Money Saving Strategies
Dark Patterns
Types of Scams
Comparison Shopping
Identity Theft
100
This popular rule suggests spending 50% of your income on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on this.
What is Savings?
100
This "scarcity" trick uses a fake countdown timer to make you think a sale is ending in 5 minutes when it actually isn't.
What is False Urgency?
100
You get a text saying your "UPS package" is stuck at a warehouse and you need to click a link—this is a classic example of this.
What is Phishing (or Smishing)?
100
Instead of looking at the total price, you should look at this cost to see if the big bag of Takis is actually a better deal.
What is Price per Ounce (or Unit Price)?
100
This 9-digit number is the "skeleton key" to your financial life and should never be shared over DM or text.
What is your Social Security Number (SSN)?
200
This strategy involves having your paycheck automatically move a portion of money to savings before you even see it—it's called "Paying" this person first.
Who is Yourself?
200
Named after a bug-filled hotel, this pattern makes it incredibly easy to sign up for a subscription but nearly impossible to cancel it.
What is a Roach Motel?
200
In 2026, hackers might use an AI version of your friend's voice to ask for money over the phone; this is known as a "Deep" this.
What is a Deepfake?
200
These "off-brand" products (like Kroger or Great Value) are often made in the same factories as name brands but cost 30% less.
What are Store Brands (or Generic Brands)?
200
This security layer requires a password PLUS a code sent to your phone before you can log in.
What is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)?
300
To calculate how long it takes for your money to double with interest, you use the "Rule of" this number which just happens to be the product of 8x9.
What is 72?
300
This happens when a site sneaks an extra item, like "shipping protection," into your cart without you clicking it.
What is Sneak into Basket?
300
This "P" word describes a scam where old investors are paid with money from new investors until the whole thing collapses.
What is a Ponzi Scheme?
300
This browser extension automatically searches for the best coupon codes while you're at the checkout screen.
What is Honey (or similar extensions like Capital One Shopping)?
300
You are entitled to one of these for free every year from companies like Experian to make sure nobody has opened a credit card in your name.
What is a Credit Report?
400
Unlike a regular savings account, this type of account (abbreviated as HYSA) offers much higher interest rates, often found at online banks.
What is a High-Yield Savings Account?
400
The practice of making the "No" button say something embarrassing, like "No thanks, I don't like saving money," to make you feel bad.
What is Confirmshaming?(Shaming)
400
If someone asks you to pay for something using one of these "cards" from Target or Amazon, it is 100% a scam.
What are Gift Cards?
400
This "M" acronym refers to the price the company suggests a store sell an item for, though stores often ignore it.
What is MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price)?
400
This is the act of a criminal putting a fake card reader over an ATM or gas pump to steal your card info.
What is Skimming?
500
If you want to calculate exactly how much your money will be worth in the future with interest, you use this formula:
What is the Compound Interest Formula?
500
This is the term for "unseen" charges—like service fees or convenience charges—that only appear at the very last step of checkout.
What are Hidden Costs (or Drip Pricing)?
500
This advanced scam involves a hacker tricking your phone provider into moving your phone number to their device to bypass your 2FA.
What is SIM Swapping?
500
Stores often sell milk or eggs at a loss just to get you in the door, a strategy known by this two-word term.
What is a Loss Leader?
500
This type of identity theft involves a criminal combining real and fake info to create a completely new, "fake" person.
What is Synthetic Identity Theft?