Day 10: Turn Spare Change into Serious Savings

If you’ve ever tossed your spare change into a jar, congratulations—you’ve been unknowingly prepping for the digital age of saving. But let’s face it: jars are so last century. Enter roundup apps like Acorns and Qapital, where your spare change doesn’t just sit around—it hustles for you.

How It Works

Picture this: You buy a $3.50 coffee (no judgment here), and a roundup app rounds that up to $4. That extra $0.50? Boom—into savings it goes. It’s like a tiny, invisible accountant following you around, making sure every cent counts.

And the best part? You won’t even notice it’s gone. It’s like tricking your brain into saving—except this time, the trick’s on your future wealth.

Meet the Apps

Here’s a quick rundown of the MVPs in the roundup game:

Acorns

• How it works: Rounds up your purchases and invests the change into a diversified portfolio.

• Why it’s awesome: Your pennies don’t just sit in savings—they grow. You’re basically becoming an investor without lifting a finger.

Qapital

• How it works: Lets you save your roundups into goals, like "Dream Vacation" or "Emergency Fund."

• Why it’s awesome: You can customize the rules—round up only on certain categories or double your savings on payday.

Others Worth a Look:

• Chime: Rounds up to the nearest dollar and moves it into your savings.

• Digit: Uses AI to calculate how much you can save and sneaks it away for you.

Why Roundups Work

1. It’s Effortless: The app does the math, the transfers, and basically everything but your laundry.

2. It Adds Up: A few cents here and there may not sound like much, but over time? It’s like a financial snowball rolling downhill.

3. No Temptation: Since the savings happen automatically, there’s no chance to talk yourself out of it.

Let’s Do the Math

Say you make an average of 3 purchases a day, rounding up $0.50 each time. That’s $1.50/day, $10.50/week, or about $546/year. Add in some investment growth if you’re using an app like Acorns, and you’ve just turned coffee money into a small nest egg.

Pro Tips for Maximum Spare Change Success

• Set Goals: Use your app to save for something specific, like an emergency fund or that vacation you keep pinning on Pinterest.

• Double Down: Some apps let you multiply your roundups (e.g., x2 or x3). Why not supercharge your savings?

• Link a High-Yield Savings Account: Once your spare change grows into big bucks, park it where it can earn interest (remember Day 8?).

Get Started

Download a roundup app today, link your bank account, and start saving without lifting a finger. Who knew your morning latte could fund your future?

Let your spare change be your financial sidekick—it may be small, but it’s mighty.