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Sticking to your financial goals can be challenging. Saving for the future, keeping a lid on spending, and paying down debt aren't exactly built for instant gratification. You have to have stamina as well as willpower. And sometimes being responsible feels, well, boring. Grueling, even. It's kind of like the financial equivalent of keeping up with the laundry.

That's where gamifying comes in. The concept is simple: Motivate yourself by making the task in front of you — in this case, managing money — feel like a game. This can actually get your brain to want to stay committed.

Studies show that by igniting your competitive side and adding rewards to a process, you trigger the release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that motivates and reinforces behavior. Just ask anyone with an uninterrupted "streak" in Wordle, the Duolingo language app, or Snapchat messaging.

If you love games — and find staying disciplined tedious — here are seven ways to make managing your money more fun.

7 Ways to Gamify Your Finances

1. Create your own money version of the "75 Hard" challenge. Playing on the popular fitness streak trend, decide on a timeline and what should be on your list of daily non-negotiables. Some ideas: no online shopping, reading 10 pages a day from a financial advice book, or logging every purchase you make. If you miss a day of your streak, the timeline resets.

2. Play financial goals bingo. This is a fun one to play with a partner or older kids. Squares could have tasks like prep lunch three times; cancel a subscription; check your credit reports; watch a podcast about investing; repurpose something instead of buying new; use an online coupon; or negotiate for a lower bill. (Tip: Canva's free printable bingo card generator makes setting up your customized cards a cinch.)

3. Conduct random drawings. Write simple financial challenges on slips of paper, add them to a jar, and pick one per week. You might include no food delivery for a week; sell something you don't use anymore; or check your rewards accounts for unused points, miles or cash back. Throw in a small prize or two to make it more fun.

4. Do a no-spend weekend once a month. Take turns being in charge of finding something free for the family to do together. (E.g. going for a hike, attending a free concert, or having a board game or movie night at home.) Then, put the amount of money you would have spent on weekend entertainment into a family fun account earmarked for a shared goal like a road trip.

5. Unlock rewards at every level. If you're working toward a distant goal, celebrate mini-victories along the way (like leveling up in Pokemon.) For example, if you want to start saving for a car, level one might be opening a high-yield savings account and setting up automatic deposits.

6. Beat your best. Try to set a personal record for something money-related. Can you save 5% more of your income this month than last? If you normally shop four times per month, can you reduce that to three?

7. Supermarket freeze. See how many meals you can make without going to the grocery store. Decide on a special prize you can only get if you're able to hit an ambitious number you target at the start.

For any of these games, keep two ground rules in mind: Opt for inexpensive rewards so you don't defeat the purpose, and build in a "get out of jail free card" for off days. This will prevent a single slip-up from ruining your momentum, especially if your game involves keeping a streak going. At the end of the day, progress almost always beats perfection.

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