Savings Stories

The market is unpredictable. But there are ways that investors can try to protect themselves against big changes in the value of their investments. One of the key risk management strategies investors use is&nbsp;diversification, or the practice of spreading money across a variety of different investments.&nbsp;The idea is that the negative performance of some investments can be offset by the positive performance of others. In other words, diversification means you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket. While not a guarantee, diversification is a way to reduce risk in the long term.&nbsp;To give a concrete example, if your investment portfolio is made up of one stock, and that stock’s value goes down 10%, your entire portfolio is down 10%. If your investment portfolio is made up of 10 equally valuable stocks and two lose 10% of their value and the rest remain unchanged, your portfolio only suffers a 2% drop.&nbsp;Portfolios can be diversified in a number of different ways. Some common variables that investors will consider are:&nbsp;<ul><li>Asset class: the type of investment. Asset classes include stocks and bonds, which we covered, but also a variety of other investments you may have heard of, like commodities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).</li><li>Geography: The location of the company or country.</li><li>Industry: The type of good or service the company offers.</li></ul>&nbsp;And Qapital does all the diversification work for you! Each of our five pre-built portfolios is comprised of a mix of investments. You can see how we’ve diversified your portfolio right in the app! Just tap your Qapital Invest goal and Select Account overview to see how we’ve invested your money.&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Any historical returns or projections are hypothetical and may not reflect actual future performance. Investments in securities are not FDIC-insured and may lose value. This is not a complete description of Qapital Invest’s investment advisory services. For more details, click <a href="https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/283762">here</a>. Brokerage services provided to Qapital Invest clients by Apex Clearing Corporation, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Copyright © 2023 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved.

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Managing investment risk through diversification

We know that Qapital is the best way to save money for all the things we want to do in life. But the things we buy are just a small part of&nbsp;the equation.&nbsp;Staying on top of expenses and taxes might not seem glamorous but it's those things that give us the feeling&nbsp;that we're taking control.Meet Randi Newton, a 37 year-old journalist and sober companion who works with addicts in recovery <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2015/11/unnamed.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2015/11/unnamed.jpg" width="200" height="300"></a><h2>Tell us what you've been saving for.</h2>I’m always saving for something on Qapital. &nbsp;My top goals for now are saving for tax time, since I'm a freelancer and saving for a rainy day.&nbsp;<h2>How has saving money been difficult for you in the past?</h2>I’ve tried different ways of saving. I've&nbsp;literally put money in a jar, aka the piggy bank method. It was too accessible, sometimes I’d turn to the piggy bank rather than run to the ATM.&nbsp;<h2>What's your savings strategy with Qapital?</h2>I started saving small with Qapital. &nbsp;At first I used <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/save-money-qapital-rules/">Set and Forget</a> to deposit $5 into each goal. &nbsp;Then once the money started adding up, I upped it&nbsp;to&nbsp;$10 a day. Then I started using the Guilty Pleasure rule since Starbucks, Uber and Seamless Web are repeat offenders in my life. But I actually didn’t feel bad using them, knowing that money would be put into my account toward my Goal. It didn’t take long at all for me to start saving and notice my savings building up.&nbsp;<h2>Do you feel the money leaving your account?</h2>Sometimes I do feel it, but I know it’s going into another account toward my goals. And I know I can access if I need it, so no matter where the money ends up, I know it’s mine.&nbsp;<h2>Why do you think that the money advice you've been given in the past has let you down?</h2>Different strategies work for different people. As much as I’ve loved saving and it’s something I’ve had an interest in, I’m bored by conventional “how to save” articles. Qapital makes saving fun, it’s that simple. I attribute this to the variety of ways you can save money.&nbsp;I really like the&nbsp;colorful graphics on the Qapital app and the sense that I’m doing something to help my future.&nbsp;&nbsp;It makes it all easy to keep track of and fun.&nbsp;<h2>What are you saving for next?</h2>I’m always saving for something. &nbsp;I’m dreading tax time, but the <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/qapital-freelancer-rule-taxes/">Freelancer Rule</a> has made it a little more bearable.&nbsp;<h2>Any advice for new users?&nbsp;</h2>Saving money is something that a lot of people make excuses for being they “can’t afford to do.” Qapital takes&nbsp;the&nbsp;daunting thought of saving and turn it into something you might actually enjoy doing. No amount you try to save is too small, because it all really adds up over time. &nbsp;I say start saving slowly and small if you’re intimidated, then after you see the results, push yourself to save more. The person it benefits the most is you.&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Copyright © 2023 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved.

Savings Stories: "Qapital makes saving money fun"

Throughout the month of June, we’re featuring Qapital customers using health and fitness Rules to help them save money. This week, we’re featuring Lilia Cazaes, a physical therapist and pilates teacher from Atlanta, GA. She’s using fitness Rules to save money for a pilates course and more! <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/06/Lilia.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-952"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/06/Lilia.jpg" width="300" height="360"></a>When it comes to health and fitness, Lilia Cazaes is makes it her job to keep bodies moving. Originally from Brazil, Lilia is now a physiotherapist and pilates instructor in Atlanta. Lilia says it’s been her goal to work in fitness since she was a teenager. “I decided to become a physical therapist and pilates instructor because when I was 14-15 years old, I did ballet and Hebrew dance for 3 years.” she says. It was her time as a dancer that inspired her to continue learning about the human body. “I love body movements and became a physiotherapist to learn more about this.” Not only does Lilia teach pilates classes as part of her fitness regimen, she also does CrossFit and runs on the treadmill as part of her workout routine. To help keep her motivated, she uses the Workouts and Steps Rules with Apple Health in Qapital to save money as she exercises. “Each day that I workout, it's more close of my financial and my personal [fitness] goals,” she says. “I feel better, positive, motivated and focus when I'm exercising.” By using fitness Rules in Qapital, Lilia says she it’s made her feel more comfortable about putting money aside since she’s using her everyday workout routine to help her save. “I don't need to worry about when or how much I have to save,” she says. “[I] just save!” She says as an instructor and physiotherapist, the best part is helping her clients improve both their fitness and overall health. “The best part of this is helping people notice their bodies can be better when they learn a little more about it,” says Lilia. She says the motivation to keep helping people is to understand that “the human body is the best ‘machine’ in the world!” Whether you’re looking to save when you step or reward yourself for hitting the gym, using your everyday fitness habits to build up your financial fitness makes it easier to reach your goals both in the gym and your bottom line! <h2 class="h3">Put money in its place</h2> Master your money with the app that makes it easy to divvy up every dollar so you can balance what you want with what you need. <a class="btn" href="https://app.qapital.com/">Create account</a>

Body movin’: How this Qapital customer is making the human body her life’s work

Throughout the month of June, we’re featuring Qapital customers using health and fitness Rules to help them save money. This week, we’re featuring Craig Caruso from Staten Island, NY! Craig squeezes mini-workouts into his day and saves money in the process. <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/06/Craig-Caruso.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-966"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/06/Craig-Caruso.jpg" width="300" height="344"></a>When it comes to reaching his daily fitness goals, Craig Caruso’s approach is to channel his passion for technology into positive reinforcement. “I am a technologist,” he says. “I love finding new apps, exploring them and see what's new. I live and breathe technology.” Craig, who is a “engineer by day, developer by night,” says that his health and fitness have become more important to him as he gets older. “As I am getting older I realize fitness is a top priority over everything else. Even standing for a few minutes helps.” As part of his fitness strategy, Craig is cutting down on long stretches of sitting while he’s at work, rewarding himself for a job well done using Qapital. He’s using two Apple Health Rules to help keep him moving while in the office. “[When I] run or walk 4 miles a day... I save $4 and stand 12 times a day for $1,”  he says. “I picked those goals because they are achievable but you do have to push yourself.” <h3>Step it up and save!</h3> In fact, just adding the Apple Health Steps Rule adds $15 to the average Qapital customer’s Goals each week! Craig says these mini breaks strolling through his office also give him a chance to focus on his work and approach tasks and challenges with a fresh set of eyes. “When my watch reminds me to stand I make sure I walk a few minutes to breathe and take a step back to re-collect my thoughts and refocus on what I am doing.” Not only is Craig staying on track with his step goal, he’s also make it easier to pay his bills each month! If he hits his daily Goals, he has enough money set aside to pay the bills by the time they’re due. “Working out is encouraging me to pay bills. I have nothing overdue but it helps push to me meet my goals each month.” Whether your goals are pragmatic or more of the pipe variety, by simply adding a fitness Rule in Qapital you can get to stepping, whatever it may be! We’re always looking to share stories from our customers! Want us to share your Savings Story? Email hello@qapital.com with the subject line ‘Savings Story’! <h2 class="h3">Put money in its place</h2> Master your money with the app that makes it easy to divvy up every dollar so you can balance what you want with what you need. <a class="btn" href="https://app.qapital.com/">Create account</a>

Small steps for this man lead to big savings each month!

Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with lifestyle blogger and fashionista Jules Denby (@julesdenby) to go in-depth about her passions, social media presence, and new addition to her family. Witty and real, Jules has created her completely unique,&nbsp;aesthetically-comforting and hilarious <a href="https://www.instagram.com/julesdenby/">Instagram feed</a>. For over an hour, we gabbed about wanderlust, the perfectly curated Instagram, and the honesty and bluntness of Snapchat. Laughed about the intricacies and trials of motherhood, the reality of balancing life and work, and appreciating the humor and happiness within it all. &nbsp;<a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/09/screen-shot-2016-09-21-at-75225-am.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/09/screen-shot-2016-09-21-at-75225-am-300x300.jpg" width="300" height="300"></a> "You feel like you want to do all different kinds of things, but I notice people who stick to one theme...do way better. Fashion is - foremost - what I've done."Jules has worked in the fashion industry most of her life – her first job being at a clothing store, as a stylist at Madewell, and now as a fashion-guru on the 'Gram. "I don't walk around in heels." she says. "I am wearing exactly what I photograph in. The leather jacket with the cutoffs and Converse."<a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/09/IMG_9013.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/09/IMG_9013-254x300.jpg" width="254" height="300"></a> @julesdenby wearing @urbanoutfitters, @madewell, and @levis. So you'd think with Qapital, she'd&nbsp;be saving up for her own boutique, right? Wrong! Instead, her sights are set on a flower truck. She tells a beautiful story, of getting out of New York for a while to her family's home in New Hampshire. Driving through the East Coast looking for a catalog company, getting lost with her sister, and wandering into a coffee shop. The two of them were hired together on the spot, and worked there through the fall. It's there&nbsp;she meets "Paul." She says, upon seeing him, "I'm going to marry that man." Fast forward two years,&nbsp;and Jules is planning their wedding. She speaks with <a href="http://www.ehfloral.com/">Emily Herzig</a> regarding the flowers for the table pieces, and immediately falls in love.<a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/09/screen-shot-2016-09-19-at-81245-am.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/09/screen-shot-2016-09-19-at-81245-am-300x300.jpg" width="300" height="300"></a> "I needed fresh flowers in my house every day. Peony season comes around and I'm like, the first in line at Whole Foods. I was totally obsessed." If I learned anything about Jules in the hour and a half that we spoke, it's that she knows exactly who she is. And she knows what she wants, and wastes no time making it happen. So it's no surprise to hear, when she and her husband happened upon a flower farm in New Hampshire, she immediately wanted to make it happen for the two of them. After some discussion, and a surprise find on Instagram, she changes her focus to a truck. "With a farm, you're tied down. But with a [flower] truck, you can go anywhere, and do anything." So how is she reaching&nbsp;that Goal? With&nbsp;Qapital. The&nbsp;Guilty Pleasure Rule saves Jules&nbsp;money each time she purchases flowers at her local shop. And it&nbsp;also helps her set aside cash each time she stops for gas. It's the perfect combination for saving, and is inspirational in the process. So what had previously been a quick stop to fill up the car is now a reminder that she's funding her dreams. We're thrilled that she's chosen Qapital to help her reach her Goals. And we can't wait to watch as her dreams become a reality. <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/09/screen-shot-2016-09-21-at-75622-am.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2016/09/screen-shot-2016-09-21-at-75622-am-300x300.jpg" width="300" height="300"></a> If you'd like to follow Jules along the road to a flower truck, make sure to follow&nbsp;her Instagram and Snapchat!<h2>Put money in its place</h2>Master your money with the app that makes it easy to divvy up every dollar so you can balance what you want with what you need. <a href="https://app.qapital.com/">Create account</a>

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Fashion and Flowers: How Jules Denby is Saving Toward Her Dreams

<a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/04/lucy.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/04/lucy-240x300.jpg" width="240" height="300"></a> Written by Lucy Ross, Editor in Chief at <a href="https://likeabossgirls.com">Likeabossgirls</a> You know that feeling on the first chilly day of the season when you reach into the pockets of the coat you haven’t worn in months and you realize you are now holding a $5 bill? Yeah, I don’t know about you but I get pretty jazzed about that. Fancy latte and a muffin, here I come! So imagine that feeling times 200. Literally. That’s how I felt when I went to check my Qapital app as I hopped on a plane to Budapest and found $951.68 saved and ready for spending on fun things. I had just set it up 6 months earlier! LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING Ok, let me explain. In August 2016 I decided I wanted to finally take this idea of a European springtime travel sesh out of my head and into action. I’m a digital nomad--a.k.a. I get to work from my laptop, so wherever I have a wifi connection and one of those aforementioned lattes, then I am good to go! For me it was just a matter of logistics: where will I go, where will I live, and how long will I be there. And of course, intertwined with each question: how much moolah will I need to cover my expenses and then some. I did some digging on this fantastic site where digital nomads rate cities based on different factors that affect our livelihood and quality of living called NomadList.com. I found that Budapest and Prague met my requirements: <ul> 	<li>High-speed internet that is easily accessible (i.e., complimentary fast wifi at all cafes)</li> 	<li>Friendly toward foreigners</li> 	<li>At least of a third of the population knows English</li> 	<li>Safe for a solo lady traveller</li> 	<li>Low cost of living</li> </ul> BUDGETING FOR A TRIP Once I nailed down the locations, it was on to planning out my finances. I calculated my average monthly expenses for the last year in the U.S. and then told myself Lucy, your monthly expenses for this 2 month European jaunt need to be equal or less than that! So off I went finding airbnbs and flights that were in the budget. Easy enough. But I know myself and know that if I have an opportunity to go to some cool cultural event (like the Hungarian Folk Dance concert I just went to last night) then I want to be able to go do those things guilt-free… “When in Rome...” right?! I knew I wanted to set up a savings plan for the “little luxuries.” Within that day, I learned about Qapital (gotta love targeted Instagram posts!). HELLO EASIEST SAVINGS APP EVER, NICE TO MEET YOU The premise is simple: it’s too hard to save AFTER you’ve spent money. So why not just save while you spend. And make it automatic! I downloaded the app and within 2 minutes I had set up rules for reaching my savings goal of $1000 (=$500 for each month I’m there) for the little luxuries of my 60-Day European Adventure. I had 3 “rules” for saving that I set up in the app: <ol> 	<li>A Round-Up Rule: Every time I made a purchase using one of my connected cards, Qapital would round up to the nearest second dollar and put that difference in my savings</li> 	<li>A Spend Less Rule: For every week I spent less than $15 at Panera Bread (where I have a bit of an addiction!), then the difference is saved in my account</li> 	<li>A Steps Rule: Every day I walked 10,000 steps or more, 5 buckaroonies get transferred to my savings (Yay health! Yay savings!).</li> </ol> Here are screenshots of the my rules and activity for a few days in March: <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/04/qapital_rules.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/04/qapital_rules-192x300.jpg" width="192" height="300"></a> So that was August 19th when I set up those rules. On April 3rd, as I boarded the flight for my first leg of my journey, I wanted to see how my progress was looking (FYI, they also sent me monthly reports of how close I was to my goal so I could adjust or add rules whenever I wanted). And what did just six-and-a-half months of mindless automatic saving have in store for my future little luxuries? $951.68! Not bad for a mere 2 minutes of effort setting up savings “rules” back in August! Concerts, fancy dinners, and facials, here I come! I guess what I’m saying is two-fold: Saving is smart. But making saving AUTOMATIC is wise. Do both. It’s actually kinda fun. Lucy Ross is a Web Design, Videographer &amp;  is the Editor In Chief at <a href="https://likeabossgirls.com">Likeabossgirls</a>. <h2 class="h3">Put money in its place</h2> Master your money with the app that makes it easy to divvy up every dollar so you can balance what you want with what you need. <a class="btn" href="https://app.qapital.com/">Create account</a>

How I Saved $951.68 for my European Adventure with 2 minutes of Minimal Effort

<a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/05/laura.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/05/laura-240x300.jpg" width="240" height="300"></a> Written by Laura Hager, Blogger For years, I had been dreaming about my wedding. I had been pinning pictures of pretty venues, gorgeous dresses, and color palettes to my Pinterest board long before I was engaged. I had so many ideas saved up! Needless to say, I was beyond thrilled when my boyfriend got down on one knee and asked me the question. We were in a newly engaged, dreamlike state until we realized that we had no way to pay for our wedding. How had I scrolled through endless wedding Pinterest boards and never thought of how I was going to pay for it?! After a few days of trying to coming up with schemes to earn money, it hit me. I could create a new goal on my Qapital app! I had my Qapital rules saving my money into two goals already, so I knew that this type of savings plan was perfect for me! I logged into my app and created a new goal and titled it "My Wedding." I knew I need to add money to that goal as soon as possible, so I created two rules. The first adds a certain amount into the goal every Sunday and the second rounds up every purchase to $3. What I love about Qapital is that I just have to create the rules and let the app do its thing. I don't have to think about my savings goals all day. My handy app is constantly working towards my savings goals for me, even when I forgot. Something else I love about Qapital is the automatic overdraft protection. Overdraft fees are the worst! The app helps by postponing the transfers until the withdraw account is ready to go. Plus, it holds the transfer amount and remembers what it was going to transfer so no saving rules get skipped! In addition to the rules I created, I started manually transferring money into my wedding savings goal. If I decide to make coffee at home instead of hitting up the closest coffee shop, I transfer the $4 I would have spent into the app. If I decided to check out a book at my library instead of purchasing a new one, I move the amount I didn't spend over to Qapital. It's so easy to manually transfer a specific amount of money. And in only a week of this new habit, I saved $50 from packing lunches and brewing my own coffee. Using Qapital to save for my wedding has relieved a lot of stress! It's also helping me become more aware of my spending habits and helping me become a better saver! Do you have a wedding coming up? Let me know which saving rules are helping you get to your dream wedding goals! Laura Hager lives in Phoenix, AZ with her fiancé and their small dog, Astro. She runs a blog called Laurel and Fern. She loves scrapbooking, baking, reading, and all things creative. Her website is <a href="http://laurelandfern.com/">www.laurelandfern.com</a> and her Instagram is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/laura_hager/">@laura_hager</a>. <h2 class="h3">Put money in its place</h2> Master your money with the app that makes it easy to divvy up every dollar so you can balance what you want with what you need. <a class="btn" href="https://app.qapital.com/">Create account</a>

