Here’s how to organize your finances now
What if getting your finances in order was as easy as organizing your sock drawer—without the missing pairs and mystery lint? Good news: it can be. Everything you need to simplify and streamline your money life is right here. No spreadsheets required (unless you’re into that kind of thing).
Can’t it just be easier? Yes
Travel. Traffic. Trying to remember who’s alive on Game of Thrones. And of course… taxes.
Some things in life are just unnecessarily complicated.
You know what doesn’t have to be? How you organize your finances.
Now, we wouldn’t have believed that either—once upon a time, we were the proud owners of a chaos-covered kitchen counter. You know the one: a growing mountain of unopened mail that even Marie Kondo would side-eye from across the room.
Buried in that avalanche were bills, statements, late notices, and the occasional jury summons (probably). And what did we do? We let it pile up. Because each envelope felt like a tiny paper-cut reminder that our finances were a disaster—and we weren’t ready to face it.
It wasn’t just a mess of mail—it was a mess about our mess. A whole feedback loop of financial shame delivered straight to our front door. Weekly.
But here’s the good news: we dug ourselves out. And what we’ve learned since then is that getting financially organized doesn’t have to be a pain in the assets.
Stick with us. We’re about to show you how to turn that mess into a system that even your future self will high-five you for.
Am I alone in not being financially organized? No
For the longest time, we honestly thought it was just us. Everyone else seemed to have their financial lives perfectly color-coded and alphabetized. Meanwhile, we were over here dodging bills like it was dodgeball gym class.
But here’s the truth: it’s not just us. Or you. It’s a lot of people.
According to the 2023 Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, 28% of U.S. adults say they’re either “just getting by” or “finding it difficult to get by” financially—and that’s across the board, not just for any one group. Moreover, roughly one in five Americans is unbanked or underbanked, meaning they either don’t have a checking or savings account or still rely on services like check cashing, money orders, or payday loans.
And here’s the kicker: that lack of financial organization isn’t just stressful—it’s expensive.
Using check cashing services or payday loans can cost hundreds in fees over time. Even worse, covering unexpected expenses with a credit card at 20% interest turns a $500 car repair into a $700 regret before you’ve even made it out of the mechanic’s waiting room.
That’s how the cycle keeps spinning: disorganization → high costs → more stress → rinse and repeat.
But here’s the thing—it doesn’t have to be that way. Getting organized doesn’t require a finance degree, a life coach, or a color-coded spreadsheet (although we won’t stop you). It just takes a few steps, the right tools, and maybe a little help from people who’ve been there. Spoiler: that’s us.
Let’s stop making it more complicated than it needs to be—because it’s already hard enough.
Can I do what it takes to get organized financially? Yes
Here’s the deal: no matter how much (or how little) money you’re working with, there are a few universal truths about organizing your finances. Like the financial equivalent of brushing your teeth or not texting your ex—some habits are just good for everyone.
We’re talking about the basics. The kind of stuff that doesn’t require a finance degree, a 7-figure salary, or a personality that genuinely enjoys spreadsheets.
Whether you’re drowning in receipts, ignoring your bank app like it’s a ghosted Tinder match, or you’re just ready to stop feeling financially frazzled, these are the fundamentals that everyone—and we mean everyone—can use to get their money life together.
Here are nine no-nonsense, highly doable steps to help you organize your finances (and maybe even feel like a responsible adult while doing it).
1. Open 2 checking accounts & 1 savings account
You can do this online in less time than it took you to pick a filter for your last selfie—and unlike Instagram, these accounts could actually help you retire one day. Nearly every major bank, credit union, or online-only financial platform lets you open multiple accounts with just a few clicks (or taps if you’re banking from your couch in pajama pants).
Here’s the setup:
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Checking Account #1: Your “Adulting Automation” Account
This account is for Bill Pay only—no debit card, no check-writing privileges, no late-night Amazon shopping temptations. Just straight-up automation for your fixed monthly expenses. Think rent or mortgage, car payments, insurance, and WiFi (because let’s be real, you’re not living without WiFi).
Set up direct deposit so enough goes into this account each payday to cover those expenses. Then schedule automatic Bill Pay for each of those bills. Boom—adulting on autopilot. -
Checking Account #2: Your “Everyday You” Account
This is your all-access, swipe-it-when-you-need-it account. Debit card? Check. Bill Pay? Yup. Check-writing? Sure, if you’re into that vintage vibe.
Direct deposit the portion of your paycheck that covers your variable expenses—like groceries, utilities, streaming services, dog grooming, and your “I deserve this” coffees. -
Savings Account: Your “Future You Will Be So Proud” Account
Finally, set up a third stream of direct deposit into your savings account. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount—just start. This is where you build your emergency fund, vacation fund, or “one day I’m leaving this job” fund. Let it grow quietly in the background while you live your best (and now more organized) life.
