Exercise has always been my stress reliever. Even when I didn’t feel like I could control anything else in my life, at least I knew that I was in charge of my physical health, and breaking a sweat often lowered my anxiety levels significantly.

Other people, I realize, need additional incentive to hit the gym. And a new study has found it: cold, hard cash.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that overweight dieters trying to drop some pounds were more successful if money was on the line, losing more in four months than dieters who weren’t monetarily motivated. For instance, some study subjects contributed $0.01 to $3.00 daily to a fund, and if they hit their weight-loss target, they got their money back at the end of the month, plus a match from researchers.

The study has plenty of flaws—most of the subjects were men, and after seven months, the money group had regained some (but not all) of the weight lost. Experts point out that promising someone cash for losing weight doesn’t necessarily change their ingrained habits.

But it does suggest that rewarding yourself for something might yield better results. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight this year, pledge to buy yourself a cute little top for every five pounds you leave behind. Or if you’re aiming to stick to a budget, don’t forget to set aside some money for a fun activity every once in a while—woman does not exist on discipline alone.

How do you reward yourself for sticking to something?