4 simple ways to reduce money stress

These days it seems like everyone has money woes. According to a 2021 report from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), 84 percent of people surveyed were under financial stress. Three-quarters of survey respondents needed financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading them to take steps like tapping into retirement funds or emergency savings, increasing credit card debt, and deferring paying bills to make ends meet.

The outlook has improved a touch, but a majority of U.S. adults surveyed—roughly 54 percent—still felt they were just getting by financially heading into 2023, according to a December 2022 survey from NEFE.

Indeed, money can be a scary topic, especially if you grew up in a home where no one talked about it, or where poor money habits were modeled. But it is possible to run your finances, instead of having them run you. Remember, you didn’t know how to ride a bike or use a computer until you learned.

It’s also important to understand that cultivating financial wellness may take some time, but it is doable. According to a 2021 report from Personal Capital, 72 percent of people feel that financial freedom is more of a journey than a destination. Read on for simple tactics to make your financial trek more manageable.