Press play and I’ll read this juicy article to you!

A few years ago, Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” swept the nation and inspired millions of readers to get their butts in gear and declutter their lives.

I was one of them, and I became totally obsessed with tidying up, throwing out, folding my clothes into tiny squares, and color coding my dresser drawers.

For months, I’d spend every weekend tackling a different room in the house, pulling out everything we owned and asking, “Does this bring me joy?” Usually, the answer was “nope!” and away it went.

It was so freeing to eliminate all the excess crap and so calming to transform my cluttered, messy house into an organized, Zen sanctuary. I couldn’t get enough of that life-changing magic…I wanted to tidy up EVERYTHING in my life…

…including my finances.

Finances can get as messy and disorganized as a closet that hasn’t been cleaned out since mini-skirts and leg warmers were in style.

I mean, do you even know how many bank accounts you have? Or how many credit cards are open? Or where all your money is going?

Sometimes unpaid bills get stuffed so far back into the desk drawer that they never again see the light of day…until a second notice comes with a late fee and you find yourself rummaging through stacks of paper trying to figure out what the hell happened.

And let’s not even talk about all the money that’s being wasted because of a disorganized (or non-existent) budget.

How much money was spent this month??

What did I buy for $200 at Target??

Who’s this company taking out a monthly fee of $20 and what is that for??

When your finances are disorganized, it feels like one big dumpster fire that you have no idea how to extinguish.

Kinda like stepping into your disaster of a closet and instantly feeling overwhelmed because you have no idea what’s even in there…and nothing to wear…but a million hangers are staring you in the face…and UGH!

That’s where Spring cleaning comes in.

It’s the time to say goodbye to Winter and welcome in a new season…out with the old and in with the new…store the hats and scarves and bring out the floral dresses.

Your finances deserve a good Spring cleaning too.

Out with the money drama and financial chaos and in with financial control and security. Ditch the expenses that aren’t making your life better and add ones that spark joy.

Not sure how to get started?

Here are 4 Ways to Spring Clean Your Finances- Marie Kondo Style:

1. Reorganize your “financial closet”.
   You know it’s time to reorganize your closet when you walk in and immediately have a panic attack. Pulling out all your clothes, sorting through them, and putting them back in an organized fashion helps you re-establish calm and regain the ability to actually find something to wear.When your finances start causing heart palpitations, it’s time to take a look at all your accounts (checking, savings, investments), see how much money you actually have, figure out what you plan to use it for, and put all that info on paper so you can easily see the big financial picture at a glance. You’ll also want to inventory your debt by making a list of all your credit cards/loans, the balance on each, the respective interest rate, and minimum monthly payment. This will help you see where you’re at and make a plan for paying your debt off faster.
2. Sort through your expenses and ask, “Does this spark joy?”
   You might not want to live without Netflix. After all, new seasons of Bridgeton are coming out soon and you NEED those steamy sex scenes in your life. But do those piles of magazines that collect dust on your coffee table and inevitably end up in the recycling bin spark joy?If the things you’re spending money on aren’t bringing you pleasure or making your life easier, they need to get eliminated. Sort through your expenses and scrap some. Cancel memberships or subscriptions you aren’t using much or reduce the vanilla latte indulgence to once a week instead of once a day. Put that money to better use.
3. Decide to either SAVE, SPEND, or GIVE (kinda like keep, donate, or throw away).
   Your financial house might look like an episode from Hoarders if you’ve been doing nothing but saving, saving, saving.Saving is cool, but your money doesn’t want to just sit in a bank account, bored and lonely. Money is meant to be enjoyed, so take a look at your savings and decide how much you want to keep safe in a savings account, how much you’re willing to spend (so you can have same damn fun already), and how much you’ll give  (because it sparks SO much joy to give wonderful gifts and experiences to others).

    

4. Get yourself the right tools to STAY organized.
   If you’re addicted to Get Organized: The Home Edit like I am, you’re probably obsessed with clear bins, closet organizers, and little stickers that label everything perfectly. After spending all weekend organizing, you want those tools to make sure things stay neat and tidy. Same goes for your finances.Make sure you have budgeting software, like You Need a Budget or Mint, to keep your income and expenses organized. Create files for each of your bills so you can keep statements neat and tidy. Set up automatic bill pay to pay monthly expenses and automatically deposit into your savings/investment accounts so you can save yourself time and mental energy.

Spring cleaning your finances Marie Kondo style is a nice little weekend project that will make your money feel like the object of your affection whom you love hanging out with.

You can make the whole experience a dreamy MONEY DATE by cranking up Lizzo on Alexa, pulling your hair up in a high ponytail, slipping on your rubber gloves (er, I mean, cozy house slippers), and getting down and dirty with your money! (Don’t know what a “money date” is? Get all the juicy details here.)

Getting in control of your finances and organizing your money is incredibly empowering and sets you up for financial success.

Give it a try…Marie Kondo style!