I lost three jobs in four years. The jobs were low pay, long hours, and unfulfilling. After being laid off in March 2024, I was burned out with only one month’s worth of expenses. After some research, I found a minimalist approach to money: find your Ikigai, budget, pay off debt, save for emergencies.
Find Your Ikigai
I get to work with amazing people in the grocery industry every day and bring in fresh, organic products to everyday people. This is the reason I get out of bed in the morning – my Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that combines the following four things: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for. The Ikigai enhances who you are.
Budget
We must know where our money is going. Like you, your money needs a job. Whether you use a budgeting app or a legal pad, awareness is more important than the method. Start with your four walls: food, shelter, utilities, and transportation. These walls keep us safe and functioning. Everything else is secondary.
Pay Off Debt
American culture has relied on overconsumption to the point where we use other people’s money to do it. There’s only one way to get rid of debt. We pay back the people we borrowed money from. Not only is paying people back the honorable thing to do, but we will feel a sense of weightlessness, as if someone removed heavy chains from around our necks. The air breathes easier when we don’t owe a single dollar to anyone.
Save For Emergencies
Create a cash buffer between you and life in the form of three to six months worth of expenses to keep your four walls intact. I have lived with both three and six month emergency funds. The six month fund gave me peace and removed the fear of a layoff or needing medical attention. I am able to focus on the things that bring me joy and allow me to invest for my future. We are using money with purpose and intent. We are buying stability, freedom, and peace.
Conclusion
A minimalist approach to money allows us to focus on things that truly matter. When our money is grounded in Ikigai, money adds value to our life rather than it being the center. Minimalism didn’t change how much money I had. It changed its Ikigai.