What’s an easy way to work less? Spend less.
I know this sounds like a complete “duh,” but let’s dig a little deeper.

A few friends recently admitted that since COVID, they’ve found themselves buying a lot of random stuff. Little things here and there. Nothing outrageous — Costco runs, impulse buys, and those oh-so-convincing TikTok Shop gadgets.

But it added up, and not just financially.

Because every dollar we spend requires time and energy to earn.
And when we’re spending without intention, we’re often working more to pay for stuff we didn’t really want or need in the first place.

It’s kind of wild when you think about it:

We’re working extra hours, staying late, or taking on more clients…to buy things that end up in the donation bin, junk drawer, or landfill a few months later.

And the cost isn’t just money.
It’s time away from the people we love.
It’s the rest we need and the life we actually want to be living.
Not to mention the environmental impact of all that waste.

One friend said, “If I’d just not bought all those random things this month, I probably could’ve taken a Friday off.” Oof.

A Simple Way to Simplify Your Life

There’s a connection here to how many of us were taught to think about food and exercise, especially in the 90s.

Remember those charts that showed how long you’d have to run to burn off a cookie or a handful of M&M’s? (I’m definitely not endorsing diet culture – just stay with me.)

It made you pause. Think twice.
Was this thing worth the effort it would take to work it off?

What if we brought that same awareness to how we spend money?

• That $150 online cart filled with things you barely remember adding?
  = Extra hours of work
  
• That subscription you forgot to cancel months ago?
  = A client call you took on your day off to cover it
  
• That home decor haul you’re now trying to declutter?
  = A weekend spent organizing instead of relaxing
  

Where Are You Already Spending?

This is a perfect opportunity to pause and do a spending check-in.

Pull up a few months of bank and credit card statements and go through them, line by line. For each expense, ask yourself:

• Is this expense necessary?
• Does it add value to my life?
• Would I even miss this if it were gone?
  

Now you probably have a list of things you can cut that won’t make your life feel any different. And for anything you’re on the fence about, try pausing it. You can always bring it back.

(I only subscribe to Netflix or Apple TV during months where there’s something I actually want to watch. It’s possible!)

And let’s be real – you’ll probably find a few things you didn’t even realize you were still paying for.

These small tweaks can lead to big shifts.
Less financial clutter = less pressure = less hustle.

Business Owners, This Goes for You Too

This intentional spending mindset isn’t just for your personal life – it applies to your business expenses too.

Take a look inside your systems:

• Are you paying for tools or subscriptions you don’t use?
• Are you saying yes to projects you no longer enjoy because you’re trying to fund a lifestyle you don’t even want anymore?
• Are you paying for membership to a group or organization because you think you should, and not because it’s paying off?

Sometimes the fastest way to feel better isn’t more revenue.
It’s less pressure.

Paring down creates space.
And fewer expenses mean less time spent working.
Which means more time to rest, recharge, and reconnect.

A Gentle Invitation

This isn’t about guilt. It’s not about restriction.
It’s about awareness.

Next time you go to buy something – anything – try asking:

Is this worth the time and energy it will take me to earn it?
Would I rather have this…or more space, more calm, more time?
Will this thing bring me joy beyond the moment of buying it?

Sometimes the answer will be “yes, totally worth it.”
And sometimes it will be a wake-up call. A reminder that you’re working too hard to fund things that don’t actually align with what matters most to you.

Because simplifying your spending might be the simplest way to reclaim your time.

Want support untangling your time, money, and energy? My free What Do You Really Want? workbook is a great place to start!