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Benefits Quote by Dan Ariely

“Money actually becomes even more difficult than other things because it's very hard to imagine what the benefits are to saving. So, imagine that you see a new bicycle, a new pair of shoes, or something today. You know exactly what you are giving up if you are not buying it, what are you gaining in…” quote by Dan Ariely — Download Open image

“Money actually becomes even more difficult than other things because it's very hard to imagine what the benefits are to saving. So, imagine that you see a new bicycle, a new pair of shoes, or something today. You know exactly what you are giving up if you are not buying it, what are you gaining in the future if you are not getting it. So, you are giving up the bicycle today, what is it in the future? What will happen if you send another $1,000 to your retirement fund? What difference will it make? It is very, very hard to figure out.”

About This Quote

Source Book: Predictably Irrational, 2008

Saving is hard because future benefits are abstract and hard to compare to immediate desires.

In simple terms: Hard to imagine future benefits makes saving difficult.

Key Takeaway

Visualize concrete future gains.

Themes

behavioral economics self‑control financial planning

Mood

analytical motivational

Type

educational financial advice

When to use this quote

budgeting
retirement planning
goal setting

Key Concepts

present bias temporal discounting

Questions to Reflect On

What concrete future outcomes could motivate you?
How can you make future benefits feel immediate?

A Different Perspective

People often underestimate long‑term rewards.

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