reason we call your checking account your first line of defense—it protects all your other assets.

Having a strong checking account balance gives you:

✅ Instant access to cash without waiting for a transfer.
✅ Peace of mind knowing you don’t have to dip into savings for every little thing.
✅ A sense of control—because you trust yourself to manage your money responsibly.

Keeping money in your checking account is about respect. Respect for your money, respect for yourself, and respect for the financial security you’re building.

This is the shift from disempowered to empowered when it comes to money. From reactive to proactive.

It takes time. It takes consistency. But every month that you show up for yourself and intentionally build that checking account buffer, you’re sending a powerful message to your nervous system:

I am safe. I am in control. I can handle anything that comes my way.

The Savings Shimmy

I see this all the time: someone keeps just a few dollars—maybe $3, $10, or even $50—in their checking account while the rest of their money sits in savings.

On the surface, this seems responsible. Savings is good, right? I should be saving!

So why does this pattern feel so stressful?

Because this isn’t a savings strategy—it’s a scarcity strategy.

People who do this are often operating out of fear:

• Fear of spending too much—so they move everything to savings to “protect” it.
• Fear of not having enough—so they keep their checking account on life support, waiting for the next deposit.
• Fear of trusting themselves—so they create artificial barriers to prevent “bad” financial decisions.

This isn’t financial security. It’s financial anxiety.

When your checking account balance is low, your nervous system goes into panic mode. You might not even realize it, but every time you check your balance and see a single-digit number, your brain registers: “I don’t have enough.”

Even if you have money in savings, that chronic state of “not enough” keeps you in survival mode, where financial decisions become reactive instead of intentional.

People in this cycle often develop a pattern I call the Savings Shimmy:

1️⃣ A paycheck hits, and the first instinct is to move everything into savings. It feels like financial security. Look! My savings is growing!
2️⃣ Expenses come up (which they always do), but since the checking account is nearly empty, money has to be transferred back from savings.
3️⃣ That transfer takes 1–3 days, creating stress and frustration. Sometimes, it leads to overdrafts or last-minute scrambles to cover bills.
4️⃣ More income comes in, and the cycle repeats—moving money back and forth instead of letting it stay in checking.

Raise your hand if you’ve done this. ✋

I know this cycle because I’ve lived it. And I can tell you—it’s exhausting.

This isn’t a savings plan—it’s a stress plan.

Keeping only $3 in your checking account might feel like a safety move, but it’s actually keeping you stuck. It conditions your nervous system to believe you’re constantly on the edge of financial disaster.

And when you live in a state of financial panic, you can’t make clear, empowered money decisions.

Your checking account is the foundation of your financial stability. It’s your first layer of security before you ever tap into savings.

When you stop seeing it as spendable and start seeing it as essential, your entire financial reality shifts.

If You’re Ready to Break Free from the Savings Shimmy, Start Here:

1️⃣ Decide that your checking account isn’t just a spending account—it’s a protection account.
2️⃣ Commit to building it up slowly—even if it’s just $50 at a time—until it holds one full month of expenses (this includes fixed expenses like rent, utilities, and debt minimums plus your average monthly lifestyle expenses).
3️⃣ Remind yourself that you trust yourself to keep that money there.

Your money deserves respect—and so do you.

Now, let’s make this shift together. 🚀💰 Sign up for our newsletter and get more tips like these delivered to your inbox each week.