🦆 CHILL THE DUCK OUT

Volume 006: Stash the Cash

💸 Cold Open

My wife recently mentioned she wants to go to Ireland for her 40th birthday, which gives us a solid 11 years to plan, since she’s been 29 every year since 2016.

Naturally, we did some quick math (napkin math powered by caffeine and blind optimism), and figured that if we start stashing away a little now — like “hide-it-in-a-tea-tin” little - we could actually make it happen.

And here’s the cooler part: just thinking about saving for something that matters instantly made us feel better. Not because we suddenly became budgeting wizards, but because putting even a few dollars aside gave us that elusive hit of control in a world that often feels like a group project run by a sleep-deprived raccoon.

This week, we’re leaning into the science of saving. Not in a financial guru kind of way — more like “let’s hide a fiver behind the soup cans and feel powerful about it” kind of way.

🧠 The Science Bit

Turns out, saving even tiny amounts of money can have a surprisingly big impact on your mental health. Not because you’re suddenly rolling in compound interest, but because your brain loves the feeling of doing something that makes future you proud.

When you stash away even $1, you're flexing what behavioral economists call financial agency. Translation: you made a choice. A small, intentional, “I got this” move in a world where so much feels out of your hands (see also: inflation, surprise vet bills, and the 97th streaming service trying to bill you this month).

And science backs it up.

Multiple studies in financial psychology, including research in the Journal of Economic Psychology, show that people who save regularly report lower financial anxiety and higher life satisfaction, even when income levels are the same. That’s right: it’s not the amount. It’s the habit.

Why? Because saving gives you a sense of self-efficacy — that belief that you can manage your life, even when it’s a little messy. Every time you transfer $5 to your account labeled “emergency cheese fund,” you’re telling your brain: I’m capable.

Neurologically speaking, saving lights up your prefrontal cortex — the same area responsible for planning, impulse control, and not panic-ordering $72 worth of stress snacks. At the same time, building even a small financial cushion helps dial down the amygdala, which regulates your stress response. So yeah… saving literally helps calm your nervous system.

In fact, research from the Financial Health Network shows that having just $250–$500 saved can significantly reduce the mental toll of financial surprises. It’s like emotional bubble wrap for your bank account.

🍟 This Week’s Happytizer: Make It Weird

This week, move a little money… and make it fun.

Try one of these micro-saving moves:

• Transfer $1, $5, or $10 into a savings account labeled “Do Not Touch Unless Snacks Are Involved”

• Stash cash in your sock drawer like it’s emotional contraband

• Start a “safety squirrel stash” in a tin labeled “Definitely Not For Pizza (But Actually Yes)”

• Venmo yourself $3 with the caption “emotional fortitude fund”

• Rename your savings account to something empowering (or absurd), like “My Chaotic Financial Empire”

The amount doesn’t matter. The feeling of being your own financial hype squad? That’s the win.

🔍 Your Side Hustle Era Awaits

Look, I’m not saying money buys happiness... but it definitely makes it easier to afford snacks, therapy, and matching socks, and that’s worth something. If you’ve ever thought, “I should start a side hustle for some extra cash,” but your brain replied, “Cool, but how?”, this guide’s got you covered.

100 Genius Side Hustle Ideas

Ready to escape the 9-5? The Hustle's side hustle database gives you 100 proven income opportunities, categorized by startup investment and skill level. Each idea includes real profit potential and time commitment details. Sign up now to unlock your next step to financial freedom and join our community of 1.5M entrepreneurs.

Get the guide

🎉 Unsolicited Joy of the Week

In a legendary mix-up involving laundry and life savings, a Michigan man stashed $8,000 in a shirt, and his wife, thinking it was just another giveaway item, donated it to Goodwill.

Cue the panic, the plot twist… and the absolute hero at Goodwill who found the cash and returned every dollar.

Because apparently, people are amazing, and shirts are terrible places to store your financial legacy.

📖 Read the full story on UPI

💬 Tell me your weirdest savings strategy

Do you tape cash under furniture? Use a suspiciously named savings account? Call it “emotional protection money”? I’m into it.

📩 [email protected]

Oh, and if this brought you even 1% more chill, forward it to a friend…
or I’ll start hiding money in your pantry with mysterious notes like, “Shhh. Don’t tell your future self you found it. They’ll be so surprised.”

🫶 Duckin’ Done

That’s Volume 006.

Here’s to building security $5 at a time, loving your future self in tiny ways, and remembering that sometimes peace of mind costs less than lunch.

Until next time: breathe deep, stack a bill, and chill the duck out.

— Jason

🧐 Behind the Curtain

Here’s where the facts for this newsletter come from — no smoke, no mirrors, just well-researched magic.

Ruberton, P. M., Gladstone, J., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2016). "How Your Bank Balance Buys Happiness: The Importance of 'Cash on Hand' to Life Satisfaction." Emotion, 16(5), 575–580.

Financial Health Network (2021). "U.S. Financial Health Pulse: 2021 Trends Report."

Mani, A., Mullainathan, S., Shafir, E., & Zhao, J. (2013). "Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function." Science, 341(6149), 976–980.