Another Aspect of Self-Care; How to Save a Lot of Money by Saving a LITTLE
Consistent money management can be intimidating and even seem impossible for many. One of the big problems people face when it comes to trying to achieve their goals is that they want to see specific results immediately.
One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen WayKaizen: The Japanese Method for Transforming Habits, One Small Step at a Time
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.
There is something much more appealing about the notion of being more prosperous in a week or being in better shape by the end of the month. We want our results now!
Unfortunately, this isn’t how it works. At least not in most cases. The rewards however of disciplining oneself in the area of budgeting are long-lasting. This is an oft-neglected area of self-care.
“Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement throughout all aspects of life. A rough translation for Kaizen is “change for the better.”
Personal Finance Kaizen
Kaizen style money management gives you small wins that add up to big results.
Indeed, to see the results you want, you need to put in consistent, tedious effort on a daily and weekly and monthly basis.
Saving money is a perfect example of this. You won’t save money with some scheme or some trick. You aren’t going to fix your bank accounts overnight.
But what you can do is to make lots of small smart decisions that will add up to substantial savings over time. Kaizen style money management is the way to go if budgeting is a difficult area for you. You will confidence and discipline along with the contentment of knowing you are genuinely doing right for yourself.
Consistent Money Management; Kaizen Style
Let’s take a look at some examples of how to do this.
Write a Budget
It starts by writing a budget. The problem is when people are very vague about this – not knowing quite what they spend on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. They then make random assertions to spend X amount less in this category or that, or they randomly cut out one type of activity that usually costs money.
This vague plan tends not to work in the long run. Instead, it would be best if you tried to create a strict budget that will show you precisely what you spend in each category in your life.
BALI OUTDOORS Firepit LP Gas Fireplace 28KINGSO Outdoor Fire Pit 22” Patio Fire Steel BBQ Grill Fire Pit Bowl with Mesh Spark Screen Cover, Log Grate, Poker for Camping Picnic Bonfire Patio Backyard Garden Beaches Park
That means things like travel, entertainment, groceries, eating out, etc. Once you’ve done this, you can assess how much you are spending in each area.
Indeed, this is a beneficial exercise because it immediately illuminates the areas where you are spending more money than you need to – the areas where waste is happening and where you aren’t efficient.
Moreover, like so many other areas of self-care, it takes a good dose of introspection to walk down a kaizen style path.
Kaizen Money-Saving Style
NOW you apply a kaizen approach by committing – a SMALL commitment – in just one of those areas. For example, you might say that you’re going to spend $10 less on entertainment next month. That might seem like a small deal, but it can make a significant impact over time.
Or how about saying that you’ll spend $5 less on transportation – this might mean just choosing to walk a little more. Once you manage this, you can then try and cut back by another $5 in another area next month.
Keep doing this, and month after month, you will streamline your savings – and that’s how you can eventually become established financially!
Consistent money management – Kaizen style! You got this! You are worth it.
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.