(NerdWallet) - Madison Hayes considers herself to be in her “full-blown revenge saving era.”

During the pandemic and the real estate boom that followed, Hayes (who is a realtor) was very focused on business growth and basically ignored her personal finances. Late last year, she realized how much money she’d spent on things like food delivery, subscription boxes and social memberships she never had time to use.

“Now I’m saving 48% of my income year-to-date,” says Hayes, who owns Gateway Realty Group in St. Louis, Missouri. “I treat saving like a competition with my past self.”

Because she owns a business, Hayes says she keeps four months of operating expenses in her bank account. She also has her bank automatically transfer any money in excess of her reserve to a high-yield savings accou

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