The way people think

So I ran across this comment on the web the other day in a discussion about the American Express Black Card. Have you ever heard about it? I hadn't, but in seeing what it was about it, I could see why I hadn't.

The comment went something like this [paraphrasing]: "Those with black cards think differently than other people. One come in the grocery store and bought a 24 pack of Coke for like 6.99. 'I told him that we had 12 packs on sale 2 for 5. He said it doesn't matter.'"

That comment threw me. Not because I was surprised, I'd seen it a hundred times before in my trips to the grocery store, but it threw me because I fight tooth and nail to save a buck or two and there are still people throwing around money to the tune of a $2500 annual fee PLUS a $5000 initiation fee. And no, I didn't forget to put a decimal in there!

But I suppose that person is right, those with money think differently than those without. Why is that?

I like money, who doesn't? But I like to keep my money. When I was just starting to save, I noticed that when I had finally scraped together a hundred bucks or so in my savings account, I wanted more. I wanted to keep building it higher and higher. I felt like a telethon where they have the thermometer thing that shows the higher total.

When I started out saving, it was a big deal. I wasn't exactly young and out of college. I was just about to turn 30 and had no money in the bank, no retirement set up and just left my full time job with a foolish dream of freelancing.

So what happened?

Well, I can credit my younger sister for the coupons and rebates lessons. My parents for the buying of a house so I had something to show for my monthly living quarters expense, and a basic sense of what I wanted to achieve and the sheer will to achieve it. And believe me, it wasn't easy and at times it wasn't pretty.

It started as a challenge to myself. I would use a coupon, a savings card from Albertsons, Safeway, whatever, and then I would take whatever the total savings was on my receipt and I would deposit that in a savings account. I rationalized that if I didn't use the coupon or savings card, I wouldn't have the money so I put it away.

You know, it adds up.

The next thing I did was sign up for a withdrawal from my checking account each month, just about $10 to start with. I didn't notice it so it was a good amount. I bumped it to $25 a year or so later and it's worked well ever sense. In fact, I've got several thousand in there now. A forced savings if you will.

See, I don't go all out to save because if I did, I'd most likely hate doing it and end up stopping. I took the avenue that worked for me, hiding a little bit at a time. Slow and steady can get just as far as long as it's consistent.

That works for me, what works for you?