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When it comes to finances, I always have the best intentions of finally getting things together. Every New Year\u2019s resolutions<\/a> list, fall reset<\/a> checklist, and monthly goals manifestation has some variation of \u201cmake a finance plan\u201d right at the top. But every time I sit down to do it, I honestly have no idea where to start, and that early decision paralysis keeps me from making any meaningful progress. The good news? Getting better with money doesn\u2019t have to mean overhauling your entire life\u2014or becoming a spreadsheet person.<\/p>\n At The Everygirl\u2019s recent Financial Glow-Up: Building Wealth Without Burnout event with Bank of America, The Everygirl Podcast<\/a> host Josie Santi sat down with Holly O\u2019Neill, President of Consumer, Retail and Preferred Banking at Bank of America, for a conversation about making financial wellness feel more approachable and actually doable. From figuring out where your money is going to spending on the things you genuinely enjoy, here are eight simple ways to give your finances a glow-up without burning yourself out.<\/strong><\/p>\n Holly O\u2019Neill is president of Consumer, Retail and Preferred Banking at Bank of America and a member of the company\u2019s executive management team. She leads Retail Banking and Preferred Banking, serving the financial needs of 69 million clients. O\u2019Neill has been recognized by Barron\u2019s as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance for five consecutive years and by American Banker as one of the Most Powerful Women in Banking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n My problem with budgeting<\/a> has always been that I have no clue how much to allocate to each category. How do I know what I need for groceries when I just tap and pray at the Trader Joe\u2019s<\/a> checkout? Turning a blind eye may feel less stressful when it comes to finances, but it\u2019s really the root of all of your problems.<\/p>\n Before you can even create a budget, you need to know how much money is coming in and how much money is going out. Thankfully, mobile banking apps make this so simple. Take a look at your past month\u2019s purchases (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and see exactly where you\u2019re spending your money before sitting down and figuring out where you actually want that money to go.<\/p>\n The takeaway:<\/strong> You don\u2019t have to create the perfect budget on day one. Start by getting an honest picture of your current spending.<\/p>\n If budget has always been synonymous with constraint in your mind, it\u2019s time to redefine what a budget is. Budgets don\u2019t mean never spending money on your wants; it just means you\u2019re spending your money in a way that serves your current and future financial goals. O\u2019Neill recommends following the 50\/30\/20 rule as a starting point.<\/p>\n Fifty percent of your income should go to your needs. This includes rent, groceries, car payments, Wi-Fi bills, etc. Thirty percent goes toward your wants. Yes, you read that right: financial wellness isn\u2019t about never spending money on you. That\u2019s part of living well! This category includes entertainment, shopping, and your go-to takeout spot you look forward to ordering from every Friday. Lastly, set aside 20 percent of your income for savings and long-term financial goals.<\/p>\n A good rule of thumb:<\/strong> Think of 50\/30\/20 as a starting point, not a rigid requirement. Your percentages may look different depending on your income, expenses, and goals.<\/p>\n Okay, so we\u2019re supposed to put aside 20 percent of our income for savings<\/a>\u2026Where? How? Why? I’ve had all these questions rapid-fire in my brain the second someone brings up the elusive \u201csavings.\u201d But don\u2019t worry, Holly O\u2019Neill broke down exactly what this 20 percent should look like, and it\u2019s honestly much easier than I know I\u2019ve been building it up in my head.<\/p>\n \u201cSaving\u201d can look like a few different things. As a kid, it was probably a piggy bank you used to save up for a new American Girl doll, but as an adult, there are plenty of tools to ensure your money builds wealth on its own. The very first savings account to build out is an emergency fund<\/a>. Typically, this looks like six months of living expenses sitting in a high-yield savings account, so when, inevitably, any unexpected costs, like a medical bill or broken appliance, pop up, your budget isn\u2019t completely derailed. And because it’s in a high-yield savings account, it pays a much higher interest rate than a traditional savings account.<\/p>\n Once your emergency fund is built out, it\u2019s in your best interest to start putting savings into long-term retirement accounts like a 401(k). This money will sit and build interest until you turn 60. So while it isn\u2019t readily accessible, it\u2019s building long-term wealth for you later in life, a huge part of financial wellness. A good place to start is contributing, at the very minimum, what your company will match to a 401(k) account. That way, you\u2019re capitalizing on your benefits and not missing out on any free money.<\/p>\n If your budget allows, the best move is to max out your 401(k) account. Once you\u2019ve maxed out your 401(k), you can start building up other tax-advantaged retirement accounts like a Roth IRA and even open non-retirement investment accounts.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been gaslit into thinking that your $7 latte once a week is why you can\u2019t afford to buy a house, you\u2019re not alone. But we can thank Holly for finally validating that your little sweet treat isn\u2019t the downfall of your financial well-being. In fact, she thinks treats are an integral part of healthy financial habits.<\/p>\n The key is to only treat yourself within the parameters your \u201cwants\u201d category in your budget allows. It\u2019s likely that a fun drink on your way to work every Friday is completely within reason, and you should toss any guilt out the door. But every day? Your at-home latte is probably a far cheaper way to get your caffeine fix. So, don\u2019t cut out treats during your financial glow-up; just make sure you\u2019re doing it smartly.