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Getting ahead financially can seem like a never-ending slog. However, entrepreneur and host of the “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” podcast Ramit Sethi said there are hacks to making money more fun.
On a recent podcast episode called “Money Is a Video Game, and I’ve Got the Cheat Codes,” Sethi relayed five ways to gamify managing money so it becomes a fun pursuit. Here’s how to gamify your finances.
Sethi said that many people set money goals with no objectives. For example, someone might say they want to save $20,000 but have no plan for what to do once they get that money. Sethi compared this to playing a game with no objectives or point in winning.
Instead, he said to “identify your win condition.”
To do this, Sethi said to picture your ideal day five years from now. Think about who you’re with, where you are and what you’re doing. After doing that, write three ways money can help you accomplish these goals. Sethi calls this ideal life your “rich life.”
Sethi said it’s important to have that idea because “your rich life is personal to you, and once you get clear about it … everything changes. Your money suddenly has a purpose. It’s not a burden; it’s a tool.”
“The best games keep you hooked with many victories along the way,” Sethi said.
Instead of making one large goal, Sethi said it’s better to break that big goal into many small goals. These small goals will instill an “addictive sense of progress, like completing a level in a game,” Sethi said. “The more progress you see, the more motivated you will be to keep going.”
To put this into action, Sethi said to pick one big financial goal, then write three milestone goals you could realistically reach in the next three months, six months and 12 months. Most importantly: Plan a reward for each win.
For example, if your big goal is to be able to quit your job in favor of making your side gig a full-time job, your smaller goals could be to save a solid emergency fund, increase your investments and pay off your debts to start your new work life with nothing holding you back.
Make a plan to achieve each of these milestones, and reward yourself as you accomplish them to keep yourself motivated.
“Progress should feel good,” Sethi said.
Auto-saving in a video game is one thing, but how does it work for finances?
Sethi suggested finding ways to automate your finances so that even if an emergency comes up, you’re still building wealth. To do this, he suggested setting up automatic 401(k) contributions, Roth IRA deposits and savings account deposits.
If you start young, even small automated contributions to your investment accounts can compound into significant wealth over time — but even if you’re approaching retirement, it’s not too late to start. You’ll just have to be more aggressive with how much you save out of each paycheck.
It might sound ominous, but preparing for the final boss just means making sure you’ve saved for retirement. The trick is to do this sooner rather than later.
“If you start investing $500 a month at the age of 25 with a conservative 7% annual return, you could have over $1.2 million by the time you retire at 65,” Sethi explained.
Sethi recommended opening a Roth IRA and bumping up your current retirement contributions by 1%.
The final cheat code Sethi offered is to work closely with your partner.
“Too many couples approach money like a solo game, grinding away in their own financial worlds [and] unintentionally sabotaging each other,” Sethi said. To avoid this, Sethi suggested setting up “money dates” once a month to discuss finances, divide responsibilities and celebrate wins together.
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