How I Saved for My Wedding Making My Lunch and Using the Qapital App

Written by Carl Parson This week, Qapital met with Phillipe Casorla Sagot to hear about his Journeys around and across the globe. <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/06/phillipe-fjord.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/06/phillipe-fjord-1024x683.jpg" width="1024" height="683"></a> Wednesday noon, and that Swedish sun seemed to have finally come out for the summer. Everyone at our Stockholm office were drawn closer to the windows, excited like magnets. But the sun wasn’t the only thing to excite me. Today, I was going to interview one of our super-savers, Phillipe Sagot. “The world is big, but you run into people you know everywhere” Maybe I shouldn’t have been very surprised right then -- but I was. When Phillipe came into the office, he immediately walked up to two of my co-workers. “Hey, what’s up?” he said. Apparently, Phillipe knew not only one, but two people working at Qapital. I asked them all if this meant they had staged this whole meeting. “No”, they all smiled. And Phillipe said, “I guess the world is big, but you still run into people you know everywhere.” We found a quiet little room. I asked if it’s okay to record, then I opened the shades to let the summer light in. “You’re originally from Costa Rica” I asked. “What brings you to this little city of ours?” “Work. And, well, I guess I like to travel around. I just came from Norway, actually. It was amazing. The Fjords -- wow.” “Wow, yes -- those fjords have quite a reputation” I replied (But didn’t reveal how badly I’ve wanted to go there lately.) “The only thing with Norway was how expensive it was.”, Phillipe continued. “I got some salmon and a beer, and it cost me $60! I guess you gotta pay for those pretty views” I tried some type of clever reply to this, and said, “I guess it’s a good thing you’re saving with Qapital.” He laughed, looked at his phone, and agreed. “I’ve started saving for a trip to Tokyo. It’s a fascinating place.” “I remember downloading Qapital like two years ago. I didn’t use it at first. But I came back to it, and thought, ‘why not’, you know?” This was like six months ago. Now I’ve saved up $1900.” <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/07/Skärmavbild-2017-07-07-kl.-16.10.28.png"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/07/Skärmavbild-2017-07-07-kl.-16.10.28.png" width="954" height="720"></a> “What are you saving for?” “I want to go to Tokyo. I went there two years ago. Ever since, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I just want to go back. And this is actually the first time I save for a trip in advance. I used to put everything on my credit card, then payed for it afterwards… which kind of wasn’t the greatest.” “So when do you think you’ll go?” “Well, I started saving in December. I figure it’ll take me a few more months. I’d like to go in the winter. But I don’t think I’ll stay in Tokyo all the time. This is the advice I give to some: If you’re down to travel a bit outside the city, you should go to Kyoto. It used to be the capital -- and you can feel it. It has a lot of tradition.” “Tell me more about that.” “Tokyo is crazier. The pace is crazy. It’s crowded -- but not in a bad way. Kyoto is calmer. You can go to the temples that are so unique to Japanese culture. You can sit down with the old ladies wearing traditional sandals and garments. And the tables there are only like four inches high. It’s really, really different. I love it.” “I can’t wait to reach my goal.” I gave Phillipe a Qapital t-shirt and mug, and said, “It’s not much, but I wanted to give you something to show how happy Qapital is that you came over for this interview.” and he gave me a polite smile. “I love them”, he said. “One last question”, I asked. “Do you think Qapital has made you a better saver?” “Well, before I didn’t save at all. So definitely. I rather not put the big travel expenses on credit anymore. It just feels better if I have the money I’m spending. I gotta say, I’m happy to save. I can’t wait till I have reached my goal.” <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/06/4.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/06/4-1024x919.jpg" width="1024" height="919"></a> <h2 class="h3">Put money in its place</h2> Master your money with the app that makes it easy to divvy up every dollar so you can balance what you want with what you need. <a class="btn" href="https://app.qapital.com/">Create account</a>

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A Saver’s Journey Around the World

This guest post is courtesy of Kassondra Cloos. <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/10/optimized-kassondra-cloos-camping-by-nick-cote-1-2.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/10/optimized-kassondra-cloos-camping-by-nick-cote-1-2.jpg" width="1200" height="767"></a> Photo by Nick Cote Becoming a freelancer is the dream for a lot of writers, who love the idea of trying to make it as their own boss. I first started thinking about making the leap in 2014 when I was a newspaper reporter and not making very much money. I considered quitting to waitress, travel, and pursue creating writing. With tens of thousands of dollars in student debt, though, I needed guaranteed income. But last year, while working as an editor for an outdoor industry news website—a dream job in itself—I became addicted to saving with the Qapital app, and I started thinking about it again as my savings grew. I had met lots of successful travel writers who told me going freelance was the best decision they’d ever made, and I started preparing to give it a shot. In December, sick of throwing away all my spare cash on student loan bills, I cleared out my checking and savings accounts to pay off my highest-interest loans. There was a moment of intense freedom, then a few weeks of living paycheck-to-paycheck while I rebuilt my safety net. I watched my spending closely, and I wanted to hold myself accountable for saving the money I’d no longer need for my loans. I found Qapital while Googling new savings accounts just after Christmas, and I opened an account immediately. I set up goals for student loans, quitting my job, and vacation, and a bunch of rules, like rounding up to the nearest $1 on every purchase, the 52-week rule (which saves $1 the first week then $2, then $3, and so on), and a guilty pleasure rule for withdrawing money from an ATM. At first, I saved maybe $20 or $30 a week while I recovered from clearing out my funds to triple digits. But it quickly became like a game, and I created more and more rules. Automatic transfers held me accountable to save the $250 a month I had been spending on the loan I’d paid off, putting it just out of my reach so I couldn’t spend it frivolously. I loved how quickly spare change added up, so I took it a step further and changed my $1 round-up rule to a $5 round-up rule. Saving with Qapital became addicting, and I’d check my account obsessively, every day, to see if I could round up a goal to a milestone by manually transferring an extra $5 or $10. In the spring, I started freelancing on the side as much as possible to build up my clips, establish relationships with publications I’d want to write for long-term, and save enough to quit. I created a new goal for taxes, for a third of what I made from assignments, and I put nearly all of the rest into other Qapital savings goals. Instead of spending my extra cash on eating out or new clothes, I funneled every extra penny into my Qapital savings. <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/10/optimized-img_722dc4a7220c-1-2.jpeg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/10/optimized-img_722dc4a7220c-1-2.jpeg" width="505" height="900"></a> Within just seven months, I saved over $9,000. A little more than half of that came from extra income outside of my regular job, and the rest was from filing away all the extra money I could. I used IFTTT, for example, to save $5 with one tap every time I avoided spending money on non-essential purchases. With a safety net I finally felt comfortable with, I put in my notice in late July, and started freelancing full-time in mid-September. It’s a little early to know how successful I’ll be in the long term, but I do know that if every month is like this one, I’ll be just fine. <a href="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/10/kassondra-cloos-headshot-by-nick-cote-1.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.qapitalapp.net/wp-uploads/2017/10/kassondra-cloos-headshot-by-nick-cote-1.jpg" width="1600" height="1112"></a> Photo by Nick Cote Kassondra Cloos is a freelance adventure travel and outdoor writer based in Boulder, Colorado. Follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/kassondracloos">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kassondracloos/">Instagram</a> at @kassondracloos, and find more of her work at <a href="http://kassondracloos.com/">kassondracloos.com</a>. <h2 class="h3">Put money in its place</h2> Master your money with the app that makes it easy to divvy up every dollar so you can balance what you want with what you need. <a class="btn" href="https://app.qapital.com/">Create account</a>

How Saving With Qapital Helped Me Quit My Job To Pursue My Dream

Qapital helps thousands of users travel to amazing places! The money management tools you have come to know and love for smart saving and spending in your everyday life can help you achieve the same control and freedom when you take off on an adventure.&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether it’s a solo hiking trip halfway across the world, a romantic getaway in a foreign city with your beau, or a road trip upstate to your aunt’s farm with the whole family… Qapital has your back.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Here are some handy tips to help make your next vacation a success.&nbsp;<h2>Pack your Qapital Visa® Debit Card.</h2>&nbsp;No matter where you choose to go, make sure you bring your Qapital Visa® Debit Card* with you. We charge ZERO foreign transaction fees** for using your Qapital Visa® Debit Card abroad.&nbsp;And you can use your Qapital Visa® Debit Card’s Spending Sweet Spot tool to stay on budget. Just adjust your target amount to fit your travel budget and the Qapital app will automatically track what you spend on your Qapital Visa® Debit Card. We’ll send you routine notifications so you know exactly how much you’ve spent and how much you have left to spend at anytime with the swipe of your finger. (You can even exclude purchases unrelated to your budget!)&nbsp;Built-in fraud monitoring keeps your chip-enabled debit card safe 24/7. And if you think your card may be lost or stolen, you can remote lock it at any time within the app.&nbsp;If you don’t yet have a Qapital Visa® Debit Card, sign up today!&nbsp;<h2>Set up a goal for yourself with an image that excites you. You’ll be twice as likely to reach it!</h2>&nbsp;Numerous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-leaders-code/201401/why-a-picture-is-worth-1000-words-lessons-for-goal-setting">research studies</a> have shown that visualizing a goal increases your likelihood of achieving it. That’s why we let you choose your own goal photos to remind yourself exactly what you’re saving for and why. It’s so much easier to save when you are looking at an image of something that matters to you — like a snapshot of that villa on the Amalfi coast you want to visit again — rather than a number on a screen.&nbsp;Stay excited. Stay motivated. Stay on course.&nbsp;<h2>Set up a shared goal with your Qapital Dream Team™ partner and reach your destination even faster.</h2>&nbsp;Traveling with your special someone? As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work.&nbsp;With Dream Team you can set a shared goal and invite your +1 to join you. You can both track your progress, see how much money you need to reach your goal, and track how your money grows over time. You can even chat with your partner right in the goal!&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Go somewhere amazing. Go somewhere unforgettable.&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;Don’t know where you want to go? If you need a little inspiration, take a peek at the most popular overseas travel destinations among Qapital users so far this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;FIJI ⬥ COLOMBIA ⬥ VIETNAM ⬥ JAPAN ⬥ FRANCE ⬥ HAITI&nbsp;Don’t want to leave the country? There are plenty of thrilling trips to take right here in the States! In fact, most Qapital users’ top travel spots this year were right here in the U.S. of A.&nbsp;PORTLAND ⬥ BOSTON ⬥ NASHVILLE ⬥ NEW YORK&nbsp; ⬥ LAKE TAHOE ⬥ DENVER ⬥ LOS ANGELES ⬥ ATLANTA ⬥ SAN FRANCISCO&nbsp;&nbsp;Happy travels!&nbsp;&nbsp;*The Qapital Visa® Debit Card is issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC.**Qapital does not charge foreign transaction fees on purchases you make abroad with your Qapital Visa® Debit Card, however Visa® and international vendors sometimes do. Please note that if you use your Qapital Visa® Debit Card internationally, Visa® may include an International Service Assessment (ISA) fee of up to 1% of the total transaction amount.Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Copyright © 2023 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved.

