6 Things I’m Doing to Make My Finances Way Less Complicated
One option I’m looking at is the LendingClub LevelUp Savings account, which offers 4.20% APY with $250+ in monthly deposits. Read our full LendingClub LevelUp Savings review here to see if it’s a good fit for you.
2025 Award Winner
LendingClub LevelUp Savings
Member FDIC.
APY
Rate info
LevelUp Rate of 4.20% APY applied to full balance with $250+ in deposits in Evaluation Period. Otherwise, accounts earn Standard Rate of 3.20% APY. LevelUp Rate applies for first two statement cycles. Rates variable & subject to change at any time. See terms: https://www.lendingclub.com/legal/deposits/levelup-savings-t-and-cs
Min. To Earn APY
$0 to open, $250 cumulative monthly deposits for max APY
- Competitive APY
- No fees
- Easy ATM access
- Unlimited number of external transfers (up to daily transaction limits)
- Requires you to make monthly deposits to earn the best APY
- ACH outbound transfers limited to $10,000 per day for some accounts
- No branch access; online only
The LendingClub LevelUp Savings account has a lot to offer. At the top of the list is its high APY, though you must deposit monthly to earn the best rate. Next is zero account fees, a strong and straightforward perk. Finally, you get a free ATM card, which you can use to withdraw from thousands of ATMs nationwide. Interested? You can open an account with $0.
3. Relaxing my budget system
I used to track every single spending category down to the penny. Clothing, ride-shares, entertainment, personal care — even “dog treats” had its own line item in my budget.
But these days, I’ve loosened up a lot. Instead of 50 tiny categories to track, I’ve consolidated a lot of spending into larger groups. Think of “fun” instead of “movies vs. hobbies vs. outings.”
I also now round things up or down to the nearest $100, instead of tracking every cent. This stripped-down version of budgeting is still really effective without burning me out.
4. Moving to flat-rate cash back cards
At one point, I was deep into travel hacking — rotating credit cards, maximizing points, and chasing big bonuses or redemptions. It was fun (and lucrative), but it took a ton of effort to manage it all.
Now I’m keeping it really simple. I use flat-rate cash back credit cards that give me a fixed 2% back on every purchase. I honestly believe I’m getting 80% to 90% of the rewards I used to, but with zero stress.
5. Maxing out one big goal: my 401(k)
I get really excited about investing. But trying to save for a rental property, dabble in stocks, put 6% into my 401(k), max out my Roth IRA, and add to different buckets for this and that is really scattering my brain.
So instead of having seven or eight different investing goals this year, I’m just focused on one big one. I’m maxing out my 401(k), putting a full $23,500 aside into low-cost index funds.
Yes, it’s a large chunk taken out of every paycheck. But everything happens automatically and I don’t have to think about it.
6. Unsubscribing from everything
Every day I get new credit card offers in the mail, stock pick emails, and “exclusive” savings alerts. And all this “financial junk mail” distracts me from whatever my mission is.
So I’ve begun hitting unsubscribe from almost everything. Now my inbox is cleaner, my focus is sharper, and I’m less tempted by shiny things I don’t need.
The bottom line
As much as I love personal finance, I have more important things to do in life right now — like teaching my baby how to walk, or riding bikes with my 6-year-old.
By putting all my money systems on autopilot, I can still stay on top of my financial goals, but with way less involvement.
Compare today’s top savings accounts here and start making your money simpler too.