Why Money You Can Access Immediately Feels More Valuable

Why Money You Can Access Immediately Feels More Valuable

From Money Memories by Bear and the Bull

January 14, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

Jonathan Davis discusses how immediate access to money influences its perceived value and impacts financial decisions.

University of Oregon Associate Professor of Economics Jonathan Davis says he grew up with a sense of scarcity around money. His family always seemed to have enough, but there was this pervasive feeling that they wouldn’t. “I remember this narrative of, ‘money’s gonna be tight this year, don’t expect as many Christmas presents as last year,’” he says. In this episode, Davis shares findings from his research on EarnIn, a service that allows folks to get an advance on their wages without paying interest, and how immediate access to money makes the money feel more valuable, and helps alleviate the feeling of scarcity that can lead to financially unwise decisions.

People in this episode

Guest: Jonathan Davis

Topics covered

  • economics
  • money management
  • financial decision making
  • scarcity mindset
  • wage access

Keywords

  • money
  • value
  • scarcity
  • EarnIn
  • economics
  • financial decisions
  • wages
  • access

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Oregon

Products: EarnIn

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