When getting your friends together, it's sometimes hard to convince them to start saving up money for a long-term objective. Too many studies point to our increasingly shorter attention span, focusing more on short-term benefits than future goals. Now that everyone has their phone in their pocket, it's hard to look up and plan too far ahead.

Luckily, always having your phone with you also means that Potje is always at the palm of your hand. Getting a pot is a great way to help you and your friend groups start saving up money with more wisdom and intention.

If you'll be spending money any time soon, there's a common rule that can help you manage your investments, expenses, groceries, and plans for future trips in an easy-to-measure way. But how do you make sure to have enough left over for everything? Here's how you do it:

The 50/30/20 rule

This is one of the most common strategies used when budgeting. Keep in mind — this is usually considered after taxes, so make sure you always have enough to keep yourself afloat, safe, stable, and comfortable. Potje can help you save for many different purposes, and if you need to keep yourself and others accountable in managing these expenses, opening a pot can facilitate the process at the press of a button.

This rule also follows relatively close to Maslow's Pyramid of Needs. At the bottom of the pyramid, we have the biggest base with your main needs — Physiological and Security needs — and lean towards the psychological as you go up — Love and Esteem needs. Right at the top, there are the Self-Actualization needs: very important, but they often come after the rest.

50% - Your needs

For starters, you need to make sure you have enough to survive. Food, water, rent, and bills all fall under this, as they're what keep you alright. Both in terms of physiological and security needs, the biggest fragment of your income should go towards your well-being. Making sure everyone keeps each other accountable when spending this — especially when it comes to living together — is very important. This always should come first!

And remember: these percentages are after taxes and other mandatory expenses. Paying back debts is very important, which is why saving up is so important. To prevent financial stress and protect your essential needs, settling this 50% is crucial.

30% - Your wants

Now here's where things get interesting! This portion goes for discretionary spending. That means you're free to spend this percentage on any desires, interests, and curiosities you may have. This is what you get to spend with your friends and family if you're ever going out to dinner, taking a trip, enjoying a party, or buying gifts for your loved ones. Potje is literally the perfect app for this, as opening a pot with your friends is effortless and super useful.

What may have at first seemed like a lot of useless time spent on long-term goals, saving up just a little bit every day, makes a world of difference. If you set aside just a little bit of that 30% whenever you can, by the end of the month, you and your friends will have much more to spend on greater things! Vacations may take up all 30% of your income, or even more — but if you save up a little bit of it every few days, you'll have more than enough to plan an incredible trip by the next time you receive your salary.

Gift-giving is also super easy with Potje! As with the pyramid of needs, love — and showing love — is an incredible part of what makes us human. Whether that's to friends, family, partners, relationships, or even to your boss at work, one of the best ways to show appreciation is through your team effort in getting a perfect gift.

20% - Your savings

Your final 20% should always be kept with an eye to the future. If your friends are worried about spending money on short-term little treats, and don't look too far ahead, they might overspend by not budgeting correctly. It's super important to add to an emergency fund to avoid any unexpected bills or rainy days. Though it's the last portion, and the smallest, it's the one that can save you in rough times. So make sure to always separate a little bit for your self-actualization. Long-term goals, personal growth, and future safety are important to maintain, so you can eventually achieve all your desires.

So where does Potje come in?

At the end of the day, Potje is here for all your worries, to make budgeting long-term and keeping your friends accountable much, much easier. Instead of worrying so much about what to spend when, and how to make sure others pay you back for expensive ventures.

Wherever you are, whatever you need — Potje's ready to help, only one click away!