Money can be a real source of stress for most people. No one likes to take time out to pay bills, especially if funds are tight, but it is a definite must to in our current way of life. Not taking care of your finances can lead to bad credit which can cost you more in interest rates when you need to make a big purchase or deny you all together.

There are a few things you can do to make this process easier, less painful and more organized. These are keeping it simple ways to declutter your finances and make your life easier. If you don’t pay your bills on time normally this can help you get on the right track.

1. The first step is to know where your money goes. This sound easier than you think. Many small and cash purchases don’t get tracked and can be forgotten. So for a month or two keep track of what you spend your money on either on paper or electronically.
2. Once you have completed step 1 – create a monthly budget. This will detail your current income and bills. If you have never created a budget we will be doing an article on Budgeting 101 soon and once it is done I will add a link here. (see Budgeting Made Simple)
3. Auto pay any bills you can to one credit card. I have one that I use to get points, just be sure it is a card you pay off monthly with no exceptions. The point of this is to make it simple not pay for interest. I set this card to auto pay on the date from my bank account. This works for things like gas, some utilities, phone and subscriptions.
4. Pay on-line. I am still amazed by the people who write and mail checks. No more waiting to be sure your payment arrives and the cost of stamps is only going up. Most on-line banking will give you a traceable confirmation number.
5. Use your bank’s bill paying function to pay bills that don’t fit into item 3 or 4. Auto draft is also available (sometime mandatory) for mortgage, personal loan and car payments.
6. Still get bills in the mail? Or email notifications? Then the day you get them set them up for payment on the due date. Don’t wait only to find them in a drawer weeks from now, or buried at the bottom of emails you forgot about. I signed up for electronic bills in my banks bill payer system so I get the bill electronically right in the bill payer app.
7. When your check is direct deposited auto deduct even a small amount to a savings account. Pick a set amount to save even $20 at a time can add up. Keep yourself motivated not to touch it by setting a goal to save or a small wish list purchase once you attain the goal.
8. Does your company offer a 401k match? Make sure you are maximizing your contributions to get the full amount of that “free” money in your retirement fund.
9. Most Americans don’t have any type of emergency fund. Let’s face it, emergencies happen (car/home repair, unexpected bill or illness) and usually at the worst possible time. Having some cash set aside can really make this process much less stressful. As with step 7 auto deduct this out of each check into an account. Set a goal in your budget and replenish if you need to use these funds to cover an emergency.
10. Acorns App – spare change investing. The average person at best has retirement investments. The concept behind this round up investing is that for every purchase you make you will “round up” to the next dollar and invest the spare change. This can add up over weeks, months or years of investing. Even though I have a background in accounting, I don’t have any investments outside my 401K. So to me this was a smart, fast and easy way to start without really carving anything extra out of my budget. If you want to try Acorns, get $5 when you use my invite link.

Hope you find these tips helpful. How do you keep your financial life uncluttered?

I will admit I am not a “hard core” minimalist. However, I have embraced much of the theory and methodology. Some people think Minimalism means boring and without style but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can add key decorating elements into a room without clutter.

One of the biggest changes I have made is in my closet. It’s still a work in progress but I have reduced what I have to create mix and match outfits for work and fun.  Classic vs Trendy can save you a bundle in clothing costs. You can easily get a few trendy accessories to go with your classic cloths that don’t go out of style next season.

Comfortable and functional furniture is the foundation to any room, at least in my house.

Of course these photos are probably unrealistic if you have pets or children but you can see how they bring the room together with a few simple accessories. A big benefit to lack of clutter is how much faster and easier you can clean.

Outdoor spaces can be comfortable, functional and simple. Using a couple of elements and color you can still have a stylish and attractive space.

This style certainly has visually more but it is organized and functional and these are frequent use items.

Enjoy the simplicity of feeling good about yourself and being healthy.

You can even plate your food visually to make it more appealing to eat healthy.

Simple but elegant outdoor party set up.

This is a classic look with the bolder lip color for a more fashionable look.

Adding a few plants and pillows can really bring a room together without a lot of clutter.

A few special items on a shelf unit complete the elegant look but don’t appear cluttered.

This is a beautiful but simple indoor table setting.

A kitchen with simple colors and cabinetry.

This is a bedroom with a clean look with decorative pillows and bed accent.

These images can give you some ideas on how your space could look if you removed some of the clutter. Getting rid of all your clutter everywhere is probably unrealistic. However, with some simple changes you can tackle certain areas and make a big difference. We will be posting some ideas on easy ways to de-clutter your spaces.

