#mental-accounting

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Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Research suggests that high intelligence doesn't protect against bad decisions - it makes people better at constructing convincing justifications for the bad decisions they were already going to make - Silicon Canals

Higher intelligence can lead to greater polarization rather than alignment on contested facts.
Marketing tech
fromFast Company
16 hours ago

Retail investors are no longer following the market

Retail investors have transformed from background noise to influential market players, reshaping market dynamics and leading investment trends.
Parenting
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

I grew up watching my father calculate the tip before we even ordered, and I thought that was just how restaurants worked. It took me twenty years to understand he was running a budget in real time so we could feel normal for an hour without it costing us the week. - Silicon Canals

Working-class childhood is shaped more by the concealment of sacrifice than by deprivation itself.
#procrastination
Productivity
fromEntrepreneur
22 hours ago

Is Procrastination Your Fault - or Are You Just Set Up to Fail?

Identifying the root cause of procrastination is essential for overcoming it and achieving goals.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says adults who struggle with procrastination aren't avoiding the task - they're avoiding the version of themselves who might fail at it - Silicon Canals

Procrastination often stems from a fear of failure rather than laziness or poor time management.
Productivity
fromEntrepreneur
22 hours ago

Is Procrastination Your Fault - or Are You Just Set Up to Fail?

Identifying the root cause of procrastination is essential for overcoming it and achieving goals.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

Psychology says adults who struggle with procrastination aren't avoiding the task - they're avoiding the version of themselves who might fail at it - Silicon Canals

Procrastination often stems from a fear of failure rather than laziness or poor time management.
Exercise
fromInsideHook
1 day ago

Do You Have "Shortcut Syndrome"? Here's How to Fix It.

Challenging oneself is essential for personal growth, but not all challenges suit everyone, especially in a frictionless modern life.
Artificial intelligence
fromFortune
12 hours ago

Sam Altman's big pitch to fix the big AI mess sounds like Jamie Dimon's: a 4-day workweek and a big new tax on rich people like him | Fortune

Sam Altman proposes taxing AI's corporate winners to support workers and mitigate labor market disruptions.
#financial-advice
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
2 days ago

Ramsey Team Tells 22-Year-Old Who Blew $40K to Sell $76,000 Truck and Drive a Beater

Colin should sell his truck and stocks, take a loan to cover the shortfall, and buy a cheaper vehicle to improve his financial situation.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
6 days ago

Ramsey Team Tells 22-Year-Old Who Blew $40K to Sell $76,000 Truck and Drive a Beater

Colin should sell his truck and stocks, take a loan to cover the shortfall, and buy a cheaper vehicle to improve his financial situation.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
2 days ago

Ramsey Team Tells 22-Year-Old Who Blew $40K to Sell $76,000 Truck and Drive a Beater

Colin should sell his truck and stocks, take a loan to cover the shortfall, and buy a cheaper vehicle to improve his financial situation.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
6 days ago

Ramsey Team Tells 22-Year-Old Who Blew $40K to Sell $76,000 Truck and Drive a Beater

Colin should sell his truck and stocks, take a loan to cover the shortfall, and buy a cheaper vehicle to improve his financial situation.
Arts
fromwww.npr.org
2 days ago

Questions to help you get 'financially naked' with your partner

Open and honest financial conversations strengthen relationships and are essential for couples to navigate their future together.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Psychology says people who constantly research self-improvement but never start aren't lazy - they've confused the feeling of learning with the feeling of changing - Silicon Canals

Learning about self-improvement can create a false sense of progress without actual change in behavior.
E-Commerce
fromTasting Table
2 days ago

The Grocery Store Deal That's Specifically Designed To Make You Spend More - Tasting Table

Grocery stores use loss leaders to attract customers, often selling items at a loss to encourage additional spending on other products.
fromTasting Table
2 days ago

Why Boomers Tend To Save More Money On Groceries - Tasting Table

Boomers are far more likely than any other group to be aware of price increases. When prices go up, they cut back on non-essential items and avoid impulse buys, with just 53% succumbing to them.
Fashion & style
Law
from24/7 Wall St.
4 days ago

