Meet Our Super Saver Grand Prize Winner!
Tara is our first ever Super Saver winner.
Tara lives in Roselle Park, New Jersey and has been a dedicated SaverLife member for two years. Tara is one of SaverLife’s most engaged members, and we’re grateful to have her as part of our community.
What’s your history with personal finance?
I grew up with not a lot of money. We were the poor people in town. One of my big goals when I started working was to save money and make sure I didn’t have to worry about where my next meal was coming from like I did as a kid. I try to save as much as possible.
Why is saving money important to you?
It’s so scary to not have money. I grew up not having money and don’t ever want to feel that way again.
How long have you been a SaverLife member?
I signed up for it two years ago. I must have read an article about it. I learned what SaverLife was, that if you linked your bank account, they would track it for six months, and if you manage to save $20 every month we’ll give you $20 at the end. I thought, “Okay, I can do that.”
Then I got an email about Scratch & Save. That was cool because it became like a game. I set up an automatic transfer so every week those $5 got transferred into my bank account and I get the scratcher. I’m utilizing all of SaverLife’s benefits. It’s so great!
What has your savings journey been like in the past few years?
I have been trying very hard to save. Emergencies happen and you have to dip into savings, and it’s an uphill battle to replenish those savings. SaverLife has helped me to bucket off my money so I have a true savings account. SaverLife is absolutely helping me save more money. It’s given me different goals to reach for.
What has SaverLife taught you?
The best part about SaverLife is it takes away the taboo of talking about money. SaverLife is the friend I can have and talk to about money with. It holds me accountable for the promises I make and goals I want to reach.
SaverLife has taught me that money isn’t scary. It’s taught me to do what I can. Everyone has to dip into emergency funds every once in a while. Every week is a new week and every month is a new month, and even if you can’t get that $5 for Scratch & Save this week–next week is a new week. You can always save in the future.
What are you going to use the prize money for?
A dream of mine is to max out my IRA, which is $6,000. Get a couple Christmas presents. I don’t know what I’m going to do! This is awesome.