The joy of achieving any goal, no matter how minor, is unmatched. The idea comes from psychology. The incentive circuits in your brain are activated when you use a gadget to help you meet modest, everyday objectives. The cumulative effect of these micro-rewards is to sustain long-term incentive for healthful behavior change.
Multiple sites are currently working to bring the same element of competition to the realm of financial app development that has been applied to the promotion of physical exercise. The theory is that by setting modest, gradual, and readily attainable “wins,” one can tap into the brain’s incentive system and increase the likelihood that he or she will actually save the money.
Applying a competing mentality to financial affairs can have positive effects, but doing so requires balancing risks and rewards. Users of Walmart’s MoneyCard prize-linked savings (PLS) program saved an average of 35% more than those in the control group after the program was introduced in 2016.
Simply put, what is gamification?
You can “game” your life by setting goals, competing with others, and earning points for doing so on metrics like your ecological impact and water consumption. Goals are established, progress is monitored, and achievements lead to rewards such as monetary bonuses or additional capabilities for a virtual character. The “PLB” paradigm (points, leaderboards, and medals) is frequently used by gamified applications to incentivize users.
For a long time now, gamification finance has been a common practice in the IT industry. From medicine to disposal to workplace health, the phrase is everywhere. As of late, businesses have been trying out incentives to boost output from telecommuters. Several applications and digital services exist to help people save money, better manage their budgets, and increase their financial knowledge through the use of gaming.
Many apps’ gamification: Digit, a savings app, claims its users have saved over $5 billion. After a free trial, the program costs $5 per month and includes “savings incentives”—extra money based on your average daily amount over the past three months.
Game-based learning isn’t just digital. Real-world games can incorporate saving, planning, and trading. One way to “game” money is to do a “no spend challenge,” fight with a partner to see who can spend the least in a week, or bet with family members to see who can fill a change bucket the fastest.
Is It a Beneficial Plan to Treat Your Money Like a Game?
Some critique “gamification.” Dogecoin, a crypto with a Shibu Inu from a famous internet caricature as its symbol, has gone beyond comic status, proving the gaming deep hole’s dark side. Animal Crossing’s character customization is like playing with a playhouse, but wagering with your retirement fund is more serious.
Gamifying money and other assets can be difficult to distinguish between safe and risky. Video game obsession can affect anyone. Most gamified financial apps are safe and help users save cents on the dollar, but those with a history of problematic gaming may want to avoid them.
Money play can be customized to your needs and goals. Do your research before providing money details to an app. Before starting, watch demos. Read reviews, check BBB ratings, and talk to current users to see if respected financial authors have used the platforms you’re considering.
Check the privacy rules of any money apps you’re considering. However, some fintech operate autonomously, so check that your deposits are legally protected before making them.
Methods for Using Gaming to Achieve Monetary Objectives
Some individuals will have more success than others with particular gaming approaches and networks. Some of the more prevalent strategies, and how you might use them to reach your own savings and financial objectives, are outlined below.
- If you’re not an extreme rival but still consider yourself “outcomes-minded,” use Acorns or Qapital to chart your spending goals.
- Beat your opponents. Using a PLB model or Twine to track your financial success with peers and family may help you be more diligent.
- Get paid. Digit and other apps award you for keeping your money in the bank.
- Create digital environments. Apps may tempt you to make smart financial decisions to advance your virtual characters’ tales if you’ve paid endless hours fiddling in games like SimCity or Roblox.
Gamification can bring personal finance to life. Trying new ways to spend and save can help improve money habits.