Saving money is addicting
Somewhere along the line, saving money moved from a constant struggle to a fun addiction. Once I reached the point of making saving for various things a habit, something magical happened. Saving up money became fun. Addicting, even.
As time goes on, I find more and more things to save up money for. Which isn’t to say that I’ve become a miser — on the contrary, I’m spending more money now than I even made at all for several years. And the short-term savings does get spent — it just gets spent in a lump sum on fun and memorable things that I look forward to, instead of in dribs and drabs on little things that are soon forgotten.
How did this happen? It became easier and easier to save up money because I changed how I did it. When we get paid, I immediately send off money to various savings accounts. It’s the very first thing I do. That isn’t the big change though, because I’ve always tried to save using that method.
What’s changed is that the money is now designated for specific purposes. It’s not just earmarked for them, it’s strictly for them. It’s a shift in attitude. I no longer think “well but if things get desperate we could always use that money” in the back of my head. Why? Because we already have money set aside for emergencies. That money is held separately, and it too is only for the one purpose.
Plus it’s a lot more fun to know that if you put money in an account for a trip, that you really will use it for that trip. Knowing that it won’t get conscripted for some other, less pleasant thing, gives me a greater incentive to save. So much so that saving money has become addicting.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:36 am
Good for you! I am still on the debt paying side of things, and that has become a fun obsession! I can’t wait until saving money becomes like that :-)
July 15th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I’ve actually met spendthrifts who, over the years, had a shift in perspective and now also call themselves savings “addicts.” I think folks can get caught up in how things are (like being in debt), forgetting how they can *be.” As usual, great post. I love how you combine the practical and the positive!
July 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Very carefully getting the biggest bang out of life possible for almost free, so that most of your time can be spent living instead of earning is what I do.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Thanks guys :)
And Uncle B, can you tell me more? I’m curious…
July 16th, 2008 at 3:11 am
Great post. Its difficult to maintain that kind of discipline. Sending your money to different savings account everytime you get your earnings is a way to pay yourself.
I think you’re in the right track. Keep it up man!
July 16th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Saving is fun! I love watching the balance of my savings account get bigger and bigger.
July 19th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I hear you on this one! I remember 5 or 6 years ago trying to save up for some furniture and every time I would save enough for a sofa the car would break down and the repairs would somehow always be the same as what I had saved. Now, I have car repair funds, and home repair funds and the furniture fund is just for furniture!
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
This is so like me! After depositing my money in the bank, I immediately separate my savings and my tithes, and all the other stuff that I need to pay for. This is really addicting.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:10 am
It is so addicting to see the numbers go up. Good for you!