Gamify your money
Let’s face it, learning a new skill or developing a new habit can be tiring, frustrating, boring, and even demotivate you from the very thing you set out to accomplish in the first place. Add money to the mix…whew, these feelings are often exaggerated. There are a number of reasons for this which I won’t get into in this post, but we all know managing money is emotional for the vast majority of us.
One thing that may help you stay motivated and engaged with your money is to “gamify” your approach. This can give you those quick wins that are so helpful to provide encouragement that what you are doing is working. It can give you insight on how you spend, add accountability, and a sense of challenge - fun challenge that is.
Below are just a few ways you can gamify your finances:
simply track your expenses
This one doesn’t require any changes to your spending habits, just a bit of note taking. The challenge - for one month make a note of every dollar you spend.
Get a pen and pad of paper: at the end of each day review your bank account and/or credit card, cash receipts and write down what was spent that day - or carry a notebook with you and update throughout the day. At the end of the month total it up and see where your money was spent.
You may be thinking, “Why would I do this manually when I can just look at my statement at the end of the month and see how much I spent?”. I think there are a couple things at play here; 1.) There is a benefit to writing this down the day you spend the money and the immediacy of seeing these expenses. 2.) It keeps you engaged throughout the month.
This exercise can help you develop your spending plan (aka a budget) that will focus on those things that actually matter to you.
The no-spend weekend
If you’re in need of a reset and want a quick challenge, the no-spend weekend is a great option. It’s pretty straight forward - don’t spend any money during the weekend. Before you do this, make sure you have the necessities taken care of: gas in the car, food in the pantry, no previous obligations that will require you to spend money, etc.
Once you pick a weekend and have everything in place, get creative on how you will spend your time. Find hikes in your area, go for a bike ride, deep clean/declutter your house, look for free activities in your city that you can take advantage of. If you need some inspiration, here is a link for 103 ideas to try.
If you are feeling up for a bigger challenge try the no-spend week (as opposed to weekend).
Use apps
If you’re a digital person that likes to use technology to your advantage, there are no shortage of options for you. Apps like Acorns, Digit, or Qapital can help supplement your savings without much effort on your part.
These apps can be a great way to help build up savings in the background. Beware, this automation has some pros and cons. Many of these apps will round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and send that rounded amount to savings - which is great if you are spending the money anyways. The issue I see with this is that it requires you to spend money to build your savings…a bit counter productive. Don’t rely on spending money to build your savings. Use these apps as a supplement to your savings plan.
Start a savings group
It’s always better to be part of a group. There is accountability, you see the success of others, you share your success, hear new ideas, etc. Starting a savings group can help you stick to your financial goals.
Find a group of friends/family members that have similar goals and have a weekly or monthly check in to give an update on how everybody is doing. It’s like a weigh in if you were on a weight loss journey.
As I always say: personal finance is just that, personal. Find what works for you, develop a plan and stick with it. Find areas where you struggle and set up ways that may make it easier to manage.
Good luck with your financial goals as we start 2021!