Do you remember your first purchase? Like a real purchase with your own money?

I still remember mine, it was a Nintendo Game Boy. I saved up my allowance, dug for coins in the sofa, and did random chores around the neighbourhood.

Then came the big day and going to the Mall. I recall the feeling of the plastic packaging in my hands and the anticipation of finally buying my shiny new piece of gaming tech. I had finally saved up enough and I felt like a real grown-up.

As I handed over my savings I was filled with a sense of pride. For me, the Game Boy was more than a purchase; it was a revelation of what I could accomplish on my own with a bit of time and planning. This lesson helped me avoid personal debt and now I want to help others do the same.

That’s why we created Piggy the bank.

“We owe it to our future selves to find a better way to plan and save, and to stay out of the quicksand that is personal debt.”

Over the years I’ve talked to my family and friends and many are stuck in the same cycle of credit card debt. The truth is nearly 50% of all Canadians have credit card debt, and 24% are in so deep, they’ll likely never get out. As of 2015, statistics Canada reported that Canadians had racked up $576.6 billion in consumer debt, which averages out to about $16,000 of debt per person.

Monthly budgets are great, but we still need to live our lives. We are getting married, having babies, planning events, moving and travelling. Living costs a lot of money and we owe it to our future selves to find a better way to plan and save, and to stay out of the quicksand that is personal debt.

Piggy the Bank hopes to be another tool to help control debt.

Why should people feel guilty about spending money they don’t have, when they can feel good about spending money they’ve saved up?

If you haven’t tried it yet, sign up for FREE at www.piggythebank.com and start shopping guilt free!