Collect Accomplishments, Not Stuff, to Save Money and Build Pride

There's a reason that video game achievement systems work on us. Most of us are wired to take a sense of pride in having a collection of things that we've done. If what you do doesn't provide you with something tangible to show your progress, create your own. As finance blog The Simple Dollar points out, not only can this help you feel good about yourself, it can also save you money:

Rather than collecting books, I’ve moved on to trying to build a collection of “books I’ve read.” I’m keeping a careful list and I get that same proud rush when I can add a book to that list of reads. I’m no longer worried about buying books at all – I’m perfectly happy to get them at the library or to download classics...

...If you find your wallet being slowly drained by your desire to collect something, try a different tactic. Start collecting experiences instead.

Of course, we'll always want to collect a few keepsakes to pass on or things to adorn our shelves. Creating a collection of cool stuff we've done can still help funnel energy into something that doesn't become a money suck while making you feel better about what you do with your time.