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Managing money is not complicated or time-consuming.
Still, nearly a third of Americans (32%) feel anxious about their finances in 2026, according to a new NerdWallet survey.
You got it. If you focus on the little things and do them consistently, you’ll feel great about your financial life, says Lisa Eaton, founder of Firm Falling Financial Planning in Seattle.
We’ll make it easy and give you six ideas to help you think less about money in 10 minutes or less in 2026.
1. Automate your fixed expenses
The problem with adulthood is that there are too many decisions to make in a day. Eliminate many of these mental issues about money by automating spending.
You may already have your mortgage or rent automatically paid, but what else can you set up and forget about?
Automate more fixed costs, says Eaton, to save time, thought and reduce the risk of being late. Water, electricity, trash, cable and phone all bills paid on autopilot. The next time you sit down to pay them, select the automatic payment option.
Use your bank’s “Bill Pay” feature to keep them all in one place.
2. Automate your savings too
How about the bill yourself? You won’t miss it if you automatically add to your savings.
“It takes 10 minutes, setting up weekly or monthly transfers from checking savings,” said Robert Finley, a certified financial planner in Chicago, in an email interview.
The same NerdWallet study found that 46% of Americans want to save money for emergencies in 2026. Start with whatever you can save. Make it now with your budget of $20, $50, $75 or whatever jibes.
“Even small, consistent amounts add up, and once it’s automated, it’s completely off hand,” Finley said.
Find an organization you like and feel comfortable with, and consider opening an account. For example, a balance of $10,000 can earn you an additional $400 per year in annual percentage yield of $400 per year.
4. Investigate index funds
If you have money to invest, Eaton says, you can keep fees down and keep your approach simple.
Index funds mirror the performance of a stock market index, such as the S&P 500. When you invest in index funds, you’re putting money into many companies instead of buying stock in just one.
“Pick your first index fund and make $10 a month automatic by now.”
5. Unsubscribe. Or two
Paying yourself first may mean you need to find room in your budget.
Canceling an unused membership is a good way to get an easy win, Finley said.
“Review your credit card statement and identify the one that will no longer have an increase in value,” he said. Then, cancel it.
Try it for a few months to see if you remember what you’ve been missing. If it feels good, cut your subs to just one for music and another for TV.
Eaton reminds us that these services are “designed to be flexible.”
It’s not like walking out of the team in the middle of the season.
“They’ll take you back.”
6. Post an item on the Facebook Marketplace
Another 10-minute task: Find some things around the house to sell, take some photos and create a listing on Facebook Market. Has your Peloton bike become the place to most things? Are you over an antique armoire gathering dust in the corner? Post it for sale and see what happens.
You don’t have to go big or go home in 2026. Finley suggests setting one or two simple, but strategic, goals over the next 12 months.
Practical examples:
- Consider starting a 529 plan for your child and making automatic monthly transfers.
Set a goal to reduce spending on entertainment without sacrificing all of the fun. For example, instead of budgeting $100 for the movies, stream a relatively new hit at home with some theater-style snacks.
- Take 10 minutes to increase your 401(k) contribution or open an individual retirement account. The earlier you start, the more you can earn when you retire.
The goals you set clarify your priorities, Finley said. With a plan in place, even a simple short-term goal, it will make it easier to keep doing the little things right.
