Decluttering your home is about identifying what physical objects are unnecessary. It may be tough to make decisions about each item, but you usually know what you need to do. But when it comes to making your money life resemble your stress-free financial vision, the process to get there is harder to understand, much less follow. Here are some decluttering strategies that can double as tips for money management:
Know what matters to you
- Minimalism is all about removing what is unnecessary so only the essential remains
- Recognizing exactly what is most valuable to you allows you to create a home that reflects your values
- Similarly, budgeting your money starts with your values. Identify the purchases or spending decisions that matter most to you
- Choosing to spend on things you value makes it easier to let go of the things you don’t
Every item needs a home
- Minimalist homes have a place for everything, anything out of place can easily be returned to their proper homes
- Give every dollar you earn a home by planning where your money will go with every paycheck
- Doing this will mean you are prepared for both expected and unexpected expenses
Declutter daily
- A little bit of decluttering every day not only helps to maintain your space, but also saves you time and frustration
- Managing your finances should also be a similar daily habit
- Make it part of your daily routine to log into your bank account, check your balances, and look over your purchases
Declutter first, organize second
- Starting with organization allows you to avoid the tough decluttering decisions while feeling like you are making progress
- But organizing first means you are often trying to find space for things you don’t want to keep—while ignoring the root of the problem at the same time
- A similar mistake with money management is forcing a tracking system onto your spending habits without first examining those habits and purging the ones that aren’t working for you
Remember it’s a journey
- Both minimalism and good financial health require regular maintenance
- Neither process is a once-and-done job, as you will always have to maintain your decluttered home and your budget
- It’s helpful to think of both processes as being similar to laundry—these jobs are never done
Start with easy-to-declutter items
If you need to cut expenses in your budget, start with the items that are not important to you or that you simply will not miss. That could be anything from your cable subscription to your unused gym membership to the extra data you never use on your cell phone plan.
