Why talking to your friends can help you save money | Your Money and Your Mind

Transcriber:

Changing people's financial behavior is difficult,

譯者: Annie Yao 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

要改變一個人的理財習慣很困難，

but it is possible.

但是可行的。

[Your Money and Your Mind with Wendy De La Rosa]

[ 你的金錢與思緒—— 溫迪·德拉羅莎]

One company that was looking to reduce energy consumption in San Diego

一間公司在研究 減少聖地亞哥能源消耗時，

tried to change people's behaviors

試圖用一個關鍵句子的看板

by using signs with one key sentence.

來改變人的行為。

What exactly was that sentence?

那個句子到底是什麼呢？

Well, it turns out that signs about protecting the environment

其實，有關保護環境

or looking out for future generations

或者照顧後代的看板，

or signs that focus on the amount of money that people will save

甚至那些著重在替你省錢的標示

were not effective in reducing consumers' energy consumption.

並未有效減少能源消耗。

Instead, the message that worked the best

反而，最有效的警語

was a simple one that read,

是一句簡單的

"The majority of your neighbors

「你大部分鄰居每天都做節能的事」。

are undertaking energy-saving actions every day.”

A similar message focusing on what our neighbors are doing

這種身邊鄰居在做什麼的訊息，

was used in the UK to incentivize British taxpayers

在英國用來激勵英國人準時繳稅。

to pay their taxes on time.

That simple change, pointing out what other people are doing,

指出其他人在做甚麼的 一個簡單的改變，

led to an increase in collections of about 29 percent.

增加了 29% 的稅收。

Psychologist Robert Cialdini, who worked on both of these studies,

心理學家羅伯特·席爾迪尼 參與了上述兩項研究，

calls this phenomenon "social proof."

並稱此現象為「社會認同」。

He says people look to what others do

他說，人會透過觀摩其他人的行為

in order to guide their own behavior.

來引導自己。

It's no wonder, then,

難怪我們許多理財決策

that we base a lot of our own fiscal decisions

都是仿照其他人的行為。

on what other people do.

And unfortunately, what we most easily observe

不幸的是，

我們最容易觀摩的

are other people's spending behavior,

是他人的消費行為，

not their savings behavior.

而不是他們的儲蓄行為。

It's easy to notice if your friend goes on vacation

你很容易注意到你朋友去度假

or buys a new car or a swanky pair of shoes.

或是買新車、買炫酷的新鞋。

And with social media, you can even keep tabs

在社交媒體上，

你也會關注有錢人和明星的購物習慣。

on the shopping habits of the rich and the famous.

Now, if someone wins the lottery,

當一個人中樂透時，

we'd expect them to spend more money -- and they do.

我們預期他會去花更多錢，

事實也是如此。

But what's really interesting

但真正有趣的事情，

is what happens to their neighbors.

是他們鄰居身上發生的改變。

A recent study found that close neighbors of lottery winners

近期研究顯示，樂透得主附近的鄰居，

are more likely to borrow money, spend more on goods

更有可能去借錢、增加消費，

and eventually declare bankruptcy.

並隨之宣告破產。

In fact, the larger the lottery winner,

事實上，樂透主獎金越高，

the higher the rate of bankruptcy

身邊鄰居宣告破產的比率也越高。

among the neighbors of the lottery winners.

Basically, the lottery winner's behavior

基本上，樂透中獎者的行為

is rubbing off on their neighbors.

會感染他們的鄰居。

We are always aware of consumer spending,

我們總是關注消費者支出，

but what we are not aware of

但我們不會注意到

are other people's savings behavior.

他人的儲蓄行為。

So let's lift that veil.

讓我們幫其他人認清事實吧。

You can start with just a couple of friends.

你可以從幾位朋友開始，

Instead of asking where they bought their new bike

與其問他們新腳踏車哪裡買的，

or the best time of year to travel to France,

或甚麼是法國的最佳旅遊季節，

ask them if they paid down their mortgage

問問他們是否還清了房屋貸款，

or if they have an emergency fund

是否有應急基金、

or if they've paid off their student loan.

或他們是否已還清學生貸款。

Tell them about your own financial situation.

告訴他們你的經濟狀況。

To really make this a social affair,

為了讓這種事在社會上散布開來，

I encourage you to start celebrating paying down your debts.

我鼓勵在還清負債時，為自己慶祝。

Maybe you've seen the viral video of a happy dancing woman

或許你看過一位女士

因為還完超過二十萬美金的學貸 而快樂起舞的的發燒影片。

who paid off more than 200,000 dollars in student debt.

She was able to achieve this incredible milestone

她之所以能夠達成這驚人的里程碑

是因為她有勇氣

because she was bold enough to ask her colleagues

詢問她的同事和同行們的薪水，

and her industry peers

how much they earned,

noting the thousands of dollars that she was missing out on,

並注意到她損失了幾千美元時，

and finding a job that would pay her her fair market rate.

找了一份會支付公平薪水的工作。

I think that video gained notoriety

我認為那影片獲得的惡名，

because it's not often that we get to see what people have saved

是因為我們不常得知別人存了多少錢、

and how they're doing it.

還有他們是怎麼存的。

But it shouldn't be so rare.

但這不應該是件罕見的事情。

By having check-ins with your friends,

從關心身邊朋友開始，

you can help make a trend.

你將會帶動一項趨勢。

I remember when I paid off my student loan,

我記得在還完學生貸款時，

I wish I would have celebrated that milestone with friends.

好想跟朋友慶祝這個里程碑。

But at the time, I, too, was brainwashed into thinking

但那時，我也被洗腦：

that I shouldn't talk to my friends about money,

不應該跟朋友談論金錢，

that it was a scary taboo subject.

彷彿金錢是可怕的禁忌話題。

Don't be like me.

別和我一樣。

Start the conversation today.

今天就開始對話。

Research has shown that our social bonds make us healthier.

研究顯示，社交的連結使我們更健康。

是利用你社交人脈 來提升你財務狀態的時候了。

It's time to harness your social ties

to boost your financial fitness, too.

Your future self will thank you.

未來的你會感謝自己。