3 reasons why even smart people have money problems

On payday, you see a large amount on your card and think that now you can buy everything. Because of this, a lot of money is spent on nonsense, and by the end of the month you have to save.
You agree to get less for the job, but right now than waiting for more for a while.
You feel sorry for the money for a large purchase, but you easily spend on many small ones.

Have you encountered something similar? Most likely yes, because these are common cognitive biases.

1. We fall victim to the money illusion

We forget that the ability to buy something depends not only on the number in our account, but also on price fluctuations. If your salary has been raised, this does not mean that you have become richer. After all, due to inflation, the prices of goods have also increased. This is the money illusion.

We do not take into account the real value of money.

It seems to us that they always cost the same, but their value is constantly changing. For the same amount at different times, you can buy a different amount of goods.

This phenomenon was first discussed in 1928. Economist Irving Fisher described it as "not understanding that the value of the dollar, or any other currency, goes up and down." It even affects our job satisfaction. In 1997, behavioral psychologists confirmed this in experiments.

They described the following situation to the participants: there are two people, they have the same education, position and starting salary. The difference is how much their salary has been raised in their second year of work and what percentage of inflation is where they live.

First: salary 30,000, inflation 0%, increase 2%.
Second: salary 30,000, inflation 4%, increase 5%.

Three groups of participants were asked to answer one of the questions: whose position is more economically profitable, which of these people is happier and whose position is more attractive. From the point of view of real income, the position of the First is more advantageous. After deducting inflation, his salary is higher than Second's. Most responded that way when asked about the economic benefits.

But the question about happiness was answered differently - they said that the second is happier. This is how the money illusion manifests itself. People think that a higher increase means more money, which means more happiness. It also makes us think that the position of the Second is more attractive.

This proves that we are still able to take into account the real value of money when we are reminded of inflation. But under normal conditions, we forget about it and judge about money wrong. We think that we have more of them than in reality, and we make rash purchases.

How to deal with it

When making financial decisions, try to think rationally. Don't get emotional. Remind yourself of inflation and the real value of money.

To avoid wasting your entire paycheck at the beginning of the month, start budgeting. Calculate how much you spend on food, utility bills, medicines, entertainment. Plan the rest of your purchases based on the free balance.

2. We are affected by hyperbolic depreciation

Let's say you were offered to receive 3,000 rubles today or 6,000 in a year. Most would then choose 3,000 at once. We will prefer the reward that can be obtained earlier. Even if it is less than what awaits us later. The future reward is not so important to us, we devalue it.

But if you put the question a little differently: 3,000 rubles in nine years or 6,000 in 10 - people are more likely to lean towards the second option. When waiting for an award is still long, we think more rationally and choose a larger amount. But making the right choice in the short term is more difficult for us. This explains the credit card debt. Financial stability in the future does not seem to be as valuable as being able to buy something nice right now.

This cognitive bias affects not only finances, but everything related to self-control in general. Addictions, eating habits, those areas in which you need to give up immediate gratification for the sake of future well-being.

For example, you are overweight. You understand that in order to lose weight, you need to move more and balance your diet. You swear to yourself not to succumb to the temptation for future health. But then you can't resist the chocolate cake for dessert.

Compared to the immediate enjoyment of the cake, health in the distant future seems less valuable.

Some scientists explain this through evolution. When your distant ancestor saw a small skinny antelope, he tried to catch and eat it, and not wait for larger prey. Because it was possible not to live up to this moment. Eventually, the brain has developed a mechanism that encourages immediate gratification.

How to deal with it

Protect yourself from temptation ahead of time. In order not to spend on momentary pleasures, set a spending limit on the card. Automate your savings. Report your spending to someone.

Before making a decision, imagine yourself in the future: would the “future you” approve of such a choice. This will give you a more objective assessment of the facts.

3. We are subject to the effect of denomination

It often happens like this: we are scared to spend money on a large purchase, but not on many small ones. This is to blame for the effect of denomination, or, in other words, the effect of the value of banknotes. Large bills seem to us more valuable, it is a pity to exchange them. We mentally think of them as "real" money. And bills of lesser denomination and coins are not so valuable for us, it is easy to part with them.

You must have experienced similar feelings while holding a five-thousandth banknote in your hands. I don't want to spend it. But the same amount in banknotes of 1000, 500 and 100 rubles, you mentally refer to the category of daily expenses and quickly spend.

Scientists described this effect in 2009 through a series of experiments. In one, they asked people to take a short survey and gave them five dollars as a reward. Someone with one banknote, and someone with five denominations of one dollar. After that, participants could go to the store and spend what they received. The researchers were then asked to look at their receipts. It turned out that the people who received the five-dollar bill mostly refrained from spending.

This effect affects all people, but is especially pronounced in countries where cash is often used to pay.

The researchers described an experiment in China. 20% of Chinese women decided not to spend the 100 yuan bill they received (at the time of the experiment, this was quite a lot). But among those who were given the same amount of money in small bills, only 9.3% refrained from shopping.

There is another manifestation of the denomination effect. A purchase seems to us more profitable if the price is not indicated in one amount, but is distributed by days or months. It is easier for us to pay for the service “10 rubles a day” than “3 650 rubles” a year.

How to deal with it

If you want to save money, don't carry a lot of small money with you. Parting with a large bill is psychologically more difficult, even if we know that we will get change from it. Use this as a waste protection mechanism.

Remind yourself that in the end, the small change spent adds up to a large amount. For clarity, keep a financial diary where you will note expenses.