Mat’s Money Mantras
HyperJar’s founder and CEO Mat Megens has a thing for Ms. Even his four children’s names start with M too. So it seemed only fitting to call Mat’s tips for happier finances Money Mantras. Here, he shares his ultimate guide to spending life better.
As seen in New Year Fresh Start
No one ever wrote a song called ‘Hey Big Saver’. Let’s be honest, since when is being good with money seen as interesting? I started HyperJar to make being great with our personal finances engaging, easy and rewarding. Here, I’ll share some advice that can help you understand your inner nudge unit in a way that will make you feel happier, more confident and more in control of your money. So read on…
Spend life better with HyperJar for Android and iOS
1. Start by understanding just one spending category
Most spending happens in just a few categories each month, usually at the same shops or websites. Say you go to the same supermarket, cafe or take- away again and again. That’s a great place to start. Want to spend the same or less than that next week? Set aside your goal amount, pay only from this budget and see how you go.
2. Planning ahead doesn’t mean you can’t be spontaneous
Paying for Christmas out of your November salary, or for a family holiday from a July pay packet? Many people don’t have a monthly income that can take this kind of hit, so it can be easy to fall back on debt. Make 2021 the year you plan for the usual big costs and start putting small amounts towards them now.
3. Share goals with a money buddy
Sharing fitness goals works for health kicks — and it works for money, too. Save up with close friends and family for holidays and other expenses; you can even build that emergency fund you’ve been promising to start for a while. We know some of our customers who struggle with impulse spending share a jar with a friend who doesn’t.
4. Spending is a bit like crossing the road, so look right and left
When you’re planning spending money according to where you want it to go in future — instead of looking back at where it went — it adds a fraction more friction to our spending. Reflecting on what it is you need and want to spend on helps cut down on regret spend. As an example, my friend blew £800 on a cider press, made one batch of a disgusting brew and then had to stare at the thing for two years before finally selling it for £50. Naming your goals really helps: it’s easier (and works better) to pay into a ‘Spain 2021’ fund than into a nameless pot.
5. Know your money monster
We’re all dealing with some habits that keep us from living happily ever after with our money — and those habits start young. Our money personalities — at HyperJar we call them Money Monsters — are a combination
of impulse spending, apathy, short-term thinking and sheer embarrassment. Once you understand the hang-up that’s most responsible for getting in the way of you feeling more confident with money, you’re in a better position to tackle it.
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