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These Qapital Travel Tips Will Save You Time and Money

Photo: <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/xfKEy_6x4pw">Hannah Busing</a> Spending money sounds like a bad thing, but it doesn’t have to be. Take experiences, for example. Experiential purchases, such as vacations or Broadway tickets, increase our overall happiness because they’re experiences. And pre-paying for these purchases can actually increase our enjoyment of them. Take me - I was more excited to go to the zoo than my three-year-old was. To be fair, he didn’t know my husband and I had planned to take him during the holiday season. But we planned for this trip weeks in advance -- from my husband requesting time off, to letting my editors know I wasn’t available that day, all the way to waiting for a coupon code so we didn’t need to buy a child ticket. Sure, we could have gone on a weekend, but we wanted to avoid the busy crowds. For almost a whole month after we bought the tickets, I was so excited I almost ruined the surprise. And when the trip finally happened, the smile never left my face for the whole day. <h2>Experiences and Anticipation Can Do Wonders For Your Happiness</h2> It’s pretty common for people to head to the zoo with their families, so why was my experience so special? For one, I paid for it in advance, saving me financial stress the day we went. And I turned the experience into an event we could enjoy together. As in, my husband and I could have bought a bunch of gifts for my son, but our goal was to spend more time as a family. Studies, such as the ones conducted by <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jcps.2014.08.004">Tom Gilovich, Amit Kumar and Lily Jampol</a>, show experiential purchases make us happier as a whole. At its core, experiences are more social and help us get more satisfaction than material things do. Experiential purchases help us to relate better to one another. Think about buying things, which may be motivated by the whole “keeping up with the joneses” idea. When you purchase an item, you may see if your friends have the same thing, or become jealous when someone buys a newer model of what you have. With experiences, there is less chance of that happening because our experiences are unique to us. And you get to share how happy you are, creating a bonding experience. Research also shows making an experiential purchase before the actual experience can increase your enjoyment because you’re anticipating it. A <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614546556">study published in Psychological Science </a>found those who thought about their future experiential purchases were more excited compared to individuals who were waiting to receive a material good. All this could explain why I was so giddy leading up to the trip -- I thought about those zoo tickets for weeks before actually going. <h2>How to Leverage Anticipation in Your Spending</h2> Finding ways to delay your gratification is the key to increased happiness. The more time you have between making the purchase and consuming it -- such as my month-long wait to go to the zoo -- the better. The idea is you get that extra time to visualize the actual experience itself, increasing the anticipation, especially if you tell other people about what you’re going to do. Here are a few examples to get those juices flowing: <ul> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Book a vacation way in advance -- do some preliminary research on what you’ll do once you get there. Bonus points if you use tracking programs like Google Flights to see how much you saved on that flight by booking ahead of time (imagine being able to brag about how much you didn’t have to pay). </li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Set a goal on Qapital so you can anticipate when you’ll reach it. This is perfect for anything from a trip, to a concert, to a spa session!</li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Look up recipes online and schedule to have your groceries delivered, so you can surprise your family with a home cooked meal. You can substitute this with meal delivery kits instead, where you may be able to order them weeks in advance.</li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Find out when there are free events in your area and make a plan to go. Bonus points if the free event would have been one you would have had to pay for otherwise, such as <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/">Museum Day</a>.</li> 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Find discounted spa packages on Groupon and book an appointment a few weeks in advance.</li> </ul> With all of these examples, it can be useful to set up reminders so as time passes, your anticipation grows stronger with each reminder. For example, you can set up daily reminders on your phone as notifications throughout the week. Qapital will also send you notifications as you reach milestones, such as 10%, 25%, and 50% of your goal. Services such as grocery deliveries and Groupon have reminder emails. But you can take it one step further by setting physical reminders like Post-it Notes all over your house. It may still seem a little strange that anticipating a purchase makes us happier, but science usually doesn’t steer us wrong. Rather than fight it, take up the challenge as an experiment and see how it can change the way you view purchases in the future. Qapital's Money Missions shows you how to add anticipation in your life to get more meaning out of your spending. <a href="https://app.adjust.com/5zj06l8_zl1a4bt?campaign=Blog&amp;adgroup=Behavioral Science&amp;creative=ScienceBehindAnticipation&amp;fallback=https://get.qapital.com/download">Download the app</a> and check it out!

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The science behind anticipation: Why pre-paying for experiences increases enjoyment

A few years ago, in honor of my mom’s pseudo-retirement, my mom, big bro and I pooled our money together for an epic family vacation to Hawaii. While it was awesome and many Instagram-worthy moments were had, I ended up dipping into my credit cards. No bueno.&nbsp; Flash forward to the present, as my partner and I plan to take a trip this December to The Aloha State to help celebrate his milestone birthday. With the trip just a month away, I’m dead-set on not accruing any debt this time around.&nbsp; Here are some key lessons you can learn from how I am saving—and splurging—on a trip to Hawaii:<h2>Consider your goal</h2> While on a road trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, earlier this year, my partner mentioned, out-of-the-blue, how he wanted to check out the Big Island and the massive lava flows.&nbsp; “Well, how about we go for your birthday?” I asked.&nbsp; “Let’s do it,” he responded. How amazing would it be to traverse the tropical terrains of Hawaii in the winter?&nbsp; And as his birthday is in December, it was a totally doable savings goal. &nbsp;<h2>Identify your budget</h2>We’ll travel to two islands—Oahu and the Big Island—over the course of 10 days. My partner and I sat down a few months ago to figure out exactly how much our trip would cost.&nbsp; Here’s roughly what it came down to:&nbsp;<h3>Big-ticket items</h3>When it comes to the large, anticipated expenses, I’ll handle airfare and the car rental. My partner has agreed on footing the bill for accommodations. While on the island, we’ll switch off paying for things. &nbsp; Our two plane tickets came to a little under $1,100. Since we’ve decided to take a ride-share and public transport while in Oahu, where it’s a little easier to get around, we’ll rent a car during the six days we cavort around the Big Island. Car rental will cost roughly $200. And we estimated about $200 a night for the hotel, which adds up to $1,800 for nine nights.&nbsp; Airfare: $1,100&nbsp; Car Rental: $200 Hotel: $1,800 Total: $3,100<h3>Variable expenses</h3>While there are certainly knowns, such as food, entertainment, and transportation, the exact costs will vary. I’m thinking roughly $150 a day for food and another $100 for entertainment and transport, which is probably more than we’ll need. Since we’ll travel for 10 days, that racks up to about $2,500 for food and fun.&nbsp; Food: $1,500&nbsp; Entertainment + Ride Share: $1,000&nbsp; Total: $2,500&nbsp;<h3>Allow for splurges</h3>I’m somewhat of an anti-budgeter, which means I pay myself first (i.e., sock away money toward my saving goals) then spend what remains. And because I don’t assign a job to every dollar in my budget, I like to add a bit of money cushion here and there. That’s why I’ve included a bit of a “Splurge Fund” into my Hawaii vacation fund. Having “extra” money makes you feel like you’re on top. In turn, it provides a psychological lift of sorts.&nbsp;<h3>The big number</h3>I decided on saving $3,000 for my share of the entire trip. After after paying for airfare, car rental, and my half of food and entertainment, which tallies up to $2,550, that leaves about $450 to spend on whatever I please. I imagine I’ll spend that dough on some island snacks for my family or on a whimsical tchotchke.&nbsp; My Share: $3,000&nbsp; My Partner’s Share: $2,600&nbsp; Grand Total: $5,600 If that seems like a lot for a 10-day trip to Hawaii, it is. This is more than we probably need, but it allows for a bit of padding so we have room to splurge. That way we don't have to "count beans" and stress about spending too much during our trip. And if there’s anything left over from my portio of the trip, I plan on rolling it over to my next fun, big-ticket savings goal.&nbsp;<h2>Decide on the right savings tactic for you</h2>In 2016, I simply paid for my share of the trip—airfare and splitting the costs of food and entertainment—from a designated “fun fund,” and came up a little short. This time around, I’ve saved well in advance for my Hawaii trip.&nbsp; Truth be told, I started a vacay fund in my Qapital account last year to tour Berlin with my dear Chicago friends. I set an arbitrary goal of $2,000 simply because it “felt right” and hey, it was better than having zilch.&nbsp; And when it became apparent that our soft plans to visit Germany would fall by the wayside, I changed the name of my Qapital goal from “Berlin 2018” to “Hawaii 2018,” swapped out the cover photo and upped the goal from $2,000 to $3,000.&nbsp; The fun part was in deciding which rules to set in my Qapital account to hit my goal: Here are the rules I set:<h3>52-Week Rule</h3>How this rule works: You start by saving $1 on Week 1, $2 on Week 2, and eventually $52 by the last week. After a year, you’ve saved up $1,378. Qapital features two options: You can start with $1 on Week 1, then work your way up to $52. Or you can start with $52 the first week.&nbsp; I started by socking away $52 during Week 1. After finishing up my first cycle, I’ve just kick-started my second cycle for the 52-Week Rule.&nbsp;<h3>Round up Rule</h3> How this rule works: Every time you make a purchase, the remainder is rounded up and put towards your savings account. You have options to round up to the next $1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.&nbsp;I linked my debit cards and credit cards so that for every transaction, it’s rounded up to the nearest dollar.&nbsp;<h3>Guilty Pleasure Rule</h3> How this rule works: Every time you spend money at a specific merchant (say, a restaurant or retailer), you save an amount set by you.I set a rule that every time I spent money at In-N-Out Burgers and enjoyed an Animal-Style cheeseburger and fries, I would sock away $10 each time.&nbsp;<h2>Boosting your savings to hit your goal.</h2>I’m not at $3,000 (yet!). Granted, I wish I had a bit more focus on hitting my $3,000 mark. For instance, when I started last year, besides setting up the 52-Week Rule, where I saved around $1,400 in a year, I could’ve set up an auto-save of an additional $20 a week or so to save $1,040 in a year’s time. The Round-up Rule and Guilty Spending Rule could top me off at $3,000 to help me hit my goal earlier.&nbsp; As I get nearer to the trip, I’ll aggressively put money into my designated Hawaii trip fund.&nbsp; As you can see, it’s pretty fun and motivating to save for a major expense like a trip. You won’t be worried whether you can afford that vacation, or that you’ll need to dig a little debt hole to have fun. Tropical getaway, here we come! &nbsp;Looking to save for an upcoming trip? <a href="https://app.adjust.com/5zj06l8_zl1a4bt?campaign=Blog&amp;adgroup=Travel&amp;creative=GuideToHawaii&amp;fallback=https://get.qapital.com/download">Download Qapital</a> and set up a goal to start saving immediately!