<\/p>\n The takeaway:<\/strong> A sustainable budget should account for the things that make your life enjoyable\u2014not just your bills.<\/p>\n We have all fallen victim to the ill-fated impulse purchase<\/a>. That on-sale Anthro dress you were convinced by your Instagram ads that you absolutely needed, only for it to collect dust until the perfect excuse to wear it finally pops up. We\u2019ve all been there. And while impulsive purchases aren\u2019t completely avoidable, the 24-hour rule ensures they\u2019re not a common occurrence in your financial habits.<\/p>\n If you find yourself scrolling online and coming across something you absolutely have to have, just sit on it for 24 hours. If you\u2019re still desperate for it, add it to your cart! But chances are, the luster will have dulled, and you\u2019ll realize you don\u2019t actually even want whatever it is that seemed like such a must-have the day before.<\/p>\n The key to prioritizing financial wellness is always keeping long-term goals at the forefront. Yeah, a new phone sounds nice, but when held against the satisfaction of finally buying a house, taking a luxury vacation<\/a>, or investing in a passion project, you realize you\u2019d rather put that money toward your goals. So, when considering whether an investment like a new work bag or upgraded laptop isn\u2019t just a waste of money, evaluate it in terms of your long-term goals.<\/p>\n Will this purchase bring you one step closer to your financial goals? How often will you use it? Or is it something you kind of want but not badly enough to budget for? When you know what you\u2019re working toward, it becomes much clearer whether purchases are worth it.<\/p>\n Before you buy, ask yourself:<\/strong> What am I choosing this purchase instead of? Sometimes, knowing what you\u2019re working toward makes the answer pretty clear.<\/p>\n Savings and investment accounts aren\u2019t the only way to ensure your money is working for you. If you have a credit card, bank account, or rewards program, take a few minutes to figure out what benefits you\u2019re already entitled to. Whether it\u2019s travel points, hotel upgrades, cash back, or other perks, make sure you\u2019re actually using the benefits that come with the financial products you already have.<\/p>\n At our Financial Glow-Up event, O\u2019Neill also highlighted BofA Rewards<\/a>, which gives eligible Bank of America clients opportunities to earn rewards. The bigger takeaway? A financial glow-up isn\u2019t always about adding something new to your life. Sometimes, it\u2019s about getting more value from what you\u2019re already using. The BoA app makes it easy to see your rewards and take advantage of them, so you\u2019re not leaving benefits on the table.<\/p>\n The biggest takeaway from Josie and Holly\u2019s conversation is that progress is so much more important than perfection. Try as we might, there will be months where you veer off budget or end up with an impulse purchase you wish you could return, but what matters isn\u2019t the mistake; it\u2019s getting back on track. Instead of waiting for the moment to feel perfect, start practicing financial wellness today. Even taking the first step is a huge win.<\/p>\n You don’t need to become a personal-finance expert overnight. You don’t need a perfect budget, a six-figure salary, or a color-coded spreadsheet. The goal is simply to understand your money a little better, make a few intentional changes, and keep going.<\/p>\n That was ultimately the biggest takeaway from Josie and Holly\u2019s conversation: financial wellness isn\u2019t about getting everything right. It\u2019s about giving your future self more options, one decision at a time.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you want to hear the full conversation that inspired these tips, watch Josie and Holly\u2019s conversation from The Everygirl\u2019s Financial Glow-Up: Building Wealth Without Burnout<\/strong> event below. They get into everything from budgeting and saving to spending without guilt\u2014and how to make building wealth feel a little less overwhelming.<\/p>\n \n \n \n Prefer to listen? You can also hear Josie and Holly continue the conversation on The Everygirl Podcast<\/a>, where they dive even deeper into building financial confidence and healthier money habits.<\/p>\n LISTEN NOW: Financial Glow-Up\u2014Girl\u2019s Guide to Building Wealth Without Burnout<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n As an Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers\u2019 lives, from must-read books and behind-the-scenes interviews to beauty products she can\u2019t live without. When she isn\u2019t sitting in an AMC watching the latest buzzy release, she can be found scouring Goodreads for the perfect pick for The Everygirl Book Club<\/a>. There, she co-hosts discussions with members, debating plotlines, fancasting characters, and, of course, tossing in her own recommendations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This post is sponsored by Bank of America<\/em> but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.theeverygirl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/holly-oneill-headshot.jpg\")
\n <\/div>\n\nMEET THE EXPERT<\/div>\n\nHolly O’Neill<\/h3>\n
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOLLY<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n1. Start by figuring out where your money is going<\/h2>\n
2. Try the 50\/30\/20 rule<\/h2>\n
3. Split that 20% with intention<\/h2>\n
Start with an emergency fund<\/h3>\n
Then, think about retirement<\/h3>\n
4. Leave room for fun in your budget<\/h2>\n
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5. Give yourself a 24-hour pause before big purchases<\/h2>\n
6. Keep your long-term goals in mind when you spend<\/h2>\n
7. Make the most of the financial benefits you already have<\/h2>\n
8. Remember: progress over perfection<\/h2>\n
Looking for more financial glow-up advice?<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/div>\n\nABOUT THE AUTHOR<\/div>\n\nLauren Blue, Editor & Book Club Co-Host<\/h3>\n
READ LAUREN\u2019S FULL BIO<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n