Making enough money to care for you and the ones you love is tricky business, yet nearly everyone is at least trying for this near impossible goal. But as many as 2 out of every 3 Americans aren’t confident about their finances. 36% feel that their relationship with money is positive, 33% feel worried, and 45% feel stressed about it. But it can be relatively easy to make your relationship with money easier and better.

Good money management can let you achieve your goals faster and with less effort. Money management, like nearly everything can be done simply, but can still be extrapolated upon and made much more complicated, but one of the most simple yet effective money management strategies is to create and follow a budget. This will limit your spending, increase saving, and give you a solid foundation to build upon. Budgeting will make you feel more in control of your own life, make you feel more confident, and help you feel more secure and help you change where your life is going. Without a budget, you can start to feel out of control, worried, and stressed about even simple things. Making sure you put your money in the right places is also very important as down the road it can have bigger consequences than you might think. 

But with how easy money management can be, a surprising number of people haven’t done anything of the sort. 2 in 5 have never had a budget, less than half have ever had a savings plan, 2 in 3 easily overspend when using a credit card, and more than 1 in 3 spend more money than they save. 

Find out more tips to keep your money in your wallet and how to free up your life with smart financial decisions here.