Dave Ramsey Tells Tutor With $24,000 IRS Debt to Pay the Government First in Her $94,000 Debt Snowball

Prioritize IRS debt over other debts due to its unique enforcement powers and penalties.
Online learning
fromEntrepreneur
5 days ago

The Blind Spot That Makes Companies Repeat Costly Mistakes

Companies often fail to capture decision-making reasoning, leading to repeated mistakes and lost learning when leadership changes occur.
Poker
fromBusiness Matters
6 days ago

Why People Love Taking Chances: From Holiday Deals to Game Shows

Taking risks triggers excitement and dopamine release, motivating behavior through the anticipation of rewards.
Marketing
fromFortune
6 days ago

Liking corporate BS may be a sign you're bad at decision-making, Cornell expert finds | Fortune

Corporate jargon can mislead and impair decision-making, as shown by research on receptivity to corporate bulls-t.
#motivation
Careers
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

The Surprising Psychology of Being First or Last

Rank affects motivation, with top and bottom performers increasing effort, while mid-ranking individuals often disengage.
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago
Psychology

Psychology says people who want to change their lives but never start aren't lazy - they're waiting for a feeling of readiness that behavioral science confirms almost never arrives on its own - Silicon Canals

Careers
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

The Surprising Psychology of Being First or Last

Rank affects motivation, with top and bottom performers increasing effort, while mid-ranking individuals often disengage.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Psychology says people who want to change their lives but never start aren't lazy - they're waiting for a feeling of readiness that behavioral science confirms almost never arrives on its own - Silicon Canals

Feeling ready to act is often a byproduct of taking action, not a prerequisite.
Productivity
fromFast Company
3 days ago

3 tips from a cognitive scientist on how to beat decision fatigue

Cognitive effectiveness is influenced by circadian cycles and decision fatigue, which can be managed through effort-accuracy tradeoff strategies.
Retirement
from24/7 Wall St.
1 day ago

Dave Ramsey Warns Households Under $100K: Financing a New Car Before Paying Off High-Interest Debt Is a Trap

Taking on new debt while managing existing high-interest debt exacerbates financial struggles and prolongs the debt cycle.
#financial-security
Digital life
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Holding Money vs. Seeing the Numbers

Many Americans feel anxious about financial security despite positive bank balances due to a disconnect between digital money and tangible assets.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 weeks ago

Behavioral economists found that people with substantial savings who live modestly aren't being frugal - they've discovered that the security of untouched wealth provides more psychological satisfaction than any material display ever could - Silicon Canals

Financial security from modest spending and consistent saving provides greater psychological satisfaction than wealth displays or increased consumption.
Digital life
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Holding Money vs. Seeing the Numbers

Many Americans feel anxious about financial security despite positive bank balances due to a disconnect between digital money and tangible assets.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 weeks ago

Behavioral economists found that people with substantial savings who live modestly aren't being frugal - they've discovered that the security of untouched wealth provides more psychological satisfaction than any material display ever could - Silicon Canals

Financial security from modest spending and consistent saving provides greater psychological satisfaction than wealth displays or increased consumption.
Relationships
from24/7 Wall St.
2 days ago

Dave Ramsey Tells Wife With $30,000 in Hidden Debt: 'The Debt Is the Symptom, Not the Problem'

Hiding debt in a mortgage refinance can worsen financial and relational issues, as it secures unsecured debt against the home.
E-Commerce
fromTasting Table
3 days ago

The Easiest Way To Stop Overspending At The Grocery Store - Tasting Table

Curbside pickup helps save money by reducing impulse buys and allowing easier price comparisons.
Business intelligence
fromFortune
5 days ago

More people are using AI to manage their money- but they won't let it make decisions alone | Fortune

Employees embrace AI for productivity but prefer human decision-making authority.
#decision-making
Philosophy
fromThe Atlantic
1 week ago

How to Make Better Decisions

Decision-making quality shapes life outcomes, with two main models: heroic-visionary and technocratic, each having significant flaws.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

