Trick Yourself into Saving Money
Jun 30, 2008 Found Online
With the new iPhone coming out in less than a month, I have been looking for ways to save money other than the whole “put money into savings” thing. Lifehacker has come up with 10 non-traditional ways to save money, even if it means sort of “tricking” yourself. From the article:
Always bank your savings and discounts
It feels like free money when you hit an unexpected sale, discover a little-known rebate, or simply use a valuable coupon. Why not turn that free money into even more free money? As the Digerati Life blog points out, it’s money that’s easy to set aside, since you didn’t expect to have it, and it doesn’t require any budget reviews. It also protects that little boost from disappearing into another full-price purchase while you’re out shopping.
Sleeve your credit card with what you really want
Personal finance blogger and crusader against needless debt Trent taped pictures of his son around his primary credit card to make him think before making a purchase, and it worked. Create your own sleeve out of two card-sized pictures, and modify the motivation—whether it’s a positive (something you’re saving for) or negative (reminder of the debt you’re paying off)—and you’ll likely curb some auto-pilot spending.
I really like that second one. I have done something like that before, not related to money, but it really worked. When you are confronted with something important to you, it can be a reminder to maybe curb that spending. Anyways, the other 8 are equally as good as these, so check ‘em out.
