Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Saya berusaha hidup irit supaya tabungan cepat bertambah. - I try to live frugally so savings grow quickly.

irit: frugal/cheap in usage; can be neutral or slightly “stingy-sounding” depending on context. Common in everyday speech. Also used for things: motor ini irit bensin (this bike is fuel-efficient).
hemat: thrifty/prudent; positive nuance (wise with money/resources). Also used for things: hemat energi (energy-saving).
pelit: stingy/miserly; negative about a person’s character (unwilling to spend/share).
ekonomis: economical/cost-effective; more formal, typically for products/plans, not people.

In your sentence, hidup irit is fine; hidup hemat is a bit more neutral/positive.

Can I say berhemat instead of hidup irit? Are they interchangeable?

Yes, often. Options from most “verby” to descriptive:

Saya berhemat = I economize/I’m being thrifty.
Saya berusaha berhemat = I’m trying to economize.
Saya hidup irit/hemat = I live frugally.

Notes:

berhemat is intransitive (“to be thrifty”).
menghemat is transitive (“to save/conserve something”): menghemat uang/waktu/air.

Do I need the word hidup? Could I say Saya berusaha irit?

Indonesians usually say either:

Saya berusaha hidup irit (natural collocation), or
Saya berusaha berhemat (fully verbal).

Saya berusaha irit is understandable but sounds a bit clipped/less idiomatic because irit is an adjective; pairing it with hidup or using the verb berhemat reads more naturally.

What’s the difference between berusaha and mencoba here?

berusaha = to make an effort/endeavor; implies sustained effort or struggle.
mencoba = to try/attempt; can be lighter or experimental.

Both work, but:

Saya berusaha hidup irit suggests ongoing effort and discipline.
Saya mencoba hidup irit can sound like you’re giving it a try (may feel less committed).

Synonym: berupaya (slightly formal) ≈ berusaha.

Is berusaha untuk correct, or should I drop untuk?

Both are accepted in modern usage:

Saya berusaha hidup irit (concise, very common).
Saya berusaha untuk hidup irit (also common; some style guides prefer dropping untuk, but it’s not wrong).

Use whichever flows better in your context.

Why use supaya here? How is it different from agar, biar, and untuk?

supaya: purpose “so that” (neutral/informal). Takes a full clause.
agar: same as supaya, but more formal/written.
biar: colloquial/informal equivalent of supaya.
untuk: “to/for (the purpose of)”, typically takes a verb phrase or noun phrase, not a full finite clause.

Your line uses a clause: supaya tabungan cepat bertambah. Alternatives:

agar tabungan cepat bertambah (more formal)
biar tabungan cepat bertambah (more casual) Using untuk would require restructuring, e.g., untuk (bisa) menambah tabungan dengan cepat.

Could I use sehingga instead of supaya?

No. sehingga means “so that/as a result” (result), not purpose. Your sentence expresses intent, so use supaya/agar/biar, not sehingga.

Can I move the purpose clause to the front?

Yes:

Supaya tabungan cepat bertambah, saya berusaha hidup irit. This is fine (often with a comma). It slightly emphasizes the goal first.

Why is there no possessive like tabungan saya? Is it implied?

Yes. Indonesian often omits obvious possessors. tabungan here naturally refers to the speaker’s savings. You can add possession for clarity/emphasis:

supaya tabungan saya cepat bertambah Colloquial enclitic options: tabunganku, tabunganmu, tabungannya.

What’s the difference between tabungan and menabung?

tabungan: noun = savings (money saved; often the balance).
menabung: verb = to save money. Examples:
Tabungan saya bertambah. = My savings increase.
Saya menabung setiap bulan. = I save money every month.

Why bertambah and not menambah/menambahkan?

bertambah: intransitive “to increase” (no direct object). Suits subjects like amounts: tabungan bertambah.
menambah: transitive “to add (something)”. Needs an object: Saya menambah tabungan (I add to my savings).
menambahkan: transitive with an explicit target/recipient: Saya menambahkan uang ke tabungan saya (I add money to my savings).

Your sentence talks about the balance increasing on its own ⇒ bertambah is right.

Does cepat act like an adverb here? Is dengan cepat also possible?

Yes. Adjectives commonly function adverbially in Indonesian:

tabungan cepat bertambah = the savings increase quickly. You can also use:
tabungan bertambah cepat (can be read as “the increase is fast,” but may sound slightly less natural or ambiguous),
tabungan bertambah dengan cepat (more formal/emphatic),
bertambah lebih cepat (faster), secepat mungkin (as quickly as possible).

If I want to say “faster,” how do I change it?

Use a comparative:

supaya tabungan bertambah lebih cepat = so that the savings increase faster. For “even faster”: semakin cepat or lebih cepat lagi.

Why is there no tense marker like “will”? Is future time implied?

Indonesian doesn’t require tense marking. Context supplies time. You can add:

akan (will) for explicit futurity: supaya tabungan akan cepat bertambah (acceptable but often unnecessary here),
time adverbs like nanti, ke depan, bulan depan to specify timeframe.

Is Saya the only pronoun option? How would this change in informal speech?

Other common choices:

Aku (informal neutral): Aku berusaha hidup irit…
Gue/Gua (Jakarta slang): Gue berusaha hidup irit… Register matters: Saya is polite/neutral and safest in mixed/formal settings.

Could I say saldo tabungan instead of tabungan?

Yes, to emphasize the account balance:

supaya saldo tabungan cepat bertambah (or saldo tabungan saya). It’s slightly more specific/formal than plain tabungan.

Any quick pronunciation tips for key words?

berusaha: bər-oo-SAH-hah (the “h” is audible).
hidup: HEE-doop.
irit: EE-reet.
supaya: soo-PAH-yah.
tabungan: tah-BOONG-ahn (ng = “ng” in “singer”).
bertambah: bər-TAHM-bah (final “h” is a soft breath).