If you’re approaching the end of an auto loan, you’re likely excited to soon be free of that monthly payment, and may even be dreaming about how you’ll spend the newly freed-up cash.

But instead of daydreaming about what you’ll buy with your seeming monthly windfall, consider another possibility, one that will serve you much better financially in just a few short years.

Since you’re already in the habit of that monthly withdrawal going to your auto loan, a smart idea is to just keep that payment going. But instead of paying it to a lender, you’ll pay it to yourself. Or more specifically, to your future self who will want a new car or truck in a handful of years.

By keeping your existing vehicle for another 2, 3, or 5 years after the loan is paid off (or for however long you can), but continuing to take the auto payment amount out of your checking and moving it to a savings account earmarked for your future car, you could have the good fortune of buying your next car with no loan at all.

Even if you don’t accumulate enough to pay for your next vehicle in full, you’ll be able to borrow a smaller amount, or take a shorter term with a better interest rate — or both, for even more of a financial win.

Think of it just like a constant line item in your budget: X dollars every month for a vehicle. Whether you have no loan and can stash all of these funds away for your next car, or you have a smaller loan payment and can apply the surplus to pay your loan off earlier, you’ll be giving your future self, rather than a bank, the gift of a richer financial future.