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You connect your bank account to the app and create a savings goal, and Oportun automatically withdraws small amounts of money and saves it for you daily. The platform saves small bits of cash for you based on when you have bills due but you can set other savings guidelines so you can avoid overdrafts or running out of cash for your bills.

According to Oportun’s website, users save an average of $1,800 per year.

According to Bankrate’s report, 44% of households reported decreased emergency savings as a result of decreased earnings. In other words, the less you earn, the less you may be able to save. Lower earnings can be the result of job loss, cuts to your hours, divorce and many other life circumstances.

And sometimes even when you make budget cuts, you only have so much room to save. And if you still won’t be on track to hit your savings goals after you’ve cut everything you possibly could, then you might need to consider creating a new source of income to reach those milestones.

Start with asking for a raise or promotion at your current job and if that isn’t possible, look for a part-time job, freelance work or a contract gig. Of course, it isn’t always easy to land a new gig even on a part-time basis. But there are still other options for earning more money. Try advertising your own independent freelance services. Creating your own side hustles lets you set your own hours and price, and you get to choose who you want to work with.

High-yield savings accounts pay you more interest than traditional savings accounts do, which means that your balance grows more meaningfully every month even if you don’t make new contributions. You may not earn hundreds of dollars in interest yet (unless you deposit thousands into your account) but it’s still better than nothing at all.

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