Before you know it, you’ll have a streamlined financial system that practically runs itself. You’ll pay your bills on time, stop playing “guess that balance” at checkout, and maybe even start saving like a boss.
All that from opening a few accounts. Who knew financial glow-ups could be this simple?
2. Send it before you spend it
One of the biggest financial organizing headaches? Paying bills on time and in full.
And when we say headache, we mean the kind that makes you rub your temples while muttering “Did I already pay the WiFi bill or…?”
Missing due dates isn’t just annoying—it can tank your credit score faster than a late-night shopping spree during a clearance sale. But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be this hard.
Start by paying your bills as soon as you get paid—yes, even before they’re due. Why wait? Think of it as getting ahead of your bills before they get ahead of you. You can even call your service providers (yes, they still have customer service numbers) and ask to shift your due dates so everything aligns with your payday. Most companies are surprisingly flexible, especially when you’re making their lives easier by being organized.
Now, here’s where it gets even smoother…
David’s favorite trick? Something we call money chunking.
It’s not as weird as it sounds—and no, it has nothing to do with throwing cash into the air like you just won the lottery.
Money chunking simply means breaking your monthly expenses into manageable pieces—or “chunks”—based on when you get paid. Let’s say you get paid twice a month. Chunk your expenses into first-half-of-the-month bills and second-half-of-the-month bills. This way, you’re not trying to juggle every bill with one paycheck like a financial circus act.
It’s a simple shift, but a powerful one. Chunking creates structure. Structure brings calm. And calm means no more late fees, overdrafts, or that sinking “oh crap” feeling when you open your banking app.
Basically, with a little planning and a few smart calls, you can go from bill panic to bill boss. And that’s a vibe we’re into.
3. Use a budget
You can’t organize your finances without a budget. Full stop.
Trying to do it without one is like assembling IKEA furniture without the instructions—sure, you might get there eventually, but you’ll probably have extra pieces and a few emotional breakdowns along the way.
A good budget—the kind you’ll actually stick with—doesn’t feel like a punishment or a financial crash diet. It’s not about restriction. It’s about intention.
Your budget should feel like success.
Yes, really.
At least once a month, you should be able to open your accounts—your two checking accounts, your savings, your emergency fund, maybe even your investing accounts—and think, “Damn, I’m doing it.”
That’s the power of the right budget. One that matches your income, goals, habits, and yes, even your fun spending. Because if it doesn’t work for your life, it’s not going to work—period.
That’s why we created a budget system that’s simple, smart, and totally doable (even if math gives you mild anxiety). It’s designed to help you organize your money, stay on track, and actually see your progress month after month.
👉 Ready to get started? Learn more about our step-by-step budgeting method; you can start using it today. No spreadsheets required. No shame attached. Just real results.
4. Use cash and the envelope system
Cash is still king—and sometimes we wish it would stage a royal comeback. 👑
Seriously, for all the convenience of digital wallets, tap-to-pay, and “Buy Now, Panic Later” buttons, managing money has gotten more complex, not easier. We’ve become so disconnected from our spending that it’s no wonder our bank accounts sometimes feel like a mystery novel.
Don’t believe us? Try this experiment:
Next time you go shopping, pay for one thing in cash and another with your debit card or phone. We guarantee you’ll feel it differently. That satisfying little “ka-ching” when money leaves your hand? That’s your brain going, “Hey! That money’s gone now!”
Swipe a card or tap your phone and… nothing. No emotion. No sting. Just a smooth, silent transaction and a later “Wait, how much did I spend at Target?”
That’s why the envelope system still slaps.
It brings awareness back into your spending. We still use it for categories like gas, groceries, and especially social spending—because those are the sneaky ones.
Take our social spending, for example:
A $1.50 coffee here, a $25 brunch there, a $15.81 “treat yourself” moment later… suddenly our checking account looks like it got hit by confetti made of receipts. Trying to balance that mess is a spreadsheet-induced nightmare—and spoiler alert: we almost always miss something.
And when the budget goes sideways, guess what we tend to default to?
Yup. The credit card.
Precisely what we’re trying to avoid.
But the envelope system keeps us in check—literally. You set your limits ahead of time, use what you’ve got, and stop when it’s empty. No bouncing charges, no surprises, and no “what did I just do?” shame spirals.
It’s old school. It’s analog.
And it totally works.
Want to give it a try? We’ve got a guide for that too—no royal decree required.
5. Use financial software
No offense to Excel—we love a good formula as much as the next money nerd—but let’s be real: no spreadsheet can compete with today’s financial apps.
