The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.<\/p>\n
Managing money doesn\u2019t have to be complicated or time consuming.<\/p>\n
Still, about a third of Americans (32%) feel anxious about their finances going into 2026, according to a new NerdWallet survey.<\/p>\n
You got this. If you focus on the little things and do them consistently, you\u2019ll feel great about your financial life, says Lisa Eaton, accredited financial counselor and founder of Firm Footing Financial Planning in Seattle.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll make it easier and give you six ideas to help you think less about money in 2026, in 10 minutes or less.<\/p>\n
1. Automate your fixed expenses<\/p>\n
The problem with adulting is there are too many decisions to make in a day. Alleviate many of those about money by automating the no-brainer expenses.<\/p>\n
You might already have your mortgage or rent come out automatically, but what else can you set and forget?<\/p>\n
Eaton says automate as many fixed expenses as you can to save time, thought and reduce the risk of being late. Water, electricity, trash, cable and phone are all bills better paid on autopilot. The next time you sit down to pay these, select the automatic payment option.<\/p>\n
Use your bank\u2019s \u201cbill pay\u201d feature to keep them all in one place.<\/p>\n
2. Automate your savings, too<\/p>\n
What about the bill to yourself? You won\u2019t miss it if you make adding to your savings automatic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis takes about 10 minutes, to set up a weekly or monthly transfer from checking to savings,\u201d Robert Finley, a certified financial planner in Chicago, said in an email interview.<\/p>\n
The same NerdWallet study found that 46% of Americans want to save money for emergencies in 2026. Start with whatever you can spare. Make it $20, $50, $75 or whatever jibes with your budget right now.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven small, consistent amounts add up, and once it\u2019s automated, it\u2019s completely hands off,\u201d Finley said.<\/p>\n
3. Consider a HYSA<\/p>\n
As you build up your nest egg, a high-yield savings account is a good place to park some of your money. The best HYSAs<\/a> usually offer an interest rate higher than traditional savings accounts.<\/p>\n Find an institution you like and feel comfortable with, and consider opening an account. A balance of $10,000 could net you an extra $400 per year at an annual percentage yield of 4%, for example.<\/p>\n 4. Investigate index funds<\/p>\n If you have money you\u2019d like to invest, you can keep fees down and your approach simple, says Eaton.<\/p>\n \u201cMy baseline advice on investing is most people do really well with low-cost index funds<\/a>,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Index funds mirror the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500. When you invest in index funds, you\u2019re putting money into many companies, instead of buying stock in just one.<\/p>\n To get started, Eaton suggests opening a brokerage account<\/a> if you don\u2019t have one.<\/p>\n \u201cPick your first index fund and automate $10 a month from now until whenever.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. Sever a subscription. Or two.<\/p>\n All that paying yourself first may mean you need to find room in your budget.<\/p>\n Are the Bluey episodes your kids have watched 16 times on Disney+ still worth the monthly price? Can you cancel Peacock, Paramount+ or Fox One after you\u2019re done watching football<\/a>?<\/p>\n Eliminating one unused subscription is a good way to get an easy win, said Finley.<\/p>\n \u201cReview your credit card statement and identify one that\u2019s no longer adding value,\u201d he said. Then, cancel it.<\/p>\n Try it for a couple months to see if you miss what you\u2019re missing. If it feels good, cut your subs down to just one for music and another for TV.<\/p>\n Eaton reminds us that these services \u201care designed to be flexible.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not like walking out on the team in the middle of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll take you back.\u201d<\/p>\n One hot take to delete? DoorDash<\/a>, Uber Eats, Grubhub, whatever app you use to order food. Not technically a subscription, but when a lunchtime delivery costs more than a month of Netflix Premium \u2026 maybe it\u2019s time to make changes. Consider just deleting the app from your phone.<\/p>\n 6. Post a thing on Facebook Marketplace<\/p>\n Another 10-minute task: Find a few things around the house to sell, snap some photos and create listings on Facebook Marketplace. Has your Peloton bike mostly become a place to drape stuff? Are you over the antique armoire collecting dust in the corner? Post it for sale and see what happens.<\/p>\n It\u2019s quick to list, but can take a while to sell on Facebook<\/a>. But when it goes, you\u2019ll be happy to have it out and the few extra bucks in your Venmo account. We bet you\u2019ll also get the bug to sell more stuff.<\/p>\n Keep it real<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to go big or go home in 2026. Finley\u2019s advice is to set one or two simple, but strategic, goals over the next 12 months.<\/p>\n Actionable examples:<\/p>\n The goals you set clarify your priorities, said Finley. With a plan in place, even a simple short-term goal, it\u2019ll make it easier to keep doing the little things right.<\/p>\n More From NerdWallet<\/b><\/p>\n Tommy Tindall writes for NerdWallet. Email: ttindall@nerdwallet.com.<\/p>\n\n