{"id":19904,"date":"2019-01-14T01:16:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T08:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/?p=19904"},"modified":"2019-04-26T16:57:13","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T23:57:13","slug":"6-ways-to-apply-decluttering-principles-to-your-finances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/6-ways-to-apply-decluttering-principles-to-your-finances\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Apply Decluttering Principles to Your Finances"},"content":{"rendered":"
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Emily Guy Birken.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Getting your home to look like your minimalist vision of a cozy retreat is a simple (but not easy) process that anyone can understand. Decluttering<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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. When it comes to physical decluttering, you can\u2019t help but notice the unused treadmill in your bedroom if you stub your toe on it twice a day. Cluttered money choices, however, are much less visible.<\/p>\n The good news is the same strategies that can help an overwhelmed newbie minimalist declutter can also help a financially struggling minimalist get a better handle on her money. Many of the same principles apply.<\/p>\n Here are some decluttering strategies that can double as tips for money management:<\/p>\n 1. Know what matters to you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Minimalism is all about removing what is unnecessary so only the essential remains. This is an inherently personal process, because what is essential for your home and happiness is different from that of anyone else. Recognizing exactly what is most valuable to you allows you to create a home that reflects your values.<\/p>\n Similarly, budgeting your money starts with your values. Other than financial necessities, identify the purchases or spending decisions that matter most to you. Choosing to spend on the things you value makes it easier to let go of the things you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n 2. Declutter first, organize second.<\/strong><\/p>\n A common mistake in decluttering is to try organizing your way out of the mess. 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\u2019t want to keep\u2014while ignoring the root of the problem at the same time.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t working for you. This has become even more common nowadays with the countless banking apps that will track spending for you.<\/p>\n But trying to track your spending when you spend more than you can afford is just another way of organizing clutter. It doesn\u2019t get to the root of your financial stressors, and it gives you only a false sense of progress. As with physical declutter, it\u2019s better to start by eliminating the purchases you don\u2019t need before getting into the nitty-gritty of organizing your finances.<\/p>\n 3. Start with easy-to-declutter items.<\/strong><\/p>\n You don\u2019t start your minimalism journey by getting rid of your grandmother\u2019s wedding China, even if you don\u2019t use it. Instead, you start with the duplicates you own, the things in storage you will never miss, or the stacks of magazines you haven\u2019t read.<\/p>\n