These tools are smarter, faster, and way more attractive (sorry, Excel, but conditional formatting just isn’t sexy).
For personal budgeting, we’ve tested more apps than we’ve tested guacamole recipes—and we’ve got favorites:
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You Need a Budget (YNAB): Great for zero-based budgeting and making every dollar work for you. It’s like having a hyper-organized financial coach who never yells.
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Mint (RIP-ish): Mint was a classic. If you’re still in mourning, try Rocket Money or Copilot as modern alternatives—they’re easy to use and offer visual dashboards that make budgeting less boring.
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EveryDollar: If you like simple, clean interfaces and Dave Ramsey-style budgeting (minus the guilt trips), this might be your jam.
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Monarch Money: A solid, newer tool for couples or individuals who want a bird’s-eye view of net worth, goals, and spending habits.
Now, for business budgeting? We’ve entered our responsible era—and that means using QuickBooks. It’s robust, easy to connect with business accounts, and keeps invoicing, tracking, and tax prep from turning into an emotional crisis every April.
But—and this is a big, nostalgic but—we’ll always hold a soft spot in our hearts for our custom Excel spreadsheets. Why? Because most apps still don’t offer the fine-tooth detail we crave. Want to compare average grocery spending in Q1 of 2022 to Q1 of 2024 with a side chart showing who impulse-shopped at Costco more? That’s where Excel still reigns supreme.
Bottom line:
Apps make day-to-day budgeting smoother, prettier, and less “how do I sort this column again?”
But if you’re the kind of person who needs to color-code and track every cent like a detective solving a financial mystery, Excel (or Google Sheets) is still a worthy sidekick.
So go ahead—embrace the apps, use the spreadsheets, and build a system that works for you. Just promise us you won’t try to do it all in your head. That way lies chaos. And overdraft fees.
6. Go paperless
Manage your bills—don’t let them manage you.
Because honestly, the only thing worse than bills piling up is the existential dread that follows. But here’s the good news: thanks to modern tech, organizing your bills is now easier than binge-watching a Netflix series you’ve already seen.
When setting up Bill Pay through your two checking accounts (you did set those up, right?), you’ll likely be asked if you want to receive future bills electronically. Your answer?
“Heck yes, I do!”
But don’t just let those e-bills get lost in the chaos of your primary inbox next to memes from your cousin and random shoe sale alerts. Set up a dedicated email address just for your bills. Something like [email protected]—clean, simple, responsible vibes.
Then, create folders in that email account for each recurring bill—’Mortgage,’ ‘Utilities,’ ‘Student Loans,’ ‘Streaming Subscriptions You Keep Meaning to Cancel’—you get the idea. That way, every bill has a digital home, and you don’t have to dig through spam folders like an email archaeologist.
Now, for the few stubborn holdouts that still insist on snail mail (looking at you, property tax notices), please do yourself a favor and file them immediately in a single, designated location in your home. Don’t let them loiter on the counter next to last week’s pizza coupons. Also, double-check that your Bill Pay is scheduled to handle these physical bills on time—because consistency is queen.
Go paperless with your banking and investment accounts, too.
Those monthly statements don’t need to crowd your inbox or your mailbox. Create folders in your new bills-only email for things like ‘Checking,’ ‘Savings,’ and ‘Investments’ to keep everything easy to find during your monthly money check-in—or your annual panic-before-tax-season ritual.
But let’s take it one step further…
Some documents deserve VIP treatment.
For official and legal documents—like your will, trust, healthcare directive, marriage license, or emergency “break glass in case of adulting” paperwork—consider using secure digital archiving tools like DocuBank or LifeLink. These services let you store and access critical documents from anywhere in the world, whether at home, on vacation, or stuck in a DMV line wondering where your Social Security card went.
When life happens (and it will), the last thing you want to do is tear apart your file cabinet and look for your power of attorney while simultaneously Google “what power of attorney is.”
So go paperless. Go organized. And go forth with fewer financial freak-outs.
7. Perform a regular review
So you’ve set up your shiny new money system—two checking accounts, one savings, automated Bill Pay, and a folder system that would make your high school guidance counselor weep with pride.
Feeling like a financial wizard? You should!
But before you grab a piña colada and declare yourself free from all fiscal responsibility… hold up.
You’re not done.
Setting up your system is like buying a houseplant. It looks great at first, but if you ignore it for too long, things start to wilt—and your finances definitely don’t come with a self-watering feature.
Here’s what you still need to do:
✅ Check Your Bill Pay—Early and Often
Make sure the right amount is scheduled for each bill, and that it’s actually going out on time. This is why we preach “send it before you spend it”—if your bills are paid first, you avoid the heartbreak of overdrafts, late fees, and that moment when your WiFi cuts out mid-Zoom call because you forgot to pay the bill.
