Saturday 16th January 2021 • Promotional Content


Personal development, financial & legal resolutions New Year, Fresh Start 41


Spend 2021 better N


Mat Megens, founder of HyperJar.com, shares his tips for happier finances


o one ever wrote a song called ‘Hey Big Saver’. Let’s be honest, since when is being good


with money seen as interesting? Or financial tools seen as easy and fun? 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 engage your inner nudge unit in a way that will make you feel happier, more confident and more in control of your money.


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. Tat’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


“We’re all dealing with some habits that keep us from living happily ever after with our money — and those habits start young”


amounts towards them now. Naming your goals really helps: it’s easier (and works better)


to pay into a ‘Spain 2021’ fund than into a nameless pot.


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 fric- tion 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.


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. Head over to hyperjar.com to find out yours.


Mat Megens, founder of HyperJar.com


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