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The KonMari Method: Learn How to Improve Your Finances

The KonMari method was created to provide a step by step plan to live in a simplified and organized household while discarding items that do not spark joy for you. Marie Kondo, the creator of the KonMari method, claims that this can be used in many parts of your life, not just your house. The KonMari method consists of five easy steps that have a deep meaning behind them:

Tidy all at once:

In Marie Kondo’s method, she asks that you dedicate a day or the weekend to clean the entirety of your house. During this process, being committed to the process is a must if you want a clean house.

Visualize the destination:

Before you throw away anything, make sure you have a concrete idea of what your ideal lifestyle looks like. This is the perfect time to be as detailed as possible (i.e. I want to live in a place filled with color and comfort or a simple décor with lots of house plants). This way, you set a standard and throw out items that don’t fit it.

Determine if items “sparks joy:”

This is when you pick up each item you have and ask yourself if it sparks joy in your life. If you can’t find any reason to keep it, throw it away or donate it if possible. If you find an item that does sparks joy, you should keep it.

Tidy by category, not location:

Instead of separating your items by location, try to separate them into categories (i.e. clothes).

Tidy in Order:

Kondo has created an order to follow when tidying up:

1. Clothes
2. Books
3. Papers
4. Miscellaneous
5. Sentimental

You can easily visualize what you own and what you might need. You can also create sub categories to make the visualizing process easier. Not only is the KonMari method used for cleaning your home, it can be used in other areas of your life:

Commit to being financially responsible:

Just like you had to commit yourself to tidying up your house, the same still applies to your finances. Take this time to plan out your long-term financial goals and commit to it.

Visualize your ideal lifestyle:

Ask yourself, what type of life you want to live. Try to picture how you want your daily life to be. Also, be realistic with your goals. When budgeting starts to get tough and you’re fighting the urge to over spend, look back to your goals and reimagine how you want your life to be.

Create a budget and separate your spending into categories:

When creating a budget, separate your expenses into categories (housing, food, transportation, entertainment, and miscellaneous). This way, you can pinpoint where you tend to overspend.

Determine which parts of your budget “sparks joy”:

After visualizing your destination and creating a budget, you can go through each category and ask yourself if these things spark joy and fits your vision. For example, does buying coffee each day really spark joy in your life?

Follow the order Earn-Save-Enjoy

Make sure to be patient when starting on your financial journey. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Just continue to stay dedicated to your budget and your goals and you’ll see great results in no time.

Sources:

https://konmari.com/

https://www.livible.com/blog/ultimate-konmari-guide/