Psychology says the most important life lesson isn't learning to make better decisions - it's learning to live peacefully with the ones you can't undo - Silicon Canals

Irreversible choices shape our lives and learning to coexist with them is crucial for mental well-being.
Mindfulness
fromInfoQ
1 week ago

Hidden Decisions You Don't Know You're Making

Decision-making is a fundamental aspect of work and life, influencing culture, relationships, and future choices.
Philosophy
fromThe Atlantic
1 week ago

How to Make Better Decisions

Decision-making quality shapes life outcomes, with two main models: heroic-visionary and technocratic, each having significant flaws.
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

Psychology says the most important life lesson isn't learning to make better decisions - it's learning to live peacefully with the ones you can't undo - Silicon Canals

Irreversible choices shape our lives and learning to coexist with them is crucial for mental well-being.
Mindfulness
fromInfoQ
1 week ago

Hidden Decisions You Don't Know You're Making

Decision-making is a fundamental aspect of work and life, influencing culture, relationships, and future choices.
Boston real estate
fromSlate Magazine
1 week ago

Our Precarious Careers Are Forcing a Terrible Spending Habit on Us. It Doesn't Have to Be This Way.

Buying a home may not be financially smarter than renting, especially if planning to sell quickly due to job uncertainty.
#financial-anxiety
fromSilicon Canals
2 weeks ago
Mental health

There's a specific kind of financial anxiety that has nothing to do with how much money you have. It belongs to people who finally became comfortable but never updated the internal math that was written during scarcity, so every purchase still runs through a threat calculator from 1997. - Silicon Canals

Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

9 subtle behaviors that reveal someone grew up in a household where money was discussed in whispers, and why those behaviors persist long after financial security has arrived - Silicon Canals

Financial behaviors are shaped by early experiences and trauma, not just knowledge or information gaps about money.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
2 weeks ago

There's a specific kind of financial anxiety that has nothing to do with how much money you have. It belongs to people who finally became comfortable but never updated the internal math that was written during scarcity, so every purchase still runs through a threat calculator from 1997. - Silicon Canals

Financial anxiety often stems from past experiences rather than current financial realities, affecting decision-making even in improved circumstances.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

9 subtle behaviors that reveal someone grew up in a household where money was discussed in whispers, and why those behaviors persist long after financial security has arrived - Silicon Canals

Financial behaviors are shaped by early experiences and trauma, not just knowledge or information gaps about money.
Artificial intelligence
fromEntrepreneur
4 days ago

How to Draw the Line Between AI Insights and Human Decisions

High-performance teams leverage clear ownership and decision velocity to enhance AI-informed decision-making in competitive environments.
E-Commerce
fromFast Company
4 days ago

Visa says AI could start making purchases for you. Not everyone wants that, but here's how close we are

AI is influencing consumer purchases and acting on behalf of shoppers in commerce.
Retirement
fromSlate Magazine
6 days ago

My Husband Has a Chance to Quadruple His Income. But What We Have to Do First Terrifies Me.

Transitioning to a lower income during a career pivot can be challenging but is manageable with careful planning and prioritization.
Psychology
from24/7 Wall St.
3 days ago

Dave Ramsey Is Right About Why Americans Are Spending More and Feeling Worse

Emotional spending leads to financial problems, as people seek fulfillment through material possessions rather than saving.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

How Financial Anxiety Clouds Your Brain

Financial worries impair cognitive functions, affecting decision-making and performance, rather than reducing inherent intelligence.
Miscellaneous
from24/7 Wall St.
3 weeks ago

Data Shows Dave Ramsey Is Dead Wrong About This - But He Nailed One Thing

Dave Ramsey emphasizes behavioral change over mathematical optimization in debt repayment, advocating the debt snowball method despite its mathematical inefficiency compared to paying highest-interest debt first.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Why Do We Read Reviews for Things We've Already Experienced?

