We all need to save money to meet our financial goals. If you haven't started saving or aren't saving enough, here are some tips:

1. Take full advantage of payroll saving plans. Payroll deduction is, without doubt, one of the greatest financial innovations. With just a few strokes of a pen on an authorization form, you hook yourself up to a savings program that works for you without any more effort. It doesn't matter what type of plan it is or how much you put in. Just get started, and you have a new habit.

2. Aim to max out on company matches. When a company offers you a matching contribution, it's like they're saying, "Here's some free money. Want it?" What sane argument can anyone make to turn it down? The only conceivable one is that you need all the money you make to pay bills.

3. Treat saving like a bill. The old adage for saving is, "Pay yourself first." It makes perfect sense, and the trick is to treat saving like any other bill. Name an amount and a date to pay it, and make the payment when it comes due. Instead of driving to the bank, you can mail your deposit in, or better yet, transfer the money online or over the phone.

4. Set up automatic checking debits. Many financial institutions offer automatic withdrawals from your checking account into your savings account, money market, or other investment account. Known as Automated Clearing House (ACH) debits, these automatic withdrawals are nearly as good as payroll deductions to make saving easy.

5. Set annual goals for account balances. You can never reach a goal if you don't have one. Specific annual targets for your account balances become incentives to save, and by dividing the difference between your current balance and your target, you can easily derive the periodic amount you need to contribute.

6. Devote your raises to saving. When you get a raise, don't forget to increase your savings. If you can afford to, bank the entire raise. If not, at a minimum increase your savings proportionally.

7. Save your loose change. Keep a savings jar, and at the end of the week put your loose change in it. This can mean more than coins. It can be bills below any denomination you choose, like anything less than a 10- or 20-dollar bill. At the end of the month, take it to the bank.

Saving is all about discipline -- denying yourself immediate gratification in favor of securing your future. For some people, this is instinctively difficult, but at some level it's a challenge for everyone. Following the seven steps above can take some of the pain out of creating a new habit or adjusting an existing one to help you pursue your goals.