SmartyPig® is an online savings tool that’s modeled after the old ceramic piggy bank we used to save all our hard earned pennies. It’s tough these days to make ends meet, and many of us tend to use credit cards to plug gaps in our budgets. It’s even harder to stay disciplined enough to save for a big purchase. If you’re planning a big purchase and you’re looking for a way to break the credit cycle, try Smartypig.com. SmartyPig is an online savings tool that’s modeled after the old ceramic piggy bank that we used to save for large purchases. The service is free, and easy-to-follow instructions quickly get you on your way to saving money.
SmartyPig lets you maintain complete control of your money. Once you’ve established your SmartyPig account, you designate a bank account as a source for your SmartyPig contributions. Then you select a savings goal for yourself, like a cruise or a new computer. You designate the amount that you want to save for that purchase and a deadline for reaching your goal.
SmartyPig calculates how much you need to set aside each month and deducts that amount from your source account based on a scheduled frequency that you select. If you’d rather make random contributions, you can opt out of the regularly scheduled deductions.
Once you reach your goal, you can move the money back into your checking or savings account. You can also redeem your money for gift cards from participating merchants through SmartyPig, usually at a discount so you can get more for your money.
One unique feature of SmartyPig allows you to accept donations from friends and family over social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. So on your birthday you can accept donations to get you even closer to your goal. SmartyPig also lets you contribute extra money of your own at any time. So if you find yourself with a nice tax refund, you can deposit it into your source account and put it toward your goal. SmartyPig can be a painless way to save for something special without having to rely on credit.