4 Ways To Streamline Your Finances, According to Financial Activist Dasha Kennedy
Written by
Chris Adam
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T. Woods
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Have you ever felt overwhelmed by trying to deal with your finances? It can be a lot — from figuring out everyday spending to investing for the future, there are many tasks to accomplish and goals to set.
What if you could streamline your finances and simplify your life at the same time? While it may sound like a far-fetched dream, you could start by trying a few simple things.
Here’s a look at four ways to streamline your finances and life from Dasha Kennedy, a millennial financial coach better known as “The Broke Black Girl.”
Have a Routine For Everything
Let’s start with a piece of advice you’ve probably heard before — have a routine.
According to Kennedy, she tries to have a routine for everything. For her, that includes morning, evening, skincare and grocery shopping. While it may not sound like fun at first, you could personalize your routines and celebrate your successes to make it more enjoyable.
A routine can help you in many ways, including keeping you on track toward your financial goals. You may want to add having a written financial plan to your routine. “Because you can track your progress, you can reduce doubt or uncertainty about your decisions and make adjustments to help overcome obstacles that could derail you,” according to Charles Schwab.
Use Lists
For her part, Kennedy suggested that if it’s not on your list, don’t buy it. “I trust my list because I know that I invested time in preparing it,” Kennedy wrote on Instagram.
If that seems a bit too extreme for you, perhaps start with creating a list for grocery shopping, weekly meals and other things. Then, you can monitor your spending against that list and go from there.
Let Things Go
Speaking of shopping lists, Kennedy has some advice she believes will help you to streamline your finances and your life.
First, Kennedy wrote, “If I haven’t used it or worn it in a year, it has to go.” For some people, that could mean some pretty extreme streamlining of their closets and homes.
Second, Kennedy wrote that she doesn’t buy things she only needs once. This could apply to many different areas of life. For instance, it could mean an expensive outfit you’ll only wear for one party or on a certain vacation.
Don’t Let Money Sit Idle
Kennedy wrote, “I do not have any money that is sitting idle. It’s either being spent, saved or strategically invested.” While this may sound daunting, it might be easier than you think.
Kennedy explained that this part of streamlining finances doesn’t mean her bank account is empty. Rather, she wrote, it means she has planned what every dollar does. “By giving every dollar a purpose, I avoid the mistake of thinking I have extra money to waste,” Kennedy wrote.
For you, this could be as simple as creating a list or spreadsheet where you track your money. That may mean listing your goals and putting various amounts of money toward things like investing, saving for emergencies and covering your daily expenses.
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