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The Qapital User’s Guide: Saving and splurging on a trip to Hawaii

Whether you’ve dreamed of flying to Mars or buying the house down the street, you’ve probably realized that all of your dreams have one thing in common — they require money. But here’s the deal: saving money is often difficult. In fact, nearly half of adults in the U.S. would be <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/2017-report-economic-well-being-us-households-201805.pdf">unable to cover a $400 unexpected expense</a>. So if you’ve struggled to save money in the past, you’re not alone. (And if you’ve had a hard time saving <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/27/13078690/elon-musk-mars-mission-cost-per-person-spacex">the estimated $200,000 it would cost to visit Mars</a>, you’re definitely not alone.) But with the right savings app and some perseverance, you’ll be able to hit your savings goals. Thanks to Qapital, these three millennials went from spenders to savers as they accomplished their unique savings goals. Here’s how they did it, and more importantly, how you can too. <h2>Matt A., project manager in Denver, Colorado</h2> <h3>“Last February, I went to Japan and got back from the trip, paid all the bills and still had $800 in my Qapital account.”</h3> Before using Qapital, Anderson struggled to save money for short-term goals. Even though he had an emergency fund in a separate savings account, he still identified as a “terrible” saver. But here’s what Anderson learned: he’s able to save more when the money is stored in a separate account. The fact that he can’t see his Qapital account when he logs into his checking account has been a game-changer — for both his finances and his mindset. “For my trip to Japan, I had a rule set up [through Qapital],” Anderson explained. “I had $20 per week transferred from my checking account. I also used the Round Up Rule and had it set to <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/save-your-change-round-up/">round up my purchases to the nearest $5</a>. So if I spend $11 on something, it will round up to $15 and transfer $4 to my Qapital account. I saved for [my trip to Japan] for about a year. “It felt awesome to hit my savings goal. Japan was the best couple days of snowboarding I’ve had in twenty years. As we were flying home from Japan, my friends and I were talking about where we wanted to go next and it felt super satisfying to come back home and have nearly $1,000 already saved for my next trip.” Savings tip: If it feels like you’re always “stealing” from your savings account, try implementing a complete separation between savings and checking. <h2>Amanda R., interior designer in Lafayette, Louisiana</h2> <h3>“Since I’ve started using Qapital, I’ve saved over $10k towards various goals.” </h3> One of the first things Reviere tried when she joined Qapital was the 52-Week Challenge for Christmas savings, which <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/qapital-52-week-challenge/">gradually increases savings until you’ve saved a total of $1,378.</a> Thanks to Reviere’s competitive nature, the challenge was a success and she learned something important: she loves to compete against herself. Since then, she’s been able to harness her competitive spirit to complete multiple savings goals. As soon as Reviere finishes one goal, she immediately begins the next and constantly pushes herself to save more, which has allowed her to treat herself and her family to special gifts. “At any given time, I have three to four active goals. I use Qapital to help save for the fun — and sometimes not-so-fun — stuff,” Reviere said. “I always name them something interesting and add a quirky image to keep it exciting. Right now I have ‘Giving Season’ for Christmas, ‘Pay the Man’ for taxes, ‘Everywhere’ for spontaneous trips and ‘Slushy Money’ for things that I see and that I have to own right now.” Most of Reviere’s goals have been for big trips or events and Christmas splurges for the family. “Just in the last two years, I’ve managed to use my Qapital goals to go to the Dominican Republic, Breckinridge, New York City, Disney, and ride in the Muses Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans,” Reviere said. “My husband and I are going to France in October 2019 for our anniversary. We’ve been putting money into a joint savings account each month for the last three years to pay for the trip. My Qapital goal will be used to surprise him with an extra excursion or a night at a vineyard.” Savings tip: If you’re a competitive person and hate losing, focus your energy on savings “games.” Set goals and challenge yourself to hit them faster than projected. Even if you lose, you’ll still win. <h2>Sean M., Strategic Partnerships in Denver, Colorado</h2> <h3>“I set my engagement ring goal to $5,000 and when I hit the goal it felt excellent… It felt liberating.”</h3> Before using Qapital, Marrero had a “poor” relationship with money and struggled to make progress toward his savings goals. But the fix was surprisingly simple: separate accounts for saving and spending. Once he separated his accounts with Qapital, he focused on his “why.” “The [engagement ring] was the first goal I ever set,” he said. “I was like, ‘I really need to start saving money for this ring. How am I going do that?’  It was a mixture of a monthly savings and a round up rule. It took about a year and a half of saving to make it happen. The great thing is that when I hit the goal, there was a family ring that we ended up using instead. So I was able to use the money I had saved and transition it to other joint goals — a down payment for a car and a housing move.” He now has a “Love Cash” savings goal for his wife and their life together.   “I use the Round Up Rule, so I round up to the nearest $5,” he said. “What’s good about that is that you really don’t notice the money leaving your account, but the more you spend, the more you save. Recently, we used money from that fund to buy a new couch. “My next goal is a $5,000 emergency fund for our house. That goal will probably be funded in April 2019,” Marrero said. “I think that I feel more protected by having savings…It’s like having insurance. My savings goals have alleviated a lot of my daily stress.” Savings tip: Make saving personal. It’s hard to feel motivated if you aren’t clear about why you’re saving money. Use creative names for your Qapital accounts and add pictures that remind you of your purpose. <h2>Bottom line</h2> Whether you identify as a bad saver or a money genius, there’s always room from improvement when it comes to saving. With a few simple changes — separating your accounts, making it a game or focusing on your purpose — you’ll be able to hit your money goals, no matter how simple or outlandish they may seem. No matter how big or small your goal is, Qapital can help you achieve it. <a href="https://app.adjust.com/5zj06l8_zl1a4bt?campaign=Blog&amp;adgroup=Qapital Ideas&amp;creative=VacationOnMars&amp;fallback=https://get.qapital.com/download">Download the app</a> today and get started

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Saving for a vacation on Mars? No matter your goal, we have an app for it.

When you’re basking in the glow of a new engagement, it’s easy to get lost in visions of your big day. In reality, events cost money and figuring out exactly how much is no small task. Whether you’re dreaming of a lush affair or intimate backyard bash, it all begins with a budget. We tapped experts to make crafting yours easier.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Figure out who pays for what</h2>&nbsp;Hosting a wedding is a major undertaking. Before diving into each of your must-haves, it’s important to know the budget you have to work with.&nbsp;According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theknot.com/content/average-wedding-cost">The Knot’s latest study</a>, on average, parents contribute 51% of the wedding budget, while couples cover the remaining 49%. Talking with each family is the best place to start. Even if they haven’t set money aside, it’s possible they will still want to contribute.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Communication early and often is the best approach,” says Ross Menke, a certified financial planner (CFP®) at Mariner Wealth Advisors.&nbsp;He suggests sharing your goals and getting feedback from both families early on. Once you know how much each family will chip in, it’s much easier to create your budget.&nbsp;<h2>Craft a realistic budget</h2>&nbsp;There are a lot of factors that will impact your wedding’s final price tag. Unless you have a blank check, you will need to pick which things are most important.&nbsp;“Decide on your priorities and use them as a filter for all decision-making,” says Ashley Stork, owner and lead planner of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/i-do-i-do-wedding-planning-helena/331da0f371d2a7ba.html">Magnolia Vine Events</a> in Birmingham, Alabama.&nbsp;While costs vary based on where you live, the average couple spent $30,000 on their wedding last year. Some of the bigger expenses included:&nbsp;<ul><li>Venue – $11,200</li><li>Photography – $2,600</li><li>Dress – $1,900</li></ul>&nbsp;At an average of $15,700, those three line items can account for over 50 percent of the budget. Catering is another big expense at $75 per person. Stork says catering and drinks are some of the biggest expenses for her clients. Passed appetizers, late-night snacks, and a full open bar are nice-to-haves but add up quickly.&nbsp;Regardless of what you decide your final number is, you need to stay organized. Menke recommends The Knot’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theknot.com/wedding-budget">wedding budget tool</a>. It’s important to share your budget with vendors line-by-line and each step of the way. If a company won’t negotiate, don’t be afraid to walk away.&nbsp;<h2>Be ruthless with the guest list</h2>&nbsp;A party with 500 of your closest friends sounds fun — until you consider the bill. The guest list is one of the few things you have control over. The more folks you invite, the bigger your bill. Resist the urge to include distant family or old acquaintances. Each RSVP represents a higher bar tab, catering bill, and more decor.&nbsp;“When clients get stressed about the budget, my first suggestion is to cut the guest list immediately,” Stork adds.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Avoid debt at all costs</h2>&nbsp;It may be one of the biggest days of your life, but paying for it shouldn’t mean skipping your other financial goals. If you don’t have enough savings and your family can’t contribute, you do have options. Menke recommends either eloping or extending your engagement.&nbsp;“Do anything you can to avoid going into debt for a wedding,” he says.&nbsp;Menke points out how difficult the early years of marriage can be. Between student loans, buying a home, and raising children, there is already enough to tackle. Adding wedding debt will only make your joint finances more challenging.&nbsp;<h2>Host a remarkable event at any budget</h2>&nbsp;In the Instagram era, it’s easy to feel pressure to create the “perfect” wedding. It’s normal to get so wrapped up in your guests’ experience you forget who it’s actually for — the bride and the groom. Memorable weddings happen at every budget level, so don’t be afraid to cut out what is less important to you. Remember, your guests are there to celebrate your marriage, not how much money you spent.&nbsp;Start saving for your wedding today by setting up a Qapital goal. Not ready to get hitched? Well, there’s no harm in setting up a ‘Just in case’ goal.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.qapital.com/?_branch_match_id=1205527560824423654&amp;_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT08t0StMLMgsSczRS87P1U%2FJL8%2FLyU9MAQAEHpZ1IAAAAA%3D%3D">Download the app</a> today!&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Copyright © 2023 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved.

