# Money Buys Happiness The New Way to Save Money By Greg Ponesse | Published 2007-02-27 | Unique Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/money-buys-happiness-the-new-way-to-save-money References: [web-japan.org](http://web-japan.org/trends/lifestyle/lif070221.html) Tomy Co. has designed a piggy bank that not only helps you [save money](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/incentivized-budgeting) but makes it fun at the same time. As you put money into the bank, the life of a fictional character is created. The more money saved, the better the life your fictional character receives. **Implications** - The Jinsei Ginko accepts only ¥500 coins into its cubist confines. Incredibly, it can store up to 200 of these coins, which translates to over ¥100,000 in total. At first, the character portrayed on the black-and-white LCD screen lives in a simple boarding room. As the bank receives more money, however, this character's life dramatically improves. If the user doesn't put enough money in by the date of his [saving target](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moneyvision-app), however, his piggy bank avatar pays the ultimate price. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 30% | Activity: 45% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Unique](https://www.trendhunter.com/unique) > [Inventions](https://www.trendhunter.com/inventions) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Gamified Savings:** Creating a fun and rewarding way to save money through gamification. - **Personalized Banking:** Using fictional characters to personalize the banking experience and motivate savings. - **Digital Piggy Banks:** Incorporating modern technology into piggy banks to enhance the saving experience. ### Where This Applies - **Financial Services:** Financial institutions can develop gamified savings platforms that engage customers and encourage long-term saving. - **Toy Manufacturing:** Toy companies can partner with banks to create digital piggy banks that combine entertainment and financial education. - **Technology:** Tech companies can develop innovative digital piggy bank solutions that integrate with mobile apps for a seamless user experience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Wishing Well-Inspired Coin Banks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coin-bank-concept.md) - [Digital Currency Piggy Banks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-piggy-bank-concept.md) - [Kintsugi-Inspired Piggy Banks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/penny-piggy-bank.md) - [Paper-Made Piggy Banks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/metallic-piggy-bank.md) - [Auto-Savings Digital Bank Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superbank.md) - [Kids' Money Management Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/financial-awareness.md) - [Three-Sided Coins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/three-sided-coin.md) - [Visual Financial Monitoring Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/malance.md) - [Low-Cost Shirt Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/1p-shop.md)