Ah, Halloween. That time when superstitions like, “A black cat crossing the road is bad luck,” and “Don’t walk under a ladder or you’ll have bad luck,” crank into overdrive. Whether you fully believe in this stuff or not, most of us are raised on these superstitions and stories. They’re embedded into our culture at a level that, even if you don’t believe, you may still find yourself tossing salt over your shoulder if you spill it while cooking dinner. And it’s not just general superstitions that we internalize. There are plenty of financial superstitions out there that may (on some level we don’t even fully acknowledge) impact our financial decision making. Financial superstitions come from countries and cultures all over the world, but here are a few of the most popular.
Tossing Coins into a Fountain
According to this one, if you toss coins into fountains you will become wealthy. The theory seems to be that giving money freely somehow attracts more. I doubt it works (at least not on the fountain scale, although there might be something to giving larger sums to charity), but the good news is that most fountains in public places like malls and parks are cleaned by groups who donate the money to charity. So it might not make you wealthy, but you might help someone else out in a small way.
Found Pennies
“Find a penny pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.” There is sometimes an addendum to this one that says that if the penny is heads up it’s lucky, but if it’s tails up, you must give it away in order to reap good luck. I’ve never bothered about heads or tails. I simply take all found change and put in a jar to take to the bank later. In that sense, yes, this has contributed to my wealth, although not through “luck.” Alternatively, you might get really lucky and find a valuable coin that may add to your wealth.
Itchy Palms
If your palms itch, you’re about to come into money. I’ve never noticed that this works. Usually if my palms itch it’s either dry skin or a bug bite. Neither of which helps my net worth in any way.
Lucky Lottery Numbers
Nearly everyone who plays the lottery has some sort of lucky number superstition. Some people derive their numbers from birthdays or significant dates, others apply a more scientific approach and use some form of numerology to arrive at their numbers. I think this superstition simply comes down to statistics. If you play the same lottery numbers every week, eventually you might hit on a win. But you’re also likely better off not playing at all and saving your weekly lottery money in a high-interest account.
Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens
In the southern U.S. it is tradition to eat these foods on New Year’s Day in order to bring luck and prosperity into your home. Here’s what I know about this: First, the only thing this has ever brought into my home is the terrible stench of collard greens. Second, while eating these foods might not bring you money, they will contribute to better health, so that’s worth something. (At least as long as you don’t cook them in bacon grease.)
Bird Poop = Wealth
If a bird poops on you, supposedly you will be coming into money soon. I don’t know. All I see is a dry cleaning bill and/or a lot of hair washing.
Spiders in Your Pocket
If you find a spider in your pocket (or are brave enough to put it there), you should leave it as it means money will be woven into your life. Even if it’s true, I don’t know how you go through life without squashing a spider in your pocket (or getting bitten), which I’m sure cancels out any good luck. Note that this won’t work with plastic spiders, either, as the spider must be able to weave for this to work. No less squishy loopholes here.
Wishing on Shooting Stars
When you see a shooting star, any wish you make is supposed to come true. Money is probably the biggest shooting star wish. It can’t hurt, but as with birthday candles, genie lamps, and wishing wells, I suspect it’s only true in fairy tales. And, as another saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.” Even if you get a ton of money from your wish, it may not make you as happy as you think.
Don’t Empty Your Wallet
Legend has it that you should always have at least a little cash in your wallet, as it will attract more. An empty wallet doesn’t act as an attractant. I can sort of see the logic here, but I still think you’re better off taking any unneeded cash to the bank and putting it in a high-interest or investment account.
Don’t Put Your Purse on the Floor
This one comes from the ideas of Feng shui and says that a purse is a symbol of your wealth and thus putting it on the floor is a show of disrespect. If you disrespect your wealth, don’t expect to accumulate more. Well, it’s generally easier for someone to steal a purse that’s on the floor, so maybe that’s where this superstition comes from. Also, if your purse is literally a symbol of your wealth (as in, you bought the most ridiculously expensive luxury bag on the market and used a credit card that you didn’t immediately pay off), don’t expect to be wealthy.
Bottom line: Financial superstitions are just that: Superstitions. They won’t help you achieve wealth, and they won’t protect you from disaster. Only smart, fact-based financial planning can do that. Still, though, there’s no harm in chucking a penny into a fountain now and then, especially around Halloween.