Grow Your Savings by $3,000 Before 2025 With These 3 Moves

What could an extra $3,000 do for your finances? Could it mean buying a new car? Paying off debt? Being able to sleep at night knowing you finally have a fully loaded emergency fund?

You can't just snap your fingers and expect an extra $3,000 to magically appear at your door. But with the right moves, you can end 2024 with $3,000 more in your pocket. Here's how.

1. Get your employer to give you the money

Wouldn't it be nice if your employer could hand you some cash on top of your regular paycheck? If it offers a 401(k), then chances are, that cash is yours to claim.

Vanguard reports that 95% of companies with 401(k)s match worker contributions to some degree. Meanwhile, the median annual salary these days is about $60,000, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If your company will match 100% of contributions up to 5% of your salary, it means that if you contribute $3,000 to your 401(k), your employer will add another $3,000 to your 401(k). That's money you can then invest to grow your savings even more.

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2. Pick the right side hustle

The nice thing about gig work is that you can do it on your own schedule. If you can find a side hustle that pays decently, you might easily earn yourself $3,000 from it by the time 2024 ends.

As one example, Uber says that as of the end of 2023, its drivers earned a median wage of $33 per hour. But let's cut that down to $20 an hour in case that estimate is a bit off. 

To earn $3,000 by the end of the year, you'd need to drive for 150 hours total, or 25 hours per month. That's just a little more than six hours of side-hustling per week. 

Of course, it pays to look at different gigs and find one that meets your income goals. And it's even better if you can find a side hustle you'll actually enjoy doing. But if you're willing to put in the time, you could close out the year with a lot more money in your savings account.

3. Get a roommate -- for now

Living solo can be a wonderful thing. If there's a mess to clean up, you know it's because you made it. And if you're in the mood for a quiet evening, you don't have to worry about a roommate blasting their music. 

But bunking with a roommate could put serious cash in your pocket. RentCafe puts the average U.S. rent at $1,713. Splitting that with a roommate could save you about $850 a month. Share your home for four months, and you've met that $3,000 goal. You never know -- you could make a new friend in the process (though it's totally OK if you don't). 

An extra $3,000 could do you a lot of good. See if that free money is available to you in your company's 401(k). Explore your side hustle options and consider sacrificing some privacy for a limited period to get yourself to your goal.