          12 Fast and Easy Ways to Simplify Your Life

The instructions to living a simpler life can be summarized with two things: identify the things that matter, and work to eliminate the rest from your life. While it may seem simple in words, making such a huge lifestyle change cannot be done properly without following steps to ensure a smooth transition. If you’ve made the commitment to live a life of simplicity but don’t know where to start, here are 12 fast and easy ways to simplify your life and make sure that you’re spending time on the things that matter.

1. Do A Deep Clean Through Your House

This may take some time, but it’s crucial to beginning your journey to simplicity. Take an entire weekend to go through every space in your home and be prepared to get rid of all the things that you no longer use, need, or want. Be ready to make tough choices and make no excuses or think that it may come in handy some day. If it doesn’t benefit your life, toss it. Clothes, furniture, old memorabilia from when you were younger – if you forgot it was there, it’s not needed in your life.

2. Shop Less

Even window shopping can have you going home with clothes or home décor that you never would have known about had you not of made the shopping trip. We often go to a store to buy something specific but come home with more than we had budgeted for. These non-essential items are just going to take up space in your closet and put a dent in your wallet, so stop shopping altogether unless necessary, and even then, bring only the money allotted for your needs.

3. Cut Down Your Wardrobe

Be sure to spend some quality time with your wardrobe while you do a deep clean through your home. Look at every piece of clothing and all the accessories you own. If you haven’t worn it in the past year, get rid of it. If you bought it for a special occasion and can’t see yourself wearing it again (unless it’s your wedding dress) then throw it in the donation bin.

4. Delete Social Media Apps

Social media started as a great new way to stay in touch with your friends and family that you might not otherwise get to talk to, but it has slowly become a way for us to spend hours staring at a screen with no real quality content. If you aren’t finding any benefits to the hours you spend scrolling through Instagram, then delete it. It might seem tough at first but saving the extra hour you spend reading through other’s profiles gives you opportunities to make better use of your time.

5. Learn How to Say No

A lot of our life is spent doing things that we’d rather not be partaking in, whether it’s an extra job, spending time with an old friend who you don’t have anything in common with, or tagging along at the gym when you’d rather go for a run alone. The reason that we find ourselves overcommitting so often is because we’re afraid to say no. An important step to embracing simplicity is recognizing the things that are important to you, so stop wasting time on the things that aren’t.

6. Consider Relocating

If you live in a big space that you don’t make full use of then you should consider downsizing. Not only can it save you money, but it can help you learn that you don’t need as much room to live happily.

7. Re-consider Public Transportation

Having your own car is an incredible convenience, but if you are lucky enough to live in a place with proper public transportation, having a car can be a waste. Having a car means spending thousands of dollars on payments, insurance, gas and repairs, which could go to other more important parts of your life. If having a car is necessary in the area you live, consider downsizing to a cheaper model. Having the nicest car shouldn’t matter when you recognize it only for its worth in getting you to the places that you need to go.

8. Meditate

Decluttering your personal spaces is an important step in simplifying your life, but de-cluttering your mind is equally as important. When you begin to meditate on a regular basis you will find your mind to be free of small stresses, and you will have a better mental capacity to focus on the important things.

9. Reduce Waste

There are no reasons why you should be using single use plastic water bottles when it is so easy to purchase a reusable bottle and fill it from the countless fountains, taps, and filters in our lives. Switching to reusable bottles, reusable metal straws, reusable bags, and multi-use coffee filters can eliminate tons of waste throughout your life and keep your house free of excess trash.

10. Meal Prep

A lot of time and energy goes into planning what we’re going to eat. With three to five mealtimes each day, that’s a lot of unnecessary time going to something that can be pre-planned. Spending a few hours each Sunday prepping your meals allows you to free up time throughout the week and will also have you eating healthier and smarter.

11. Favor Quality Time

Think about how you spend your time. If more hours per week are going into watching Netflix than towards spending time with your loved ones, you should consider if it’s doing you any favors. We can easily forget how refreshing and joyful it can be to have quality time with our friends and family, and it can act as a cleanser from the hectic parts of our day that we have no control over.

12. Pack Light

Overestimating all the things that you will need when you travel can cause you to drag extra stuff through far too many miles. Most trips only require the number of things that you can fit on a carry-on, so remember to think about how much you will actually use when away and take that into consideration when packing. Remember that you can re-wear clothes, so unless it’s socks and underwear, you should never be packing more than a few outfits for a week away.