Last year, a dear friend recommended the book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo.

In full transparency, I had never heard of this book, the author or her KonMari Method before .



Kondo’s secret to decluttering and organizing is going through one’s possessions one at a time and purging anything that doesn’t “spark joy.”


She refers to this as the KonMari method of organizing.

But this article isn’t about reviewing the book or how we applied her techniques to our lives. This is about walking you through how to use the KonMari method to save money and reach your financial goals!


It’s Okay To Not Love Everything You Own, Especially When Digging Yourself Out Of A Financial Hole

In the KonMari method, you are supposed to discard (or donate) everything that doesn’t spark joy.


It doesn’t matter how useful the item may or may not be. While this is an idealistic idea, it doesn’t make sense for everyone.

If you find yourself sorting through all of your clothes and realize that nothing you own brings you happiness, don’t get rid of everything in one shot, unless you plan on walking around naked.


Growing up in poverty, we didn’t always love the clothes or shoes we wore, but we had to wear what we could afford. We didn’t have a choice, and that’s okay.

There is a fine balance between loving absolutely everything and going broke to get things you love.


For example, maybe you’re choosing between a new pair of shoes you really love that cost $120 and last year’s model that is on sale for $40 and you still like them a lot. It makes more sense to save $80 and get the shoes you really like over the ones you really love.

While that example uses shoes, the same applies for big ticket items like houses/apartments, furniture, cars, etc.


Don’t let your blind pursuit of things you love prevent you from attaining your financial goals.

In an ideal world, everyone closets would already be filled with some items we love, but that may not be the case, and that’s okay! The next paragraph will help you make a plan to get there.


Get Your Finances in Order and Acquire the Items You Want

If you don’t love any of your winter jackets, maybe keep the one you like the most and donate the rest.


Staying warm in a jacket you’re okay with is a lot better than freezing outside wearing only a sweater or sweatshirt that sparks true joy.

The good news is that you don’t need to keep that same jacket forever. If there’s another jacket you really love, add it to your budget. You can set aside some money each month specifically to buy that jacket.


If you don’t have a budget, use our guide to learn how to make a budget.

After some months of saving up you will have enough money to buy that jacket without having to go into credit card debt.


If you budget spending money each month, you can also save that money over a few months until you have enough to purchase your jacket. The key is to not go into debt to obtain the things you truly want.

Another benefit of saving the money over a few months is that occasionally you will find that your tastes may change or you may find another jacket you like even more!


You will also appreciate your great new jacket way more by waiting more time to get it. Research has specifically proven that you’ll enjoy things more if you wait to purchase them.

The Purpose of Downsizing Your Closet Via The KonMari Method Is Not to Make Room for More


Click to see more ways to save using the Konmari Method?