“You should spend less than a month on your money,” believes Ramit Sethi.
It can feel impossible to pay bills, track expenses and worry about savings, debt and retirement. No. Sethi says it’s all about organizing processes and automating what you can.
“Delete your financial apps,” Sethi told me. “If you set up your system right, you don’t need them.”
Sethi is full of advice that cuts against the grain in his Netflix shows including his “How to Get Rich,” his “Money for Couples” podcast and his social media channels. He has more than a million followers on YouTube alone, where his most-viewed videos challenge conventional wisdom about what he calls “a full life.”
“As long as you can spend extravagantly on the things you love, you will ruthlessly cut back on those things,” Sethi told me.
For example, he said he splurges on travel, clothes and fitness and doesn’t care about fancy cars or high-end food.
Her approach fuses psychology with practical money strategies, aiming to help people create lives that are rich in meaning, experiences and connection.
His online presence stands out to me for another reason: He’s one of the few financial influencers I’ve come across who talks openly about the political forces shaping our financial lives.
Answers for length and clarity. have been modified.
Stop asking ‘Can I afford this?’
Q When you think about financial brilliance, what does it mean to you more than earning more or saving more?
A: A flash extra, 000 is beyond the savings of 3,000. A true glow means fully embracing your relationship with money. It means seeing money as a source of adventure, generosity, and possibility, rather than scarcity and restriction.
Sparkling means mastering the psychology of your zodiac sign. For example, you stop asking, “Can I afford it?” And start asking “What do I want? And how do I use money to get it?”
Q: What can people do now, at the end of the year, to make 2026 financially better?
a: Set up a system once, then let it run on autopilot. Stop logging every week. Delete your financial apps. You don’t need them if you configure your system correctly.
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Q: A lot of personal finance advice focuses on cutting back, while emphasizing the design of your “full life.” How do you explain it for the moment, especially when the costs are gone?
a: A rich life might be traveling for two months each year, or buying a beautiful cashmere coat, or picking your kids up from school.
One of the first moments in life many people don’t need to look at the prices at the grocery store. Imagine that feeling of joy and freedom!
In my work, I show you how to identify the things you really love – your “money dial” – and actually spend more on those things.
Stop agonizing over decisions over $30,000 ignoring 30,000
Q: What inspired your new masterclass, and what do you hope viewers take away from it?
a: I’m tired of agonizing over decisions over $3 while ignoring $30,000. My class teaches people how to master their money psychology, automate their systems, and actually enjoy their money. Much of it is about financial advice and is full of shame. Mine is built on freedom, clarity and action.
Q: For readers unfamiliar with your “conscious spending plan,” how would you describe it in one sentence?
Using our free template, you can quickly see where your finances stand.
a: I have not seen a good reason to use BNPL services. If you can’t afford it anymore, don’t buy it.
I have found that many people in debt will do anything but pay off their debt. They will play 0% balance transfer games, BNPL, or simply ignore it.
For the couples out there: Don’t get caught up in the numbers
a: Start with a vision of what your fulfilling life is. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers, like how much a person spends at Target.
Instead, zoom up. What do we like? What is our full life? Start there, then dig deeper into what you want in June, and 10 years from now.
Finally, set a time every month to talk about money regularly.
Q: What conversation should every couple have before moving in together or getting married — but often don’t?
a: Beyond your actual numbers—income, debt, expenses—ask each other: “What does money mean to you?”
If one of you grew up with scarcity and the other with abundance, you’ll approach spending completely differently. Does the amount mean you have 12 months of savings? Or that you will pay for your children’s education? Does it mean growth, safety or adventure?
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Admit ‘money is political’
Q: You’re one of the few personal finance experts I’ve seen who talks openly about politics. Why do you think it is important to link money to political issues?
A: Money is political.
Your accommodation is expensive because of politics. Health care is expensive because of politics. So is access to education.
Politics is why guys like me get unnecessary, massive tax cuts while middle-class and poor Americans see cuts to social services and higher costs.
Some people tell me to “stick to the finances.” What they really mean is, “It hurts me and I’d rather you just talk about how to maximize credit card rewards.” It never becomes me.
My readers want to understand that you can simultaneously recognize the need for personal responsibility and the need for systemic change.
