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Planner Saver: Expectation vs. Reality

Saving money has likely been as natural as breathing for you. You might have stuffed your piggy bank as a child, and you’ve continued to hoard cash as an adult. You’re well on your way to retirement, and you might not understand why those around you – including friends, family, and perhaps even your spouse – ever have money problems. Saving is a numbers game to you, and one in which you excel.

You are a Planner Saver! For you, stability is the top priority, which means being financially prepared for all contingencies. As a result, you save as much as possible to meet your goals and deal with emergencies.  Unfortunately, others might see your preparedness as stinginess and control. But, in your mind, frugality and discipline are the only sure way to financial prosperity.

What is a Planner Saver money personality?

Planner Savers’ habits revolve around two primary objectives: preparing for the future and increasing your net worth. Implementing a budget and educating yourself are key in this endeavor. You’re savvy, knowledgeable, and independent with your money. As a result, your business partners, friends, and family know they can rely on your financial stability, and they naturally let you take the lead when it comes to money.

However, your frugality can be a weakness if it goes unbalanced. While you’re fantastic at budgeting your spending, you struggle to enjoy an occasional splurge. Second-hand clothes, budget motels, and clunker cars can get a little “old” to those closest to you. No pun intended. A fixation on cutting expenses can create friction and even lead to grudges and regrets later on for not letting go of a few dollars to make priceless memories.

Planner Saver: Strengths

Your money personality has these benefits:

  • Independent and consistent.
  • Detail-oriented.
  • Sticks to a budget and avoids debt.
  • Prepared for financial surprises.
  • Focused on growing investment accounts.
  • Discipline to accomplish goals.
  • Financial reliability creates stability in relationships.

Planner Saver: Weaknesses

However, you might experience the following pitfalls:

  • Controlling when it comes to financial decisions.
  • Hyper-sensitive to the cost of things.
  • Guilty spender.
  • Impatient with other money personalities.
  • Hesitant to be generous with money.
  • Struggle to see how unplanned spending can help everyone enjoy the moment.
  • Pinch pennies but skips over lucrative opportunities.
  • Close relationships can resent your financial control.

Planner Saver in real life

Kaylee Dunn, a graphic designer from Utah, uses Qube to complement her Planner Saver money personality. She grew up in a large family and saw her parents practice frugal financial habits to make ends meet. Kaylee likes her penny-pinching approach and took financial classes in college to bolster her knowledge. Throughout her life, she has fostered an abiding interest in the financial world.

“As a child, I was entrepreneurial and saved every dollar I earned,” says Kaylee. “I loved watching my bank account grow through giving piano lessons and other side jobs.”

After getting married and graduating college, Kaylee tried several apps and budgeting systems. It was important for her to feel in control and prepared for the future. But budgeting required exorbitant time commitments and was a pain point for Kaylee and her husband as they tried to merge their spending habits. For example, both Kaylee and her husband liked to save money – but they disagreed on what nonessentials were ok to spend money on.

Then, they tried Qube. By sitting down once to make a budget, Kaylee and her husband created a financial system that ran itself and structured their spending. They designated money for needs like food and rent and even created a ‘fun’ category for each of them to spend as they wished.

“Qube was amazingly helpful because I didn’t have to be the bad guy anymore,” says Kaylee. “Instead of arguing about whether a particular purchase is worth it, we put our money through Qube’s virtual envelopes and could spend guilt-free knowing the mortgage was already accounted for. We began to build a healthy financial position through saving and investing while allowing ourselves to have fun.”

While Qube helped with the financial conflicts, Kaylee’s marriage ended in divorce. This change brought on numerous financial adjustments. As a stay-at-home mother who worked part time, Kaylee had to quickly figure out how to be financially independent. On one hand, the divorce cut her net worth in half, and she felt like she was starting over. But on the other hand, she had a spending history in Qube she could rely on to make a realistic budget.

“I had already structured my Qube account for my spending habits, so I knew how much income I needed for my children and I to live comfortably,” says Kaylee. “I made a budget for my family and increased my work hours accordingly to meet my needs.”

Qube’s virtual envelope system enables Kaylee to fulfill her goals: stockpiling cash in her bank account while remaining flexible enough for investments and the things she enjoys in life. Because Qube automates her savings, she recently used her surplus cash to fund a mural painting project in her home office without feeling stressed.

“I feel empowered by using Qube. It’s easy, it makes my finances visible, and I have clarity on my spending habits. I feel fully in control of my financial life, but I have the freedom to spend as well. And I love explaining the magic of Qube to others because it’s not a run-of-the-mill budgeting app. I use it to build my net worth, prepare for my children’s future, and spend guilt-free.”

Money management tips for Planner Savers

Here are some simple tips to springboard you forward as a Planner Saver. First, jot down the people who are most important to you, the hobbies you most enjoy, and the causes you’re most passionate about. Second, create some categories in your budget to fund these priorities. Third, plan money every month that you’re free to splurge and give. By doing this, money will take on a new life. If you share money with someone else, build a spending plan together.

A balanced view of money management emphasizes saving without losing sight of what matters most: enjoying life with your loved ones. For example, say you’re on a beach vacation that you’ve budgeted for, and you come across an opportunity to parasail. You didn’t plan for this adventure, and a red alert is going off in your head as you consider spending a couple hundred more dollars than planned. Your kids are begging for the chance to get up into the air, but all you can see is the money vanishing from your checking account. A category funded with money you’re free to splurge on unplanned purchases will help you feel good about choosing to spend that money and build some unforgettable memories.

A budgeting system that gives you visibility in the moment of decision is ideal for such situations. All you need is a brief moment of surety that one unplanned expense won’t detract from months of disciplined saving.

Fortunately, you can bring this vision to life without fishing through physical envelopes to rearrange your spending plan. There are digital tools today that can give you joy and peace of mind when making impulse purchases.

Best management tool for Planner Saver

Although you already have a system for managing your money, and you’re going to be hesitant to change, here’s why you should give Qube’s money management system a try, even if it is just for a few categories.

Qube can protect your money from unauthorized transactions with its Default Zero™ security. Credit card companies have zero liability fraud protection, but you still have to go through the hassle of reporting and documenting the fraudulent transactions.

In addition, you can separate money for your bills and turn on and off automated subscription payments from your app, so you don’t have to deal with those hard to cancel automatic payments. You’ll love the control and visibility of the Bill Screen.

But, what Planner Spenders love the most about Qube is how it gives them the visibility they need to spend money on the people and the experiences they enjoy most. Yes, preparing for the future is important, but so is building memories in the present. Qube’s digital Cash Envelopes will bring balance to your life by helping you save and spend in fulfilling ways. While you’re saving for retirement, you can fund the charities you’ve been wanting to support, launch the small business you’re passionate about, or buy a fancy bottle of wine for a dinner party, guilt-free.

Did I mention that Qube saves people who are budgeters about an hour per month—no more need to manage a spreadsheet and track transactions. And If you manage money with someone else, Qube will help you build your dreams together. Even if you have different financial priorities and wants, Qube can reconcile them by allocating separate virtual envelopes for entertainment, fun, or non-essential projects. For example, junk food might be your guilty pleasure, while your partner loves going out to eat. You can each have a ‘fun’ envelope for you to spend as you please, and you can do so without stress because necessities like retirement, insurance, and utilities are already accounted for.

Financially thriving as a Planner Saver

Your discipline to save money and prepare for the future is admirable. A financial system like  Qube’s modern cash envelope system can give you visibility over  your money so you can systemize your spending while making room for spontaneity and excitement.