Let’s be honest—some people get excited about color-coded spreadsheets, long-term projections, and retirement calculators. Then there are the rest of us. If the idea of “financial planning” makes your eyes glaze over or sends you into avoidance mode, you’re not alone.
For many, money talk feels overwhelming, restrictive, or just plain boring. Maybe you’ve tried budgeting apps and ditched them within a week. Maybe every financial plan you’ve read feels like it’s meant for someone with six-figure savings and zero chaos in their life. But financial planning isn’t just for the hyper-organized. In fact, it matters more when you don’t have your act perfectly together.
This guide is for the avoiders, the anxious, and the self-proclaimed “bad with money” crowd. It’s financial planning but stripped of guilt, jargon, and rigid timelines. Because when you hate planning, the key isn’t more discipline. It’s a system that works with your real life.
Start With a Snapshot, Not a Spreadsheet
You don’t need to make a ten-tab Excel file. Just get a rough sense of where your money goes. Open your banking app, glance at your last month of transactions, and jot down three things: how much you made, how much you spent, and what’s left over (if anything).
If you’re already in the red or close to zero, that’s not a failure. It’s data—and data helps you make better decisions. Don’t worry about categorizing every single line item. Just notice patterns. Are takeout meals eating your paycheck? Are subscription services you forgot about silently draining you? Awareness is the first step, not perfection.
Set a One-Goal Rule (And Ignore Everything Else)
The biggest mistake people make with financial planning is trying to do everything at once. Save for retirement! Pay off all your debt! Build an emergency fund! Invest in real estate! It’s overwhelming and easy to abandon.
Instead, choose one priority that matters most right now. That could be getting out of the credit card cycle. Or finally saving $1,000 for emergencies. Or just figuring out how to stop overspending by payday. Whatever it is, that’s your focus for the next 90 days. Ignore everything else. This simplifies your mental load. Progress builds confidence. And confidence builds momentum.
Automate Like You’re Lazy (Because You Are and That’s Fine)
If you hate budgeting, don’t do it manually. Instead, set up a “lazy automation” system. Automate a small transfer to savings the day after payday. Set your bills to autopay (if your cash flow allows). Use apps that round up purchases and tuck away the spare change.
Don’t worry if it’s not a huge amount. Saving $20 a week without thinking is better than planning to save $200 and never doing it. The beauty of automation is that it protects you from yourself, especially when your willpower is low, or life gets hectic. And if you’re worried about overdrafts, set low alerts on your checking account so you stay in control.
Create a “Guilt-Free” Spending Bucket
Most people who hate planning also hate feeling deprived. That’s why strict budgets fail: they ignore the emotional side of money. Instead, assign yourself a guilt-free spending allowance. It’s a set amount (weekly or monthly) that you can spend however you want, no questions asked.
This works because it removes the all-or-nothing mindset. You’re not cutting fun; you’re containing it. Whether it’s $50 for takeout or $100 for weekend outings, knowing you can spend helps you avoid impulse purchases that lead to shame and backtracking. Freedom with boundaries is more sustainable than restriction.
Treat Money Like a Subscription Service
If you can remember to pay for Netflix or Spotify every month, you can “subscribe” to your future self. Think of saving and investing as a membership fee for a life you want later, not some abstract, painful sacrifice.
Set up recurring deposits into a savings account or investment platform like it’s another subscription. Start small. Even $25 a month matters when it’s consistent. The goal is to normalize this habit until it becomes just another monthly charge. This takes the emotional weight out of saving. You’re just “paying” for peace of mind one month at a time.
Make a 10-Minute Money Check-In Ritual
Instead of ignoring your money until something goes wrong, build a low-effort check-in routine. Once a week, spend 10 minutes reviewing your account balances and recent transactions. That’s it. No spreadsheets. No guilt. Just a casual scroll and a moment of awareness.
Do it with your coffee on Sunday mornings. Or on Friday afternoons before the weekend spending starts. The goal isn’t to micromanage. It’s to stay connected. You’re building a relationship with your money that isn’t based on panic.
Redefine What Financial Success Looks Like
Forget the influencer version of financial freedom. You don’t need six figures in investments or a debt-free life by 30 to feel financially safe. Financial planning should be about what gives you peace, not what makes someone else feel superior.
Maybe success means no longer dreading your bills. Or finally being able to say “yes” to dinner with friends without worry. Or waking up and realizing you’re not living paycheck to paycheck anymore. These wins matter, even if they’re not glamorous.
Accept That You’ll Fall Off Track (And That It’s Okay)
Here’s a truth most financial gurus don’t tell you: even the most disciplined people mess up. They overspend. They forget to save. They panic-buy or stress-shop. The difference? They don’t let one mistake cancel the entire plan.
When—not if—you fall off track, don’t spiral. Just reset. Revisit your one goal. Re-automate what got disconnected. Remind yourself that starting over isn’t a failure. It’s part of the process. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be consistent enough to make progress.
You Don’t Hate Planning. You Hate How It’s Been Taught to You
If you’ve avoided financial planning because it felt rigid, boring, or shame-inducing, it’s not because you’re bad with money. It’s because the system was never designed for how your brain works. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. You can build a plan that bends with your reality—one that feels light, doable, and honest. Money doesn’t need a spreadsheet. It just needs your attention.
What’s one money habit you’ve found success with, even if it’s unconventional or super simple?
Read More:
A Beginner’s Guide to Building Financial Literacy
From Broke to Balanced: A Step-by-Step Money Reset Plan
Riley is an Arizona native with over nine years of writing experience. From personal finance to travel to digital marketing to pop culture, she’s written about everything under the sun. When she’s not writing, she’s spending her time outside, reading, or cuddling with her two corgis.
