I'm generally pretty horrible about saving money, usually I don't make enough but I also need a place to put money where I can't immediately touch it. Having a savings account linked to my checking account, all accessible by debit card just doesn't work for me. So in the past I've taken to squirreling money in several old checking accounts, a Merill Lynch account (which I'm sure is wiped out, but I haven't checked the balance since 1998 and it probably never got over $100), paypal, and an ING account I have no idea how to access. Not a very good retirement plan.

A few years ago I learned about Kiva, the microlender. People in the "industrial world" lend to people in the 3rd world living in poverty -- usually self-employed business owners. I thought it was a great idea, lending money directly to people around the world to eliminate poverty, and getting the money repaid so that you can loan again, and again. It's so much better than charity -- though that does have its place. I loved it in concept, but didn't really start using it until Kiva added teams. I joined Team USA, but it's not very active. I then found Atheists, Agnostics, Skeptics, Freethinkers, Secular Humanists, and the Non-religious (all one team). It's a very active team, and since joining I've learned all sorts of techniques for lending smartly (everything from relending money faster to vetting MFI's (the microfinance field partners that are the middleman along with Kiva itself). We've also had the predictable debates about why people are religious in the first place (a massive source of navel gazing for any atheist), but we also have running discussions on how to solve poverty. I also learned about the Flying Spaghetti Monster, but that's another story. It's a very positive team to be a part of.

Team AASFSHNR is currently holding a 2-day "loan-a-thon" in a friendly competition against Team Obama (they are holding theirs on January 20th, so that people who belong to both can contribute to both). AASFSHNR is behind Team Obama in the listings of all teams on Kiva (there are 3594 teams created since August when teams on Kiva started). The only reason we are behind is that Kiva lists teams by the number of loans. AASFSHNR has loaned more money than anyone else (Team Obama is #2, Kiva Christians is #3, nah-na-na-nah), and has the most members (again, nah-na-na-nah). AASFSHNR is also behind Team Belgium in the number of loans per member (they have an over 29 loan per member average where the Kiva average is 3.6).

This sort of comraderie and competition is enough motivation for me to save money, and think about saving more often (because it's a lifestyle habit -- like working out and doing dishes regularly). Since it is lending, I'm not actually spending money, and it's not all that different than sticking it in a regular savings account (which I am trying to do more of as well). There is risk, a borrower might default (hey, shit happens, and shit happens more frequently in the developing world), but the delinquincy rates are actually pretty low. It also helps to lend in smaller amounts to different people for different lengths of time, to read each borrower profile thoroughly, and to lend to those who will do something that you find acceptable (for instance, I won't lend to people in charcoal sales because I think it is a practice that degrades the environment). Kiva is my leaky savings account.