THIS Is Why Most “SMART” People Still Struggle With MONEY

I still remember milking a cow in fourth grade and learning that money could be both messy and meaningful. That odd childhood business paid for a four-year private college and taught me a simple lesson: money is a tool. In this post I’ll walk you through friendly, doable moves I’ve learned from conversations with financial experts (and my own mistakes) to help you plan your finances and start 2026 with confidence.

1) Save-First Mindset: Liquidity Beats Sizzle

I’ve come to believe we live in a save-first economy. The people who “save” as a verb—the daily act of putting money away—get the results most of us want: peace of mind, confidence, and the ability to handle emergencies (because they will happen) and jump on opportunities when they show up.

“Money isn’t everything, but it affects everything that matters.” — Kim Butler

Pay yourself first (and automate it)

My simplest rule is: pay yourself first. Not after the bills. Not after the weekend. First. I treat saving like brushing my teeth—non-negotiable and automatic. Research backs this up: automated transfers increase success rates because they remove willpower from the process.

I set an automatic transfer on payday into a savings account or money market. That’s how I hold sufficient liquidity without overthinking it. If you want a simple starting point, use a separate account so the money feels “off limits.”

• Step 1: Pick a liquid account (savings account or money market).
• Step 2: Automate a transfer the same day your paycheck hits.
• Step 3: Increase the amount slowly every few months.

Build emergency fund first, then chase investments

Most people I meet are drawn to the sizzle: the shiny investment, the hot tip, the next big thing. And yes—401Ks and IRAs matter. But what creates real flexibility in real life is liquidity. Cash. Not a retirement account you’ll hesitate to touch, and not an investment that might be down when you need it.

That’s why I focus on an emergency savings fund first. It’s essential protection. It keeps a flat tire, a medical bill, or a job change from turning into high-interest debt. And once that base is solid, I like building an “opportunity fund” too—money that lets me say yes to a course, a move, a business idea, or a discounted purchase without swiping a credit card.

Liquidity can look like a money market, a savings account, or even cash under the mattress or in an envelope—whatever helps you keep it accessible and safe.

Small, steady saves beat flashy moves for peace of mind

One of my earliest lessons in liquidity came from a childhood milk-cow business. I saved from 4th grade through 12th grade, and that cash funded a four-year private college in the 1980s. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was real. It taught me that cash flow and cash reserves create options.

“Budgeting doesn’t work.” — Kim Butler

I don’t take that to mean “don’t plan.” I take it to mean: don’t rely on perfect behavior. Build a system. Automate saving. Build emergency fund stability first. Then invest from a position of strength—without panic, without debt, and without needing the market to cooperate on the exact day life happens.

2) Simplify Cash Flow — Make Money Manageable

I think one reason money feels hard now is simple: we have so many transactions. Every day, money moves in and out through debit cards, credit cards, subscriptions, transfers, and apps. If we rewound 40 or 50 years, most people weren’t dealing with multiple daily transactions. Today, that constant activity can make me want to shut down—especially when I hear I’m “supposed” to track every penny.

"Financial mastery... it doesn't have to be done perfectly." — Jax Crider

Forget perfection: review your budget for awareness, not control

For a lot of us, a detailed, penny-by-penny plan is not motivating—it’s overwhelming. I’m ADHD, and the idea of categorizing every single purchase can feel like a full-time job. Instead, I aim for awareness. Research backs this up: knowing where your money is going is often more helpful than building a hyper-detailed budget you won’t keep up with.

When I review your budget, I keep it simple:

• What must be paid every month?
• What is flexible?
• What’s one change that would make next month easier?

Let tech do the sorting when you review your spending

The good news is you don’t have to do this manually anymore. Most bank accounts and credit cards already show spending categories. And there are low-cost apps that use automation and AI to label transactions for you—food, entertainment, bills, and more. It won’t be perfect, but it will be simplified, and that’s the point. Tools and automation lower the mental load, which makes it easier to stay consistent.

"We have so many different ways we can learn — read, listen, watch." — Kim Butler

When I review your spending, I’m not hunting for “bad” purchases. I’m looking for patterns—especially the small leaks that repeat:

• $5 coffees that happen four times a week
• $2–$10 app add-ons
• $20 subscriptions I forgot to cancel

Forecast your cash flow monthly (and watch the recurring drainers)

Budgeting gets easier when I stop staring at individual transactions and start looking at timing. To forecast your cash flow, I map the month like this: income dates on one side, bill due dates on the other. Then I check if any week is likely to dip too low.