✅ Verify Your Direct Deposits
Just because your pay stub says the right numbers doesn’t mean your accounts got the memo.
Double-check that your paycheck is being split exactly the way you planned—some into Checking #1 for bills, some into Checking #2 for everyday expenses, and the rest into Savings so you can actually afford that vacation you’ve been daydreaming about.
✅ Do a Monthly Mini Check-In
We’re not talking about a full-blown budget overhaul every Sunday (unless you’re into that). Just spend 15–30 minutes once a month confirming that:
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Your accounts are being funded correctly
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Bills are paid in full and on time
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There aren’t any weird charges like “$47.28 – Taco Palace at 2:13 AM” you forgot about
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Your savings are growing—even a little!
Think of it like a money tune-up.
You don’t drive your car 10,000 miles without checking the oil, right? (We hope.) Your finances deserve the same love and attention.
With just a little monthly TLC, your whole system will keep humming along—and you’ll stay one step ahead of those sneaky financial surprises that love to pop up when you’re least expecting them.
8. Request and review your credit reports
Your credit report is like your financial report card—and trust us, it’s one grade you want to keep an eye on.
Not only is credit one of the leading financial stressors for LGBTQ folks, but it’s also an excellent barometer for how organized (or chaotic) your finances are. And unlike high school gym class, this grade actually matters.
So, here’s what to do:
Once a year, head to AnnualCreditReport.com (yes, that’s the legit one—you can ignore the jingle from FreeCreditReport.com unless you’re feeling nostalgic). You’re entitled to three free reports, one from each of the big three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
You’ll get your reports within a few days (or instantly if you download them online). When they arrive, grab your beverage of choice and settle in—because it’s review time.
What to look for:
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Old accounts that should’ve retired years ago
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Weird addresses that aren’t yours
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Late payments that were actually on time
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Accounts you don’t recognize at all (hello, identity theft?)
If you spot any errors or outdated info, don’t panic. Just contact the credit bureau that issued the report. Most let you dispute online, but you can also call or send a good old-fashioned letter if you’re feeling retro.
Once they’ve made the correction, ask for an updated report for your records—because receipts are everything.
Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder to do this once a year. It’s like an annual checkup for your financial health—minus the awkward paper gown.
Keep that credit sharp, friends.
Because one day, you might want to buy a house, a car, or even just get approved for a better rewards card—and your credit report will be the first thing they check. So make sure it’s accurate, impressive, and free of ghosts from financial mistakes past.
9. Purge and save
Most of us have that one drawer.
You know the one—overflowing with bills, statements, receipts, and who-knows-what from a dentist appointment in 2013. It’s like a paper purgatory where documents go to be forgotten.
The reason? We don’t always know what to keep and what to toss. So instead, we keep everything… and then panic when we can’t find the one thing we actually need.
Time to fix that.
Creating a simple process to purge and properly save your paperwork regularly will change your financial life—or your relationship with your filing cabinet.
Here’s your easy-to-follow filing plan:
📄 Short-Term Paper (Keep for One Year Max)
Bills or statements you can’t get electronically?
Pop them in a clearly labeled folder—something like “2025 Monthly Statements” works great. Hold onto them for a year, then shred ‘em like a financial ninja.
Missed something? No worries—most companies can reissue a copy if needed. Bonus: Many have now let you download statements for years, so you might not even need to keep the paper version at all.
🧾 Long-Term Paper (Archive Like a Pro)
This is your important stuff—the documents your future self will thank you for when applying for a mortgage, handling an insurance claim, or settling an estate. These include:
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Tax returns – Keep for at least 7 years. IRS audits typically go back 3, but 7 is the safe zone.
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Insurance policies – Keep for the life of the policy + a few months after.
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Deeds, titles, and property records – Keep forever (or until you sell).
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Trusts, wills, power of attorney documents – Keep forever. And tell someone where they are—preferably not under a stack of old magazines.
Pro tip: Group tax forms by year in a clearly marked folder (e.g., “2024 Taxes”). You’ll thank yourself during tax season instead of tearing your house apart looking for a rogue W-2.
🗃️ The Grown-Up Part: Get a Filing Drawer
Yes, it’s time. Every adult eventually needs a filing system that isn’t just a shoebox labeled “Important-ish.”
You don’t need a huge filing cabinet—just one drawer, one small accordion file, or even a fireproof box will do. Trust us, having all your critical documents organized before you need them is peak financial adulting.
Bottom line? Keep what matters, shred what doesn’t, and finally free yourself from the paper chaos.
You’ll not only feel more organized—you’ll look like the kind of person who has their life together. And that’s a vibe we fully support.
Here are some of your rewards for organizing your finances:
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