We’re Rikin and Jessie, the founders of Seedling. We’ve been working in finance for decades, starting out in banking and later building a fintech startup together. 

Despite our financial expertise, we struggled with anxiety about not saving enough even though we earned ‘good money.’ Living in expensive cities like London and San Francisco meant spending was way too easy, and budgeting felt too restrictive, so monthly limits got blown through and eventually ignored. After talking to friends we realized most of them struggled too.

Given we worked in finance, shouldn’t we have known better? Probably. But the truth is that saving money is way less fun than spending it, and it turns out that fun is the key to motivation. 

We got sick of the endless cycle of broken budgets and anxiety around saving,  if you've experienced this and are looking for a community of like minded people who’re ready to try something new, hit subscribe above and join us on our journey!

No Magic Pill: the Reality of Saving Money

Before I go on, one caveat: there’s no magic pill to make you care about saving money. If you’re in your “spend it” phase, live it up! No judgment here. Just be warned, at least half the things I spent money on in my 20s (sometimes 30s too) I regret now. Steve Wynn was plenty rich enough without my hard earned $.

If you have something that’s making you want to save and you’re sick of budgeting apps that feel restrictive and demotivating, maybe this is for you.

Last year I had to budget for the first time in a decade because my rent doubled. I was stuck in London when my roommate moved out, and I wasn’t around to find a replacement. I’d used apps like Mint but hated having to set spending limits for things like dining out and shopping. Inevitably those limits would get broken, which was super demotivating, and I’d end up ignoring them all together. 

I knew that for me to stay motivated, I needed a way to save that would let me spend on the things I cared about without monthly limits making me account for every dollar. I fell into the internet rabbit hole looking for creative ways to save, and stumbled upon Value Aligned Spending. Over the next year, three simple tricks saved me hundreds of dollars each month:

• Seeing how many days I could go between deleting and reinstalling Uber (current record: 33 days)

• Playing “whose Amex-bill is lower” with my friend Joey (loser cooks dinner)

• Not letting myself book a flight if I was in the month of travel (bonus: it made me a better planner!) 

Instead of starting with spending limits, I looked at what I wanted to keep and what I thought I could cut. I valued flying but needed to find a way to make it cheaper, and I didn’t really value Ubers, so I needed to find a fun way to cut them out.

I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d turned saving into a game, and because I cared more about “winning” the game than the minutiae of counting dollars, I’ve actually stuck with it. The things I reduced were just fat, so I don’t feel restricted, and in fact feel happier knowing I’m living within my means.

Boss Mode: Make a Game of it

This sparked the creation of Seedling. We realized saving could be turned into a game in the same way Duolingo did for learning and Noom did for weight loss. Those apps understood that the best way to motivate us is to make something fun, and the best way to make us commit long-term is to tap into our inherent need for personal growth.

So, how does this apply to your finances? 

Using my example, I hadn’t set a single spending limit, but necessity, some self-awareness, and friendly competition helped reshape how I thought about spending to save me hundreds of dollars each month. This is what we hope Seedling can do for you.

We’ll talk more about features in future posts, but Seedling is the first Virtual Pet whose health is tied to your spending. You’ll teach Seedling what you value most, and it will help you cut the fat and teach you a little finance along the way. Watch Seedling grow with every challenge you complete, every lesson you take, and every deposit you make into your High Yield Savings account. As it grows, Seedling levels-up to earn more powers to explore its world, sprout new Seedlings, and maybe even win battles with your friends. 

Take care of Seedling and your money will take care of itself!

Money Management, but Fun

We’re turning money management on its head because we got sick of the endless cycle of broken budgets and anxiety around saving. We realized the key was in making it fun. In future posts we’ll dive further into the psychology, which we introduce here, talk about upcoming features, and give you tips on games you can play with yourself to stay motivated.

If you’ve tried and failed with budgeting apps and are looking for a community of like minded people who’re ready to try something new, hit subscribe and join us on our journey!

‍

‍