Use automated savings systems to remove friction

If I rely on willpower, saving becomes optional. Automated savings systems make it automatic: a set transfer after payday, round-ups, or separate “buckets” for goals. Even small amounts help, because the system runs in the background while I focus on living my life.

3) Homeownership & Real-World Money Prep

Buying a house is a big win, but I treat it as step one. The real test is what happens after you move in—when life stops being “right now, right now, right now” and your home starts asking for money on its own schedule. Homeownership readiness is not just about qualifying for a mortgage. It’s also about having a plan for ongoing maintenance, repairs, and the moments you need to prepare for unexpected costs without panic.

Unexpected expenses planning: budget for what comes after closing

A home warranty can help, but it doesn’t erase the need for cash. Something will break. A repair might be partly covered, but you may still owe a service fee, parts, or the full replacement if it’s not covered. That’s why I don’t want my monthly cash flow ending at $0.

"If your account is at $0... then guess what? It's probably not going to go well when your hot water heater goes." — Kim Butler

That hot water heater example is real-world money prep in one sentence. If you’re already stretched thin, your choices get ugly fast: cold showers, delayed repairs that cause more damage, or swiping a credit card at a high rate.

Liquidity matters: don’t lock everything away

I’m all for long-term investing, but I also watch for a common trap: having “a lot of money” sitting in a 401(k) or IRA while the checking account is empty. That’s why I regularly review retirement accounts and still keep liquid savings. Retirement funds are great, but they’re not designed to rescue you from a broken appliance next week.

Liquidity gives breathing room after big purchases. It helps you avoid expensive short-term borrowing and keeps you steady when the house surprises you.

Take control debt before the house forces your hand

When repairs hit and cash is tight, many people default to high-interest credit cards. That’s why I try to take control debt early—especially anything with a high rate—so I’m not stacking new debt on top of old debt when the roof leaks or the fridge dies.

"I'm anti-debt out of we have no other choice." — Kim Butler

A simple “after you buy” readiness check

• Monthly cushion: After mortgage, utilities, and groceries, do I still have money left?
• Repair plan: Where would $800–$2,500 come from if something breaks?
• Credit fallback: If I must borrow, do I have a plan to avoid high-interest credit when possible?
• Cash vs. retirement: Am I building liquid reserves while I review retirement accounts and keep investing?

If your account hits $0 every month, the likelihood of debt rises the moment a repair shows up. I’d rather build a small buffer now than let the house decide how I finance the next emergency.

4) Teach, Learn, Implement: Money Education That Sticks

When I think about financial planning for 2026, I keep coming back to one simple truth: education only works if it leads to action. Kim Butler’s story makes that real for me. She started learning money skills in fourth grade when her parents gave her a milk cow. She sold extra milk, bought and sold cows through 4-H, and ran the whole mini business long enough that it paid for a four-year private college in the 1980s. That didn’t happen because she read one article. It happened because she learned, then implemented, again and again.

Use financial education resources that match how you learn

Kim asks a question I now use as my starting point: “How do you learn best?” Some of us learn by reading. Others need to listen while driving or walking. Others need to watch a short video to “see” the steps. Research backs this up: when the learning format fits the person, follow-through goes up.

So I build my money learning plan like I build a workout plan—simple and realistic. I pick one or two financial education resources in the format I’ll actually use (a book, an audiobook, a podcast, or short videos), and I schedule it. Ten minutes a day is enough if I’m consistent.

“How do you learn best?” — Kim Butler

Implementation is the heavy lift—don’t do it alone

Learning is the easy part. Implementation is where most plans break. Kim says it clearly: “Nobody does anything like this by themselves.” I take that to mean I should build a small support system. That could be a financial planner, a tax pro, a trusted friend who checks in monthly, or even tools like budgeting apps and automatic transfers. Teams and tools increase implementation success because they reduce decision fatigue and keep me accountable.

“Nobody does anything like this by themselves.” — Kim Butler

Set clear financial goals, then monitor financial progress

To make this stick, I set clear financial goals that are measurable. Instead of “save more,” I choose “save $300 per month” or “pay $150 extra on my debt.” Then I use a repeatable framework as a starting point, like the 50/30/20 rule (needs/wants/savings) or 60/30/10 if that fits my life better. The point is not perfection—it’s a system I can repeat.

Finally, I monitor financial progress with a quick monthly review. I look for small wins: one extra transfer, one bill lowered, one debt balance reduced. Those wins compound, and they keep me motivated. That’s how I want to enter 2026: educated, supported, and actually moving forward.