I was walking around Target the other day when I ran across this shelf of piggybanks that are featured on this picture. And, I just had to snap this picture. I wondered if having a personalized piggybank will help inspire you to save more money. I have a jar sitting on my dresser that says “casino money” right on the front of it. It is one of many that you can buy that lists what your savings goal is. I have seen others that say things like “new car”, “down payment”, “vacation”, etc. Mine just happens to say “Casino Money” because I have a secret addiction to Las Vegas and Blackjack (now you know a little something extra about me!).
So, my question to you is, “Do you think that crazy or specialized piggybanks help you save money?” I like to think that personalized piggybanks are like nicknaming your savings accounts which I am a huge fan of. I think that if you list exactly what your account is for or why you are saving, then it will help you stick to your savings goal even more.
What is your savings goal? Do you make nicknames for your savings accounts? My bank lets me change the names of my accounts and list what I am saving for. For example, my wife and I have an Apple iMac laptop account, a Hawaii vacation account, and a London Olympics 2012 account. I think seeing a name or purpose against an account balance helps me from raiding it. What about you? I’d love to hear what you think in the comment section. Do you name your accounts? Do you have a piggybank with devil horns? Let me know!
Thadeous who writes at www.geek-cred.com had a story resonate with me and remind me a lot of myself, it was also a really cool idea. Here is what he wrote me below in an email…
I use an old Illy espresso container. It’s huge so when it’s full I know I have a ton of cash in it. One year when it was about 70% full I used it to buy all my Christmas gifts. It really made my end of the year easy to manage not having to worry about how much I was going to spend and what I might have to give up that month. It is also pretty loud when I throw cash in there, but the tone changes as I throw more in. The *klang* sound it makes when it is empty is loud and metallic and it becomes lower and softer as I have more money in it. It’s motivating to hear the loud *klang* and exciting to hear the soft low sound it makes when it’s full.
Here is a video (staring yours truly that I thought that you might like that gives a tip why saving money in a piggy bank is so important.
I like this idea as a way to save the pennies. We have a jar in our kitchen that we throw all our loose change into. I think rather than having a fancy design it should be practical: The insides should be concealed (if you don’t know how much is in there then you’re less likely to be tempted to open it) and it should be hard to get the money back out again! Our mistake was that you can simply open the lid and withdraw! It feels good to put in $15, but when I need a spot of cash to buy bread and milk it’s always where I go first. If it was harder to open then I’m sure we would have accumulated enough for a vegas run by now!!