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How to budget for any wedding, large or small

If you read our article covering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/qapital-invest-making-investing-accessible-to-everyone/">Qapital Invest</a>, you may have seen us mention risk a couple of times. In fact, we ask you several questions to assess your risk tolerance before recommending a portfolio based on your responses and when you’d like to reach your Goal.&nbsp;So you may be wondering – what is risk and why does it matter for my investments?&nbsp;To help you understand what risk is when it comes to investing, we put together this quick primer.&nbsp;When it comes to investments,&nbsp;risk refers to the chance that the return on an investment will differ from expectations. There is always a chance that your investment will lose some or all of its value. Low risk investments are less likely to lose money, but offer lower potential return. High risk investments are just that — they have a higher chance of not delivering the value you expect, but the potential value of that return is higher. Your&nbsp;risk tolerance is the degree of uncertainty you are willing to take on with your investments.&nbsp;So how does that relate to your Qapital Invest account? Each of our five portfolios has a different risk profile — ranging from very conservative to very aggressive — based on its unique mix of stocks and bonds.&nbsp;Overall, bonds are seen as less risky than stocks. That’s because if a company goes out of business, for example, they have to pay off their debts (bonds) before they have to pay any of their stock investors.&nbsp;That said, there is plenty of variation in how risky an individual stock or bond is. As a general rule of thumb, whether considering government or corporate-issued bonds, the smaller or newer the company or economy, the higher the risk.&nbsp;To put this in context, small companies or economies are perceived to have higher risk because they don’t have a history of growth, or may have a more limited infrastructure. Similarly, bonds issued from governments with thriving and relatively stable economies, like the United States, are often considered less risky than bonds issued by developing economies.&nbsp;It’s the same with stocks. Newer companies with less history of growth are perceived to be riskier than well-established companies. However, the potential return may be higher because they may have more room to grow.&nbsp;<h2>How Qapital Invest minimizes your risk</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>And if this all sounds too complicated, don’t worry. At Qapital, we will do our best to recommend the right investments for you based on your Goals and your risk tolerance.&nbsp;Risk applies differently to many available types of stocks, bonds and other investment opportunities. You can invest in huge companies like Microsoft, small companies like SolarWinds Inc., companies based in the United States, or companies around the world. You can choose to invest in specific industries, like energy or finance, and they all have a level of risk associated with them (how risky they are may also be a point of contention). The point is, you have a lot of options when it comes to investing!&nbsp;In order to minimize the overall risk our members are exposed to, we don’t invest in individual stocks and instead opt for a diversified approach for our portfolio recommendations. All of the stocks we invest in are part of ETFs, exchange-traded funds, that sample a segment of the stock market (we’ll cover this in more detail in another article). Simply put, investing in ETFs allows you to own a little bit of a lot of companies so you don’t experience all of the downside if a single stock drops suddenly.&nbsp;<h2>Summing it up</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>If this seems overwhelming, we understand. We’re here to help make this whole investing thing a lot less complicated. That’s why, after asking you a few questions, we do our best to recommend the right investments for you based on what you want to achieve in your life.&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Any historical returns or projections are hypothetical and may not reflect actual future performance. Investments in securities are not FDIC-insured and may lose value. This is not a complete description of Qapital Invest’s investment advisory services. For more details, click <a href="https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/283762">here</a>. Brokerage services provided to Qapital Invest clients by Apex Clearing Corporation, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Copyright © 2023 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved.

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A quick primer on investment risk

The decision to start investing shouldn’t be taken lightly (see&nbsp;<a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/how-can-i-tell-if-im-ready-to-start-investing/">this article</a> to see if you’re ready) but we wanted to cover one of the most compelling reasons to invest:&nbsp;<h2>Compound growth</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>We’ve covered different kinds of investments and showed you why it’s important to have a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/qapital-invest-making-investing-accessible-to-everyone/">diversified mix of investments</a> in your portfolio. But that just covers risk and investment strategy. The reason investing is attractive to so many people is because of the potential for growth as a result of&nbsp;compounding.&nbsp;Essentially, compounding is a way for your money to make more money. That’s because you can earn money on both your initial investment&nbsp;and any of the gains you earn on that investment.&nbsp;Compound growth can be a bit confusing, so let’s look at a concrete example using a simple example. (Bear with us, we’re going to use a bit of math here.)&nbsp;<ul><li>Let’s say you have $1,000 invested in a portfolio that earns you 5% interest. In 20 years, that $1,000 turns into $2,000. So you made an extra $1,000! But it took 20 years. Much less exciting.</li><li>Now let’s take the same example, but now, the 5% interest is compounded annually, meaning that your interest gains are reinvested in your account every year.</li></ul>&nbsp;That $1,000 earns you $50 in interest the first year. The full $1,050 is reinvested to earn $52.50 in interest the second year. Your new total of $1102.50 is reinvested to earn $55.13 in interest the third year, and so on.&nbsp;Now in 20 years, your initial $1,000 turns into $2,653.30. Compare that to $2,000 without compounding! That’s an extra 65% just because the interest was compounded annually. If the interest is compounded monthly, then that increases your gains even more.&nbsp;The same concept applies to investing, although in this case, it’s returns* on your investments, not interest, that increase your gains. And rather than on a fixed schedule, your investment gains can be reinvested&nbsp;as they’re earned.&nbsp;<h2>Compounding your earnings with dividends</h2><h2>&nbsp;</h2>Investment gains aren’t the only way to take advantage of compounding.&nbsp;Dividends can also add up a lot to a portfolio’s growth.&nbsp;Dividends are payments that some companies provide as a way to distribute profits to stockholders. Anyone holding a dividend-paying corporation’s stock typically receives dividends on a consistent schedule (such as monthly or quarterly). Not all companies pay dividends and the amount of the dividends do vary. However, they’re still an important consideration when investing.&nbsp;Your dividends can also be reinvested meaning you’re then able to take advantage of gains on your dividends as well, leading to further growth.&nbsp;In the long term, this reinvestment cycle can really pay off. Those dividends you’ve reinvested into the stock will fuel more dividend payouts that you can continue to reinvest, helping accelerate gains.&nbsp;<h4>How Qapital helps you take advantage of compound growth</h4><h4>&nbsp;</h4>Compounding your gains and earnings and reinvesting dividends can be a complicated manual process. And you may be unsure on how to make compounding work for you. Fortunately, with Qapital Invest, we reinvest funds on your behalf, automatically. So just sit back and see where your investing takes you.&nbsp;*This scenario considers a positive return. Negative returns are possible and happen throughout an investment’s lifetime.&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Any historical returns or projections are hypothetical and may not reflect actual future performance. Investments in securities are not FDIC-insured and may lose value. This is not a complete description of Qapital Invest’s investment advisory services. For more details, click <a href="https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/283762">here</a>. Brokerage services provided to Qapital Invest clients by Apex Clearing Corporation, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Copyright © 2023 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved.

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A case for investing: The power of compound growth

At Qapital, we’re all about automating finances to help you reach your goals. With our new <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/sneak-peek-meet-payday-divvy/">Payday Divvy</a> feature, you can automate payday and set the right amount aside for savings, investments, and everyday spending – the moment you get paid. And to boost your savings even further, our fun, creative Rules trigger smaller amounts of money that stack up in your Qapital savings account. They put you in control of how and when you save the extras.<h2>Here’s a quick guide: <img src="Rules_6_312c67a816.png" alt="Rules-6.png" width="251" height="252"></h2>&nbsp;Set and Forget: Just set the app to automatically deposit money into your Qapital savings account once a week. Start with just $10 a week and see if you even miss it. <img src="Rules_5_335bdc73e6.png" alt="Rules-5.png" width="251" height="252"> <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/save-your-change-round-up/">The Round Up Rule</a>: Our most popular rule. Qapital users save an average of $44 a month, just by rounding up their change. Round up your change to the nearest $2 or $3 and watch it add up faster. <img src="Rules_2_1144c6b3c5.png" alt="Rules-2.png" width="252" height="252"> The Guilty Pleasure Rule: We all need our morning coffee. Don’t cut it out, activate the Guilty Pleasure Rule and save money every time you buy your iced with skim or double shot of espresso. You can make any place a Guilty Pleasure – it’s up to you. <img src="Rules_7_08fd0628b3.png" alt="Rules-7.png" width="252" height="252"> The Spend Less Rule: Do you always spend $50 at the supermarket? Set the Spend Less rule and then spend $40 the next time you shop. Viola! That $10 is automatically deposited in your Qapital savings account. It pays to come in under budget. <img src="Rules_1_c610d04517.png" alt="Rules-1.png" width="251" height="252"> <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/qapital-freelancer-rule-taxes/">The Freelancer Rule</a>: This simple solution helps freelancers and independent workers stay on top of their taxes and avoid trouble with the IRS. The Rule automatically transfers a percentage of every deposit over $100 into your FDIC-insured Qapital account. <img src="Rules_a02f542c65.png" alt="Rules.png" width="251" height="252"> <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/qapital-52-week-challenge/">The 52 Week Rule</a>: What would you do with an extra $1,378 a year? Our 52 Week Rule automates the process of saving $1 on week one, $2 on week two, $3 on week three for an entire year. <img src="Rules_8_bb5fc4771d.png" alt="Rules-8.png" width="252" height="252"> <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/apple-health-rules-give-financial-rewards-physical-fitness/">Apple Health</a>: Tie your personal fitness goals to your financial goals. Reward yourself with a buck or two of savings every time you walk, bike or run. You’ll feel twice as good when you finish your workout. <img src="Rules_3_34de4f7848.png" alt="Rules-3.png" width="252" height="252"> <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/ifttt-rules-are-supercharging-your-savings/">IFTTT</a>: We’re the first personal finance app that let you save with IFTTT (If This Then That), the wondrous web service that’s been dubbed “digital duct tape.” IFTTT lets you link your Qapital account with many of your favorite mobile apps. You can save with a tweet, an Instagram post or when you hit your step goal with FitBit. Really! The ways to save with Qapital are truly limitless.&nbsp; <a href="https://app.qapital.com/">Create account</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Copyright © 2023 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved.

