Let me introduce to you Acorns, a super easy way to start building your savings account without realizing it. Before we get started, no this is not sponsored, I wish. The idea of Acorns is to round up all your purchases made with your chosen linked card(s) and it will keep it as a balance in the app (or website). This balance is like the Venmo balance that stays in the app until you want to transfer it over. The app makes it so easy to build up savings without you truly realizing those few cents left. In 4 months, I've saved nearly $250 and I didn't even know it until I checked my account last week. Now before I start off listing the ways you can easily save through the app, let me tell you this is not a sponsored post. All ideas are my own and I genuinely think this app should be used by everyone of any age. If you're sold on this, I have a link that lets us each get a free $5 back! That's like a free great drink for you and I from our favorite coffee shop. ;)
Acorns is only $1 a month unless you want access to features that I will discuss later. There are several ways to earn money. First off, when you create your own account, you will answer a few questions about yourself and your lifestyle. This allows the app to determine your estimated projections for the future. It doesn't play a big role in how the app acts. I have it set as "aggressive" based off of my questionnaire. The app reinvests your money into stocks, however you do not have to manage the portfolio yourself. They use a diverse investment system in which your money goes across many stocks and they rebalance it as needed so that your money does not stay in one stock and go down with time.
The app allows you to add as many cards or accounts you would like which I find very useful. I decided I wanted all of my bank accounts and cards (credit and debit) to be linked. Adding all of these to my account allows for these hidden "savings" to add up faster. This method of adding money to my savings is the easiest way for me to save more than I already am. I spend a few extra cents on a purchase and my savings just seem to magically grow.
Under the "Round-Ups" tab, you can choose how you want your money to round up. If you prefer to not have each purchase rounded up, you can disable this. You can also choose to put a multiplier. I chose mine as x2, however you can choose x3 or x10 and from his you will build up savings faster. Say you make purchase costing $5.11, it will put $.0.88 into the savings portfolio. The multiplier means that instead, with the x2 option, I will be putting 1.76 in my savings. I really like this option because at the very most, I will be "spending" $1.98 extra on my purchase, however this does not seem drastically more than my initial purchase. With this said, at the end of these 4 months, I have a lot more saved than I would have thought and I never really saw that money leave. It's like a mini savings surprise when I open the app. Like WOW. I have $240 in this savings account?! Look at me goooo. You can also choose to where your roundup is. If that potential of 98 cents times how many purchases you make in a given time is too much for you, you can choose to make each round to the next quarter cent, 50 cent, or 75 cent.
Another option with the app is to make a recurring deposit. I've chosen to deposit $5 ever Monday. If you prefer to do do even just 1 cent daily, you can. It's so customizable. If you want to make large amounts monthly, why not? If you want to do a one-time deposit, you can do this too!
I love how the app is made to be customizable to fit every individual and your life. If you're on a very tight budget, you can disable certain features or keep them at very low amounts. If you have more wiggle room, add a few extra dollars in recurring amounts every week. There are also a few features I have not taken advantage of yet.
Under "Earn Found Money", you can activate certain offers. If you make a purchase through their partners, you get a certain percent back for free or they will invest a direct amount back into your portfolio (I've seen these range from a few cents to $75 so far). This month, there's deal from Adidas, Groupon, Amazon, Chevron, or more). They've really made it easy.
Recently, they've also launched their own debit card for only $3 a month which allows you to automatically do the roundups and the options above, an extra 10% back on all your purchases, unlimited free or free-reimbursed ATMs, access to their Acorns Later which is specifically for starting a retirement fund early and easily, and many free videos or courses about tips on finances, investing, stocks, and more. I'm considering doing this soon.
You can also see if you continue the patterns and investments you're making now, what the potential savings you'll be making. For my current investments, my projected value when I turn 26 will be almost $5,000. Remember, I didn't even try to put this money in savings. This app invests the cents that you don't notice at a rate that suits you to make a portfolio that fits your needs.
If I haven't already sold you on this, then I will assume that you don't like to easily save money and that's okay. On the other hand, if you do want to start saving today, be sure to use my link to create your account and we both get $5 back. Happy savings everyone!!!
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions posted on Bold Centennial are my own genuine and honest thoughts and reviews. The link provided is a personalized link designed to offer my audience a promotion. Based off the affiliate link, I will receive a small commission. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this. It is something that I was dealing with lately and now it is helping me save easily.
Even as an accountant, I am always looking for ways to make finances easier not only for myself, but also for my clients. Thanks for sharing this one!
This was extremely insightful ! I’ve heard of Acorns but had b idea how to use it.