Most kids have a special place where they keep spare change, allowances, and birthday money. Sometimes it’s a coin jar, sunken part of a mattress, shoebox, or the round, smiling plastic creature known as a piggy bank. While the idea of a glutinous farm-animal hoarding money is amusing, the concept is a good one: save extra money for a rainy day or special occasion. Unfortunately, by adolescence, most piggy banks go the way of toy trains, stuffed animals, and play-doh. money management becomes increasingly complex as we get older: CDs, 401ks, stocks, bonds. Getting wrapped up in what to do with your spare money sometimes prevents you from productively saving it. Especially in this economic climate—with the market soaring and crashing like the Tower of Terror theme ride—taking a chance on a stock or even a mutual fund sounds terrifying. “Safe” investments aren’t much better. Hobos earn more than current CD yields. Thus, why not return to the piggy bank concept? Save extra money, lock it away from your checking account. Plain and simple. Open a savings account at your local bank and aim to put 5-10% of your paycheck in every month. If this isn’t feasible, try to cut down on your daily spending. A few opportunities to maximize your piggy bank deposits:

1. Skip the popcorn and sodas at movies. Average savings: $10-15 per movie.
2. Make your own coffee. Walking past Starbucks will save you a bundle. Skipping just one latte per week saves anywhere from $3-6, depending on your super-sizing and flavoring wants. If you normally buy 3 cups of coffee a week, doing away with the habit saves you nearly $20 per week. That’s $80 per month. Average savings: $5 every time you brew your own cup.
3. Fuel smartly. Check this website for cheap gas in your area and grab some while you’re out. gasprices.mapquest.com Savings: at least $2 per gas-up.
4. Meet a friend for lunch, not dinner. Lunch prices are on average 50-70% of dinner prices. Average savings: upwards of $7 per meal, depending on the restaurant.
5. Go to a matinee. Matinees offer the same movies, just in the daylight. On average, matinee tickets cost 50% less than nighttime showings. Average savings: $5-7 per movie.
6. Plan an evening in. A six-pack of beer costs under $10. Three beers out cost upwards of $30 with tip. Average savings: $20 per night.

After a month or two of smart spending on the little things, such as the items listed above, your savings account will grow a few hundred bucks. If you really want to go old school, try putting spare change and skipped coffee money into a piggy bank or coin jar. Sometimes it’s encouraging to visualize your savings. Whatever form of savings account you decide on will be tremendously beneficial. You don’t need to risk the market orpay a broker to manage your spare money effectively. There’s nothing wrong with just saving it.