Most people don't really love to put money into their savings account. After all, if you're saving it, you can't spend it on fun things like a night out or a new pair of shoes. But it's important to sock money away so you can accomplish long-term and short-term financial goals.
I don't want to resent the fact that I have to save money, so I've tried to find a few ways to make it actually seem fun so I'm both more likely to do it and more likely to enjoy the process. Here are three of the ways I try to trick my brain into being excited and happy to save.
1. I focus on what I'm saving money for
One of the single best techniques I've used to make saving fun is to focus on what I'm saving money for. After all, many of the reasons we need to save -- like buying a new house or not being deprived in retirement -- are enjoyable and worth looking forward to.
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In the past, to help remind me of why I'm sacrificing, I've put a picture of my dream house in the front of my wallet, where I see it whenever I'm about to reach for my credit cards. I've made a beach scene my desktop background to help deter my online shopping habit and remind myself of the great vacations I'm saving for.
When I end up having to pass on something like an expensive concert ticket because I'm saving for a bigger goal, I also remind myself that I'm not giving up the concert -- I'm getting a chance to get that house with the lake view in the future. By shifting my mindset in this way, it's made it a whole lot easier for me to make the cuts I need to free up money to save.
You can try these techniques out yourself. Print that picture of the senior couple on the beach, or stop and think of all you'll be getting to enjoy due to saving for retirement.
2. I make a game out of it
Making a game out of savings has also been really helpful for me. For example, I've done a 52-week savings challenge in past years, where I save $1 in week one, $2 in week two, and so on until I end up with $1,378 in my savings account at the end of the year.
I've also tried to see how long I can go without charging any non-necessities on my credit cards. My husband and I have played games where we each try to make the cheapest delicious meal or try to go as long as we can eating out of our freezer and pantry without hitting the grocery store.
There are tons of options for these games, from challenging a partner or friend to see who can have the most no-spend days to putting every $5 bill you get handed back in change into a special jar.
By making savings into a game, it becomes fun instead of a sacrifice.
3. I track my progress
When I get to watch my account balance grow, it makes me feel as if all my sacrifice is amounting to something. That's why I have separate savings accounts for each goal -- I can more easily see if I'm on track. If you keep tabs on how much you are actually saving toward different goals, this can help you to stay excited, too.
All of these techniques have helped me to change the way I look at saving money. It's no longer something I have to do -- it's something I want to do. Give them a try to see if they could help to change your mindset, too
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