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The Rules: How to Save Money with Qapital

Since launching our first version of Qapital seven years ago, we’ve been committed to providing easy, effective ways for our members to manage their money. We’ve learned that people need flexible, sustainable solutions that address them as whole human beings. One-size-fits-all methods just don’t work, so we’re building a better way. Starting in October 2022, we’re making a series of updates designed to help you balance immediate needs and wants with long-term financial goals, and set you up for your own personal version of financial success.&nbsp; Our new and improved suite of easy money tools will give you a more holistic view of your financial life. Now, you’ll be able to manage loan payments in the same place you plan for retirement. It’s all about finding a healthy balance between today and the future, and getting to enjoy what you work hard for everyday.&nbsp; Money is very personal, and financial success looks different for everyone. That’s why our new tools are designed to fit any life stage or lifestyle. Here’s what we’ve been building for you.<h2>How does Payday Divvy™ work?</h2>Automatically, every payday. Tell us how often you get paid and how you’d like to divide your income, then set it and forget it. It takes just a few minutes to get started, and you can pause or make changes anytime.<h2>Debt Wrangler™ — Automate your debt management plan</h2>Debt Wrangler is a new tool that handles everything related to borrowing. It makes it easy to see what you owe, choose a payback strategy, and automate your loan payments. You can explore refinancing options to reduce your monthly bill, or get out of debt faster and pay less accumulated interest over time.&nbsp; Debt Wrangler’s array of credit management solutions also includes powerful credit score tools and up to $1M in identity theft protection. The feature will be initially available for student loan management and then expand to cover other types of debt. The upcoming product release will give users time to get a plan in place before the Federal student loan payment moratorium ends on January 1, 2023.<h2>Dream Team™ — Team up on your finances without needing a joint account</h2>Dream Team makes collaborating on your finances easy with money tools designed for two. Invite a partner to Qapital, share financial goals, and reach them faster – together. Make account balances and transaction histories visible to each other, and leave comments directly in the app. You decide what to share and what stays private, always.&nbsp; We believe that managing money can be, and should be, simple for everyone. These updates are only the beginning, and we’re so excited to share what’s coming with all of you.&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Copyright © 2022 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved.

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Introducing an even better way to manage your money

Shopping can be a fun way to boost your mood and shake things up when you have an extra bit of cash to spare.&nbsp; “Retail therapy” – while not a scientifically proven form of therapy – is a common way that we look to improve our moods. Nearly half of Americans said they engaged in some feel-good shopping during the pandemic. ¹&nbsp; Here are some do’s and don’ts to make sure that you get the most out of your “fun money” without breaking the bank – or your emotions.<h2>DO have a wishlist</h2>Anticipation is half the fun. Research shows that longing for something can make the payoff feel sweeter, so knowing what you’re looking for in advance helps to maximize your chances of finding something you love while enjoying the entire process. Create a Goal on Qapital, let yourself daydream about it, and feel free to be precise and picky about what you’re looking for.<h2>DON’T buy without a price comparison</h2>It always hurts to find out that you left money on the table, and with the power of smartphones, it’s easier than ever to make sure you’re getting the best deal. If you’re buying in-store, try a quick online search to see if another shop has it cheaper. Asking if the physical shop does price matches could save a few dollars, too.<h2>DO set a budget before shopping</h2>Splurging can be fun, but being in debt usually isn’t. Overspending is the biggest killer of retail therapy, and it’s tough to know whether you’re overspending if you don’t have a budget in the first place. You might feel a luxurious rush from walking home with a huge haul, but you’ll most likely feel more anxiety or regret if that spree racks up interest bills on your credit card or forces you to forgo fun nights out in the future. Know your limit before you head out.&nbsp;<h2>DON’T buy things that you don’t need</h2>It might seem like a good idea at the time to go outside the box and take a chance on something unusual, but when the temptation strikes, think of the last time you felt similarly while buying a luxury. Did you use it? Snagging something you don’t need is a fast route to buyer's remorse, which is a sure-fire way to spoil the shopping treat.<h2>DO try shopping with a friend</h2>Having a supportive, honest friend shopping with you will often lead to a better experience. Not only will they nudge you to buy that piece you won’t stop talking about, but they’ll probably be a better sounding board to catch you before you buy an outrageously expensive, sequin top. The conversation and company will turn the shopping into a social experience – a researched-backed way to double up on your happiness boost.²<h2>DON’T buy it all in one session</h2>Avoid the temptation to react to “Buy now!” signs and sales countdowns on websites – these are all scientifically proven tactics that retailers use to make buyers feel urgency and spend impulsively. Taking a beat will help you to decide if you really want something, and delaying the gratification until you’re sure will only make the payoff sweeter when you do. Plus, some retailers will even send you a discount code or coupon when they see that you’ve left your cart without buying!<h2>DO consider experiences</h2>Many studies have shown that <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/can-money-buy-happiness/">experiences can make us happier than possessions</a>. The happiness rush that we get from buying an item tends to fade quickly as it becomes part of our normal lives. On the other hand, experiences create memories that we can always revisit. Plus, if we do them with a friend, then experiences can deepen friendships and social connections that are proven to be an important factor in living a long, happy, healthy life.<h2>DON’T turn it into a habit</h2>Unfortunately, just like any other habit-forming activity, shopping can become dangerous when done to excess. One in twenty Americans suffer from a shopping addiction.³&nbsp;If you notice that shopping becomes your primary way of coping when you feel sad, then it’s worth reflecting on your habits (and your bank statements) to see if you’re truly in control.<h2>DO find other ways to feel the rush</h2>Retail therapy can be a lighthearted mood-booster, but it shouldn’t be your only therapy! Sometimes we think we crave possessions when what we really want is novelty. Try heading to a new park, taking a new route home from work, or changing up your exercise routine. You might not need to spend to get the same feeling!<h2>DON’T be afraid of going home empty-handed</h2>Sometimes, the act of simply looking can be just as enjoyable as actually making a purchase. Going to see what new styles are in fashion for the season is still worthwhile. Plus, if you don’t spend any money on this shopping trip, then you can put that cash towards something in the future. There’s always the next trip!&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Copyright © 2022 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved. [1] McCann, Adam. <a href="https://wallethub.com/blog/coronavirus-shopping-survey/73706">“Coronavirus Shopping Survey.”</a> WalletHub, 29 Apr. 2020 [2] Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban. <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/happiness-and-friends">“Are We Happier When We Spend More Time with Others?”</a> Our World in Data, 17 July 2019 [3] Connect to Care Staff, WebMD. <a href="https://www.webmd.com/connect-to-care/addiction-treatment-recovery/signs-of-a-shopping-addiction">“Addicted to Shopping: 7 Signs You May Have a Problem.”</a> WebMD, WebMD

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The do’s and don’ts of retail therapy