People read reviews post-decision to validate experiences and alleviate inner conflict, not to gather new information.
E-Commerce
fromTasting Table
3 weeks ago

How To Outwit The Grocery Store 'Decoy Effect' That Causes You To Overspend - Tasting Table

The decoy effect is a retail marketing tactic that manipulates customer perception of value by introducing a strategically priced third option to make expensive items appear more valuable than budget alternatives.
fromMedium
1 month ago

The justification tax

Kantar's codebase was legacy old. The kind of technical debt that isn't a line item on a sprint board but a structural reality that shapes every decision the company makes. Rebuilding the architecture to support what I'd designed would have cost more than the organization was willing to invest, regardless of the Barilla deal sitting on the table.
UX design
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

What If Your Money Anxiety Isn't Actually About Money?

Early childhood experiences with money shape lifelong beliefs about financial security, scarcity, and sufficiency that persist regardless of adult earnings.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

People Don't Just Update Beliefs, They Test Them

Understanding psychological change requires recognizing the role of control and mastery in actively pursuing change despite familiar limitations.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

How Money Impacts Your Attention and Pleasurable Thinking

Financial scarcity reduces pleasurable thinking despite common beliefs that it increases escapist mental activity.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
4 days ago

Psychology suggests the most attractive person in the room is almost never the one trying hardest to be - because effort in the direction of attractiveness is visible, and visibility of effort is the one thing that reliably cancels the effect it's trying to produce - Silicon Canals

Authenticity is more appealing than effortful perfection in social interactions.
Digital life
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

Psychology says people who always carry cash even though they rarely use it display these 8 traits-and most of them are connected to a generation that learned the hard way what happens when systems you trusted stop working - Silicon Canals

Cash carriers maintain physical money as insurance against system failures and to preserve spending autonomy, despite having digital payment options available.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

People who grew up calculating whether they could afford both the drink and the entree before anyone else sat down don't stop doing that math when they earn six figures. The arithmetic isn't financial anymore. It's a loyalty ritual to a younger version of themselves who promised never to be caught without an exit. - Silicon Canals

Child poverty in the U.S. leads to adult poverty more than in Denmark, Germany, the UK, or Australia, with lasting effects beyond financial circumstances.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

New Research: Some People Really Do Fall for Corporate BS

Employees impressed by corporate gibberish perform poorly in decision-making and confuse it with business savvy.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Why We Don't Change-Even When We Know What's Wrong

Insight alone is insufficient for change; real experiences are necessary to challenge ingrained beliefs and expectations.
Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Why Expert Predictions So Often Fail

True expertise is judgment under constraints, focused on diagnosing present problems and weighing tradeoffs, not predicting uncertain futures.
Environment
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

Why We Can't 'Nudge' Our Problems Away

Individual responsibility narratives and behavioral nudges shift focus from systemic solutions, making people feel morally responsible while industries avoid regulation.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Our Inner Life Rules: Habit or Choice?

Inner rules governing self-treatment are often inherited and unexamined, with therapy providing a chance to consciously choose them.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Why We Ignore Our Own Advice

People easily give advice about difficult decisions to others but struggle to follow their own wisdom when facing personal risk and discomfort.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

7 things people raised in lower middle class households still do with money long after they can afford not to, and every single one traces back to a nervous system that learned to count before it learned to rest. - Silicon Canals

Financial habits formed in childhood persist, driven by physiological responses rather than just psychological factors.
#frugality
from24/7 Wall St.
2 months ago

Three Expensive Lessons I Learned Too Late About Money

Looking back, it's easy to spot the moments where things could have gone differently. At the time, each financial decision felt justified, and sometimes even smart! Whether it was driven by optimism, pressure, or a belief that I could "figure it out later," I made choices that seemed reasonable in the moment but were costly over time. What surprised me most wasn't just the money lost, but how similar the underlying mistakes were.
Real estate
fromFaithandfearinflushing
2 months ago

Transactions in a Lifetime

The agate type that used to fill newspapers' TRANSACTIONS boxes and for all I know still do can change everything - about your team, about the players within, about the course of your expectations and satisfaction as fan. While the Hot Stove barely simmers, Kyle Tucker rumors notwithstanding, I'd like to take this opportunity revisit a few picas worth of Mets transactions through time.
Major League Baseball
Education
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

