Psychology of Money: Savings Accounts
I've always struggled with the psychological aspect of 'losing' money. When I had a large expense, it always felt like a major psychological loss, even if I knew it was approaching. I am also very savings-focused, so it's often difficult for me to spend without guilt. To counter this, I found a way that has helped me significantly. I have multiple savings accounts (free with Discover), and they are all named with things I value, or things I know I need to have saved for each year.
- Emergency Fund. I have this fund for anything unexpected.
- Trip Fund. I know that I have a trip planned for December of this year. I put money into this account each month so that when the trip arrives, I'll have nearly 1000k just for the trip (i.e., no-guilt spending).
- Wedding Gifts. I'm at the age where I either have wedding invites each year and/or I serve as a bridesmaid. Some suggest the average price of being a bridesmaid is nearly $1000 these days, so having a fund allows me to say 'yes' to some of these requests. In the past, I've always had to say 'no.'
- Car insurance. I pay a lump sum two times per year because of a discount with this payment method. This is a big payment twice per year, so to counter this loss, I add in $100 each month to this account.
- Personal care. Health and personal care are my biggest values second only to family. As such, I have an account for savings so that I can reduce some of the guilt I have with personal care spending. It's better for my mental health if I don't feel buyer's remorse (working on that).