Why Automation Works: The Psychology of Paying Yourself First
Pay yourself first means saving on payday, before bills and spending. Why automation beats willpower, from UK auto-enrollment to a 2001 US study.
Money Mindset & Financial Psychology
The psychology behind spending, saving and money anxiety.
Behavior design for saving
Prize-Linked Savings and Gamified Saving: Do They Work?
Prize linked savings swap interest for prize draws without staking your deposit. What trials in 3 countries found, and the return you may give up.
Couples and money
Financial Infidelity: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Rebuild Trust
Financial infidelity is hiding money from a partner. In a 2018 US poll, about 1 in 5 partnered adults hid an account. What counts, and how to rebuild trust.
Joint, Separate, or Both? What Research Says About Couples' Bank Accounts
In six studies of 38,000+ people, couples who pooled all their money reported happier relationships. What one US trial and joint-account rules add.
Financial Abuse: Recognizing Economic Control and Where to Find Support
Financial abuse is control of a partner's money, work or credit. Learn its 3 forms, how it differs from ordinary rows, and safe first steps to get help.
Money anxiety and financial stress
Scarcity Mindset: What It Is and What the Research Shows
A scarcity mindset is the narrow focus that comes with having too little. What 2 Science studies found, why the evidence is disputed, and what helps.
Money Anxiety: Why It Happens, How It Shows Up, and What Helps
In a 39-country OECD survey, only 29% of adults said they don't tend to worry about paying living costs. How money anxiety shows up and what helps.
Comparison, happiness, and "enough"
Conspicuous Consumption vs. Quiet Wealth: Why Visible Spending Misleads
Conspicuous consumption, Veblen's 1899 term, is spending meant to be seen. Why visible spending is a poor guide to wealth, and how quiet wealth looks.
Does Money Buy Happiness? How the Research Has Evolved
Does money buy happiness? From the $75,000 plateau of 2010 to the 2023 truce: what income studies, lottery winners and the Easterlin debate show.
Emotional and impulse spending
Buyer's Remorse: Why It Happens and How to Shop With Fewer Regrets
Buyer's remorse is regret after a purchase. Why it happens, when the UK and EU give you 14 days to cancel, and 5 steps to shop with fewer regrets.
How to Stop Impulse Buying: Strategies That Hold Up in Studies
How to stop impulse buying: 6 tactics sorted by how well studies support them, from paying cash and a purposeful wait to lists and fewer sale emails.
Behavioral economics of money
The Disposition Effect: Why Investors Sell Winners and Hold On to Losers
The disposition effect, named in 1985, is the pull to sell winners too soon and hold losers too long. Why it happens and 2 fixes that worked in lab tests.
Money psychology basics
What Is a Money Mindset? Separating Psychology From Pop Slogans
What is a money mindset? What psychologists actually measure, the 4 money scripts in Klontz's research, and how to test your beliefs against your numbers.