Bankrolling your savings isn’t easy, but what if the best strategy for how to do it was written in the stars? Here, how tuning into your zodiac sign—and the personality traits associated with it—could help you set aside a lot more cash.
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You’re a humanitarian (aka generous) and progressive, but you can also be temperamental and uncompromising, traits that can make it tough when it comes to sacrificing on behalf of your savings.
Savings Strategy: First things first, get your finances in order because you don’t want to go around splurging on others—even for a good cause—until you have a solid grip on your cash. A less-boring alternative to budgeting? Try Kakeibo, a Japanese organizational tactic that is a combination of bullet journaling and financial mindfulness to help you better understand your bottom line (and where you have some wiggle room).
We get it—creative types have a tendency to oscillate between artistry and financial independence. But since it’s also easy to ignore reality (another Pisces trait), your creative aspirations may end up hurting your future plans.
Savings Strategy: Think of savings as less about building up an emergency fund and more about funding your dreams. For example, savings can happen in many forms—say, investing, something that might be enticing to someone with grandiose ideas. After all, it’s a lot easier to save when you’re focused on a specific goal versus the balance in your bank account.
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Why everyone loves you: You’re confident, determined and over the top enthusiastic. Where it gets problematic for your finances? You’re also impulsive, which means when you hit the mall—or, hell, stop to pick up a Starbucks—it can wreak havoc on your bottom line.
Savings Strategy: When you need to pad your emergency fund, it might be worth trying a trendier tactic like Zero Dollar Days, where you set a challenge for yourself to get through the day (or week!) without spending a dime. It’s a challenge you can pump yourself up about, but protect your cash by doing something drastic like leaving your wallet at home.
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There are aspects of your personality that are a dream for savings—namely, the fact that you’re practical, responsible and crave stability. That said, you’re also uncompromising when it comes to the finer things. In other words, you don’t think twice about a financial splurge.
Savings Strategy: What’s more practical than mapping out a savings road map for the items you’d like to buy that month? For example, you’ve been coveting the new Dyson AirWrap Styler. Instead of yelling treat yo’self and blowing $500 on what you deem a practical (read: investment) piece, put together a savings game plan by the item, so you’re more targeted with your spending approach.
You’re adaptable and a fast learner, but you’re also known for being a bit inconsistent and unpredictable—a personality trait that can whittle your bottom line in a hurry if you’re not careful.
Savings Strategy: Balance out that unpredictability by prioritizing automated savings for bigger picture goals like that vacation to Paris or your retirement goals. If you set it and forget—especially when it comes to savings—you’ll come out ahead, even if you have an over-the-top weekend where you accidentally overspend.
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Here’s the best/worst part about you, financially speaking: You’re tenacious, loyal, emotional, persuasive and you value stability, too. In terms of savings, that’s a win-win—unless it means you don’t ever allow yourself to dip into those hard-earned (and socked away) funds.
Savings Strategy: Nicknaming your savings accounts could be a genius strategy for you. Here’s why: You can still maintain that stable and tenacious approach to your finances, but earmark funds toward specific goals that you’ll cash out when you achieve. For example, a three-day weekend fund or savings dedicated to self-care like a massage. Pad those accounts, then allow yourself to actually use them when you need them.
Truth: You’re a generous person, a lovely quality—unless it means your savings continually take a hit because you just can’t help but buy the next few rounds for the…entire office?
Savings Strategy: Because you’re also creative (and warm-hearted and cheerful), practice dialing it back in terms of the ways you spend on your friends and loved ones. Yes, you want to buy your hubby the primo Christmas gift this year, but spend time brainstorming genius ways to be thoughtful and cost-saving all at once. Case in point: like a cooking lesson where you get a few weeknight dinners out of it. Or a photo gift. (High on nostalgia, low on cost.)
It goes hand in hand with being type A: You’re analytical, organized and loyal, which can lead you down a dangerous path of all work and no play. You’re also overly critical of yourself—and others—which means, when it comes to savings habits, you can get tripped up if you don’t keep your eye on the prize.
Savings Strategy: Sure, you could make like a Gemini and set it and forget it, but you could also prioritize maximizing opportunities to spend now to save long-term. For example, an Amazon Prime membership—a hefty investment up front, but one that will save you quite a bit on shipping long-term (and get you into The Americans—finally).
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Your Achilles heel when it comes to saving? You’re a social person—you hate hate hate being alone. It’s a skill that’s great for friendships, but bad for your wallet, ugh.
Savings Strategy: A challenge for you, dear Libra—try paying for everything in cash for a week. Why? It will help you zero in on your weak spots (like overdoing it on Ubers or too many full-priced versus happy hour cocktails) and strategize around ways to save dollars, but still go out regularly with your pals.
A few traits that are very conducive to saving money: You’re resourceful, passionate and brave—great qualities when it comes to taking financial risks with serious rewards. Your down side? Your secretive and distrusting, which doesn’t always bode well for setting aside long-term cash.
Savings Strategy: It may be worth pushing yourself to go outside your comfort zone and consulting the help of a financial planner. (Yes, you’ll have to spill the beans on your bottom line.) But here’s the thing: If you open up—even to your spouse—about your long-term goals, you’re in a better position to articulate the gaps in your finances and how you can strategize to make up the cash…and set some aside.
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You’re idealistic and generous (great traits), but you’re also impatient, which means you have a hard time waiting until you can afford something (womp, womp). Of course, this doesn’t bode well for savings—in fact, it goes hand in hand with impulsiveness. (Have you met, Aries?)
Savings Strategy: We’re not saying you shouldn’t dream big when it comes to the things you want to do, but padding your savings is essential to not having to skimp down the road. A tactic that could help you build up a slush fund? Setting aside those $5 that cross your path. (A Massachusetts woman who did this for a little over 10 years ended up with a cool $40K.)
Good news: You’re actually a natural at money management and responsible and disciplined, too. But you also tend to expect the worst, something that can cause you to hoard your cash instead of spending it.
Savings Strategy: To help you feel like you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck, it might help you to gamify the (savings) system a bit by seeking out a high-interest savings bank—either brick and mortar or online.
