Who says you have to track every baht and satang of income and expenses to get rich? For working adults already drained from their jobs, trying to remember every purchase and amount spent is headache-inducing and usually only lasts a few days before giving up.
In reality, you don’t need iron discipline to save money. The secret of lazy yet wealthy people is to "let the system work instead of relying on discipline." Here are five financial tips you set once and then let your money grow.
Use the "automatic deduction" formula from the start.
Laziness in transferring money is the enemy of saving. So, nip it in the bud: as soon as your salary arrives, set your banking app to automatically transfer money to your "savings account"—for example, deduct 10% or 20% immediately. Treat this amount as if it never existed. You will surprisingly manage and adapt your life according to the remaining money without forcing yourself.
Divide your money into three baskets.
No need to exhaust yourself tracking every minor expense. Just maintain three main bank accounts. When your salary comes in, separate it clearly: Basket A covers fixed expenses like rent, utilities, and transportation (transfer money to be deducted later).
Basket B is for savings/investments, which you hide with automatic transfers. Basket C is for daily spending—meals, coffee, shopping. Focus only on Basket C. If money there runs low, just eat instant noodles or pause shopping without complicated calculations.
Hide your savings as deeply as possible.
If your savings are too accessible—right in your online shopping timeline—they tend to disappear easily. The lazy person’s solution is to "create obstacles for yourself," such as having no ATM card for the savings account, not linking it to your main mobile banking app, or hiding the app deep in folders. When you’re too lazy to find passwords or visit the bank branch, that laziness protects your savings.
Invest like a "slot machine player."
Want your money to grow but too lazy to watch charts or follow economic news? Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) is the answer. Set up automatic monthly purchases of mutual funds, solid stocks, or ETFs with equal amounts regardless of market ups and downs. Don’t pay attention until year-end; you’ll see the power of compound interest and averaging works wonderfully.
Have a "treat yourself" account for guilt-free spending.
Forbidding yourself from spending is unnatural and leads to burnout. Lazy people managing stress should allocate a budget to "buy happiness," setting aside a portion (e.g., 10% of salary) for enjoying life. Want omakase sushi or new shoes? Use this money freely. The only rule: when it’s gone, stop. This method lets you treat yourself comfortably without affecting savings.
The key to lazy person’s money management is to "exhaust yourself setting the system once, then let it run." When you don’t have to make daily financial decisions, you free up time and energy to focus on other life matters.