If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably binge-watched at least one episode of “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” and immediately felt the urge to refold your T-shirts and thank your battered college coffee mug for its service before retiring it to the recycling bin. Marie Kondo’s method isn’t just about tidying up physical clutter—it’s a philosophy, a lifestyle, and, let’s be honest, a mild obsession for millions. But what if we took her world-famous KonMari method and applied it, not to our closets, but to our wallets?
That’s right: what if Marie Kondo did my budget?
Welcome to the magical, joy-sparking, slightly neurotic world of financial minimalism—the KonMari method for your money.
Step 1: Visualize Your Ideal Lifestyle (and Bank Account)
Marie Kondo starts with the big picture. Before you toss a single sock, she urges you to “imagine your ideal lifestyle.” What does your dream space look and feel like?
Let’s translate this to your finances. Before we start cutting subscriptions or eating lentils for a month, visualize your ideal financial life.
- Do you want the peace of mind that comes with a fat emergency fund?
- Is your goal a decluttered, debt-free existence?
- Are you aiming for spontaneous travel, early retirement, or simply being able to buy guac without guilt?
Write it down. Draw it. Vision board it. The point is to start with clarity. You can’t tidy your money if you don’t know what “tidy” means for you.
Step 2: Lay Out All Your Spending
Kondo doesn’t let you declutter one drawer at a time. Nope. She wants you to pull every single item of clothing into one giant pile so you face the full magnitude of your stuff.
Finances? Same deal. Gather every expense, bill, and monthly deduction in one place. Print out the last three months of bank and credit card statements. Fire up your budgeting app. List it all: the $120 cell bill, the $3.49 croissant habit, the forgotten Hulu subscription you swear you cancelled.
Seeing everything at once is uncomfortable. But it’s also the only way to know what you actually have—and what needs to go.
Step 3: Tidy by Category, Not by Account
Here’s where it gets interesting. Marie doesn’t tidy by room, but by category. All clothes first, then books, then papers, etc.
When KonMari-ing your finances, categorize your spending: groceries, dining out, entertainment, utilities, random Amazon impulse buys (a category unto itself).
Looking at your money in categories shows you the truth: maybe you’re not “bad with money,” you just really, really like takeout pad thai. This process can be… illuminating. (And occasionally horrifying.)
Step 4: The Joy Test—Does This Expense Spark Joy?
This is the heart of the KonMari method. Hold each item, and ask, “Does this spark joy?” If not, thank it and let it go.
Money works the same way. For every category and major expense, ask: Does this actually spark joy? Not just fleeting pleasure, but lasting value, true utility, or honest-to-goodness happiness?
Try this:
- The $85-a-month gym membership you haven’t used since 2022: Joy, or guilt?
- Your morning coffee ritual: Joy, or habit?
- The streaming service you only use for one show (and it ended in 2019): Joy, or inertia?
- Weekly takeout sushi: Maybe that does spark joy (it’s okay to keep it!).
If it doesn’t genuinely light you up, it’s time to thank that expense for its service—and cut it loose.
Step 5: Thank Your “Mistake” Purchases and Let Them Go
We all have budget skeletons—impulse buys, subscriptions we forgot about, gadgets collecting dust. Marie Kondo would say to thank them for what they taught you, and release them.
With money, it’s tempting to feel guilty or ashamed about wasted cash. But here’s a radical thought: every dollar you spent taught you something about your values, your triggers, or your real priorities.
Bought a yoga mat that’s now a dust bunny collector? Thank it for the burst of optimism it gave you, forgive yourself, and move on.
Step 6: Organize What You Keep—Intentionally
After decluttering, Marie Kondo folds and organizes what remains, so it’s visible, accessible, and beautiful.
Apply this to your spending: streamline your accounts, automate your savings, and direct your dollars toward the stuff that truly matters.
- Automate savings transfers to your “dream” fund.
- Pay off debt like you’re folding fitted sheets—with focus and patience.
- Use budgeting apps (or a beautiful tool like Budget Sprout) to visualize your financial progress in a way that feels motivating and, yes, even a little joyful.
This is not about restriction. It’s about intention.
Step 7: Maintain with Regular “Tidying Festivals”
Marie Kondo suggests doing a “tidying festival” once and then light maintenance forever after. Budgets, however, need a bit more TLC.
Set a monthly “money check-in” with yourself (or your partner/ roommate/ dog). Brew your favourite coffee, put on a playlist that sparks joy, and review your expenses. Ask: What can I release this month? What can I keep? Is my spending still aligned with my vision?
The Unexpected Joy of a KonMari’d Budget
When I did this with my own finances, I expected to feel deprived. Instead, I felt liberated. I realized I was spending hundreds on things that were basically just financial clutter—services, stuff, and habits that didn’t actually improve my life.
The biggest surprise? Letting go of “meh” spending created space for experiences and investments that actually sparked joy. Instead of squeezing into an expensive brunch, I hosted potlucks with friends (which, it turns out, are hilarious and way more memorable). Cutting unused subscriptions freed up money to travel, invest, and sleep easier at night.
- Decluttering my budget helped me realize: It’s not about having less, it’s about making space for more of what matters.
- Practical Marie Kondo-Inspired Money Hacks
Want to bring KonMari energy to your wallet? Try these quick wins: - Unsubscribe from one service you never use. Thank it, cancel it, and put those dollars somewhere better.
- Do a monthly “joy audit”—spending review with one goal: keep only what you love.
- Challenge yourself to a “no-spend week” focused on creative joy: library books, walks, home-cooked meals.
- Automate one good habit (weekly savings, debt payment, etc.)—make your financial “drawers” tidy by default.
- Donate or sell unused stuff. Cash in and let go!
The KonMari Budget: More Than Minimalism
Minimalism gets a bad rap as being all about less—less stuff, less fun, less flavor. But the KonMari approach, whether for your closet or your checking account, is about more: more freedom, more clarity, more space for joy.
Imagine a budget where every dollar works for you, every expense earns its keep, and everything you spend actually adds to your happiness or wellbeing. That’s the magic of financial tidying up.
So, channel your inner Marie Kondo, thank your past spending, and start making space in your budget—and your life—for what truly sparks joy.
Final Takeaways (Folded Neatly):
Ready to tidy up your money? Your bank account (and future self) will thank you. And who knows—you might just spark a little joy along the way.
Happy budgeting—and may all your dollars be joyful!