It’s an age-old question that never seems to get resolved: can money really buy happiness? We’ll give you a fast rundown of the most important things we know about the relationship between dollars and delight.<h2>What is happiness, anyway?&nbsp;</h2>Even the Greek philosophers disagreed on the definition of happiness; Aristotle believed that happiness was achieved by living a life of virtue and achievement, while Epicurus thought the key to happiness was a life free of pain and fear. Today, most scientists measure happiness as the satisfaction and positivity we feel in our daily lives. So, what does the existing research tell us about happiness and money?<h2>Having money isn’t everything – not having it, is</h2>More money does correlate with greater self-reported happiness – up to a point. In a landmark study conducted by Nobel laureate Angus Deaton, people with higher income generally reported greater life satisfaction. However, once the participants made more than a certain amount ($75,000 back in 2010), the relationship fell away. Making more money didn’t make people happier.&nbsp; Why? Under the $75,000 threshold, people usually spent their money solving problems and making life easier. Couples could eat out at restaurants, parents could afford childcare, and families could afford to buy cars rather than take public transport. The money was spent on reducing pain and inconvenience – a win for Epicurus.&nbsp; But once participants hit the magic $75,000 threshold, a new effect set in. Psychologists call this problem the “hedonic treadmill,” a formal term for “Keeping Up With the Joneses” syndrome. The theory says that desire is like a treadmill. When we run on a treadmill, we can run faster and faster – but the belt keeps moving faster with us, and in real terms we actually stay in the same place. When it comes to happiness, money is like the speedometer and our desires are like the belt on the treadmill: we can spend more and more, but we’re not getting any closer to true happiness.<h2>Managing expectations</h2>The real problem at the root of the hedonic treadmill is one of expectations: when we have more, we expect more, so it requires more to feel the same amount of happiness. Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor and happiness journalist, has broken down satisfaction into an easy-to-understand equation: happiness equals what we have divided by what we want. When we want more than we have, we feel less happy. Wanting more makes you human, but being human could make you sad. According to Brooks, “all of our evolutionary and biological imperatives focus us on increasing the numerator—our haves.” The problem? High levels of “Keeping Up With The Joneses” syndrome are associated with anxiety and depression. Brooks again: “But the more significant action is in the denominator—our wants.” Keeping our wants down is a sure-fire way to keep control of the main factor of our happiness. Having lower expectations is one of the secrets that make the Danes consistently at the top of world happiness rankings. ¹<h2>Where pleasure and purpose collide</h2>One other reason that high incomes didn’t make people happier is that money can’t buy some of the key components of happiness. Paul Dolan, a happiness researcher at the London School of Economics and a collaborator of Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, has a new theory of happiness that helps us to broaden our sense of happiness. His pleasure-purpose principle says that there are two main components of happiness: pleasure and purpose. Pleasure refers to the nice sensations that we feel from enjoyable things like relaxing, socializing, vacationing, or sense-seeking – the kinds of things that feel good but might lead us down the endless path of the hedonic treadmill. Purpose is the feeling we get from contributing toward something meaningful in our lives. Something purposeful, like going above and beyond at work or visiting an ailing family member, might not always be pleasurable, and vice versa. The problem, according to Dolan, is that we sometimes get our pleasure-purpose balance out of whack. Have you ever binged on Netflix for hours on end and felt empty afterwards? You’ve probably overdosed on pleasure. Felt glad, but emotionally drained after supporting a friend through a months-long saga of illness or grief? You’ve probably hit your purpose quota and need some pleasure. The key is finding an equilibrium between the two in our daily lives.&nbsp; Back to the magic $75,000 threshold. Above the threshold, participants seem to have a pleasure surplus and a purpose deficit – a win for Aristotle’s theory. The trouble is that buying purposeful things is rarer and harder to do.<h2>Beating Father Time: buying experiences and time savings</h2>So how can we put our money to better use and avoid the hedonic treadmill?&nbsp; Research has shown that, in most cases, experiences lead to longer-term happiness than possessions.² The pleasure that we receive from possessions typically fades, especially when it’s something we see every day, whereas we keep the memories from an experience and can relive them multiple times. Plus, if we have experiences with friends and loved ones, then we also solidify the life-affirming bonds that are scientifically proven to help us live longer and healthier lives, too.³ Philosophers often tell us that time is our only real resource, and in everyday speech we often use the expression “buying time” to mean stalling – but what if you could actually buy time, as if it were a commodity like water or food? Well, we can’t purchase years to tack onto the end of our lives (yet), but money we spend to avoid using up our own time can tangibly boost happiness, according to studies by Michael Norton and Dr. Elizabeth Dunn.⁴ A few dollars on grocery delivery can save time and hassle; paying a house cleaner can give you back hours of leisure time; taking a taxi from the airport might cut out hours on trains and buses. It can be counterintuitive at first to think about spending money on intangible things, but it’s the quality of our experiences, fleeting as they are, that stick with us the most.<h2>Being purposeful - and generous</h2>Want to be the happiest of all? Well, there’s research that the best thing you can do for your own happiness might be giving your money away. In a Swiss psychological study, participants who were asked to spend money on someone else were significantly happier than those who were asked to spend the same amount of money on themselves. Even better – the amount of money they were asked to spend on someone else didn’t really affect how much of a happiness boost they got. Generosity is associated with mood-boosting and stress-relieving power that’s associated with living longer, too. New research by Happy Money proves that people who donate to charities are happier across all demographics – the kind of quantifiable uplift that we rarely see from things outside of exercising and socializing.⁵ If you’re looking for a real happiness kick, then consider donating to charity, bringing your colleagues coffee in the morning, or buying a surprise gift for a close friend. While money can’t buy us happiness in a bottle, the way that we spend our money can certainly have a huge impact on the way that we feel. Let Qapital help you buy your happiness.&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Copyright © 2022 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved. [1] Carey, Benedict. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/08/world/europe/08iht-danes.4140472.html">“Denmark's Secret to Happiness: Low Expectations - Europe - International Herald Tribune.”</a> The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Jan. 2007 [2] Landau, Elizabeth. <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/10/happiness.possessions/#:~:text=Psychological%20research%20suggests%20that%2C%20in,it%20every%20day%2C%20experts%20said">“Study: Experiences Make Us Happier than Possessions.”</a> CNN, Cable News Network [3] Hopper, Elizabeth. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrae/2019/01/30/happy-money/?sh=40fd81c8721d">“How Your Social Life Might Help You Live Longer.”</a> Greater Good, 28 July 2020 [4] Rae, David. “The Five Principles of Happy Money.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 29 June 2021 [5] Money, Happy. <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-from-happy-money-reveals-people-who-spend-money-on-others-and-make-time-saving-purchases-are-happier-301581941.html">“New Study from Happy Money Reveals People Who Spend Money on Others and Make Time-Saving Purchases Are Happier.”</a> New Study from Happy Money Reveals People Who Spend Money on Others and Make Time-Saving Purchases Are Happier, 7 July 2022

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Can money buy happiness_.png

Can money buy happiness?

Whether you’re becoming <a href="https://www.qapital.com/blog/what-is-inflation-and-why-is-it-surging/">inflation-conscious</a> or you simply don’t want to overpay, it’s always a good time to find ways that give you more bang for your buck. Searching for better value doesn’t need to be a painful exercise in scrimping and saving. Here are 10 tried-and-true ways to make your money go further.&nbsp;<h2>Use the sunlight method</h2>There’s an old adage in business and journalism that says: “sunlight is the best disinfectant” – meaning, if there’s something that you want to improve, shine it in the bright light of day and take a good look. Research shows that we tend to change our behavior simply by being aware that we’re being observed.¹ The same principle applies to your money: put your spending in the sunlight and observe yourself. Take a look at your bank statements and see what expenses jump out – perhaps that streak of food deliveries weren’t all that satisfying, or those new jeans don’t seem as stylish as the price tag suggests.<h2>Spend where it counts – and save where it doesn’t</h2>Each of us has different values and preferences for what’s important to us, and the key is to know what really makes a difference to your wellbeing. On the flip side, sometimes there are things we think will make a bigger difference than they actually do. Food shopping is a great example. Love organic produce? Buying from the farmer’s market down the street is probably worthwhile – but perhaps you can offset their higher prices by grabbing pantry staples in bulk from the value superstore. Less waste on the unimportant stuff leaves you and your cash free for the next goal.<h2>List it out</h2>Making your money stretch means cutting out nonessential purchases that don’t bring you much value; the best way to avoid overbuying is to make a list before you head out. We’ve all heard that you should stick to a list and not grocery shop when hungry, and the same principle applies to other types of shopping. Keeping a running wishlist of other things like clothes, gifts, and even holiday destinations will help you to differentiate what you really want from what just seems like a good idea at the time. Stores and online shops are scientifically designed to induce spending. Impulse is your enemy, and your shopping list is your best shield.<h2>Bulk up (carefully)</h2>Buying essentials and nonperishables – like paper towels, frozen vegetables, and toiletries – is such a good savings trick that entire retail chains have sprung up based on this single idea. It’s an added benefit that you’ll also save time since you won’t need to go shopping as frequently. Just be careful not to catch the “bulk bug” by stocking up on too many different items, though – it’s never a bargain to buy something that you don’t really need.<h2>Be loyal</h2>Leaving money on the table is a surefire way to shrink the power of your dollars. Loyalty programs offer discounts and freebies for repeat purchases, and most of the time you can sign up for free rewards that don’t expire. Picking up a punch card at your favorite cafe might get you a free latte at zero cost to you, just like a rewards card at your grocery store could bank your coupons and store credit.<h2>Consider going meatless</h2>Looking for a new challenge that’s good for your wallet and the planet? Consider cutting down on your meat consumption. Beef, pork, and poultry are usually more expensive than their leafy tablemates, and they’re one of the big contributors to climate change, too. Challenges like <a href="https://www.mondaycampaigns.org/meatless-monday">Meatless Mondays</a> or <a href="https://veganuary.com/recipes/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxIOXBhCrARIsAL1QFCYSXuXophcyWC2E0r2wEuYp8PsPIkXL9uBHXFYG2MT6ZBfjW9VORwsaAheIEALw_wcB">Veganuary</a> are great ways to see if these dietary changes work for your lifestyle. Even if the flavor doesn’t quite do it for you and you ditch the diet, you’ll have saved a few bucks towards your next steak dinner.<h2>Keep an eye on the calendar</h2>Whenever you have the flexibility to choose the timing of a purchase – especially for big things like cars and appliances – it’s worth knowing when it’s likely to go on sale. Black Friday and January are huge sale seasons for just about everything, but you can be strategic and look for product-specific sales throughout the year. For example, new cars usually go on sale in September at the end of the model production year; furniture prices typically get reduced in September when summer moving demand dies out; clothes go on sale at the end of the season; the housing market is always changing, but winter in cold weather climates is often a time when the market is quiet. The rule of thumb is that prices are low when demand is low, so look out for low-demand seasons to find good deals. Looking for more? Learn about how Qapital can help you find your money happiness with AI-powered tools based on cutting edge behavioral science.&nbsp;&nbsp;Qapital, LLC is not a bank; banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC, and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The information provided herein is for informational and general educational purposes only and is not investment or financial advice. Copyright © 2022 Qapital, LLC - All rights reserved. [1] <a href="https://www.mondaycampaigns.org/meatless-monday">“Meatless Monday.”</a> The Monday Campaigns, 15 Aug. 2022 [2]<a href="https://veganuary.com/recipes/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxIOXBhCrARIsAL1QFCYSXuXophcyWC2E0r2wEuYp8PsPIkXL9uBHXFYG2MT6ZBfjW9VORwsaAheIEALw_wcB"> “Vegan Recipes.”</a> Veganuary, 20 July 2022 [3] Payne, Geoff, and Judy Payne. “<a href="https://methods.sagepub.com/book/key-concepts-in-social-research/n22.xml#:~:text=The%20Hawthorne%20Effect%20is%20the,usually%20unwittingly)%20the%20research%20findings">The Hawthorne Effect.</a>” SAGE Research Methods, 1 Jan. 2011

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8 tips to make your dollars stretch (in style).png

8 tips to make your dollars stretch (in style)

Copyright © 2024 Qapital, LLC. All rights reserved.
Qapital is not a bank. Banking services provided by Lincoln Savings Bank, Member FDIC and other partner banks. Advisory services provided by Qapital Invest, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. Brokerage services provided to Qapital Invest clients by Apex Clearing Corporation, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.

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Managing investment risk through diversification

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