4 Decision Games That Changed Me

Tactical Decision Games (TDGs) using realistic scenarios strengthen mental models and produce long-lasting learning and memorable tactical insights.
Real estate
fromwww.mercurynews.com
2 months ago

Asking Eric: I'm afraid I'm on the verge of another bad financial decision

Consult a financial adviser, involve family, and evaluate housing near care to choose a reversible retirement location that fits health, budget, and social needs.
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Executive Function and Money

Executive dysfunction and personal money narratives can impair financial habits, but reframing money's emotional charge and using executive-function strategies can improve financial decisions.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

The Science of Buying

Effective influence requires understanding how individuals process information, assess risk, and build trust rather than applying standardized pressure tactics.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

You've Given Your Power to Money, but You Can Take It Back

People unconsciously project internal qualities like security, love, and worth onto money, and reclaiming these projections through a three-step process transforms both income and identity.
Productivity
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

The Case for Taking the Easy Path

Ease often reveals genuine strengths; concentrating effort on strengths builds deep expertise while selectively addressing essential weaknesses prevents spreading energy too thin.
Retirement
fromBustle
1 month ago

Why You Should Avoid Strict Budgets At All Costs

Overly strict budgets often cause deprivation and eventual overspending; a flexible, intentional budgeting approach that tracks spending and aligns with priorities supports long-term saving.
Artificial intelligence
fromBig Think
2 months ago

How AI is making us think short-term

AI is shortening strategic time horizons, prompting utopian/apocalyptic thinking and undermining long-term institution-building; focus should be on embedding AI into decades-long industrial development.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Securing the Sweet Spot for Effective Decision-Making

Missing crucial information in communication shapes outcomes; improving attention, metacognition, and deliberate pauses reduces errors and strengthens cooperation with smarter tools.
fromBusiness Insider
1 month ago

I needed to save money, so I challenged myself to a 30-day spending freeze. I learned a lot about my financial habits.

My goal was to only pay bills. I didn't want to buy anything extra, but I knew things always come up, like my son needing something for school. I told myself ahead of time that I could "break the freeze" for absolute necessities only. Over the 30 days, copays for doctor's appointments and prescription costs were the only unexpected purchases I made.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

Psychology says people who eat the crust first display these 6 traits about delayed gratification that predict financial success - Silicon Canals

Crust-first eating reflects a tendency toward delayed gratification linked to traits associated with financial stability and long-term decision-making.
Mindfulness
fromMedium
4 years ago

I Didn't Buy Anything for One Hundred Days. Here's What I Learned.

A 100-day vow to buy nothing stopped nonessential purchases, limiting exceptions to food, medicine, and gifts, reducing time spent curating consumer goods.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

Why you keep buying things you don't need-and how to stop, according to experts - Silicon Canals

Emotional states and dopamine-driven reward responses fuel impulsive, unnecessary purchases, causing repeated overspending despite awareness and intentions to save.
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

Psychology says people who always pay with exact change display these 7 personality traits that go beyond just being organized - Silicon Canals

They're displaying a fascinating set of personality traits that go much deeper than having their finances sorted. 1) They have exceptional impulse control Think about what it takes to always have exact change ready. You need to resist the urge to spend those coins on vending machines or leave them as tips. You have to plan ahead, knowing what you'll buy and preparing accordingly.
Psychology
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

Why some high earners stay broke: it's not about income, it's about discipline - Silicon Canals

High earners often overspend due to lifestyle creep and hedonic adaptation, causing six-figure salaries to vanish and resulting in debt and financial instability.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Confirmation Bias and the Choices We Make

Confirmation bias leads people to interpret the same events differently, complicating truth-finding during misinformation while open-mindedness and better methods can improve accuracy.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

How You Decide If Something Is Expensive

False urgency, social comparison, and lifelong financial anchors distort perceived value, leading to purchases that prioritize short-term emotion over long-term utility.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 months ago

The emotion that quietly drains your bank account without your permission - Silicon Canals

Sadness increases willingness to pay more, causing people to make irrational purchases while believing they are acting rationally.
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