Save Smarter | Valet.

Money is tough—it’s easy to feel like there’s never enough. And it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a lot or a little. You’ll never feel secure in your spending and saving if you don’t have a financial plan. But life is short. While money may not buy you happiness, it can certainly help pay for some good times along the way. No one wants to be broke at the end of their career, but we shouldn’t also deprive ourselves in the prime of our lives all in the name of a splashy retirement. Instead, the idea is to find a happy middle, where your short-term wants don’t always get the upper hand over both your long-term savings and an emergency fund.

After all, a survey from LendingTree found that six out of ten millennials don’t have enough put away to handle a $1,000 emergency expense. Which means they’d have to borrow the money, putting it on a credit card, or sell something to make the necessary payment. And then there’s our debt, which also makes saving a challenge. The average American owes about $22,713 (excluding home mortgages) according to Northwestern Mutual’s recent Planning & Progress Study.

The uncomfortable reality when it comes to money is that most people don’t have much control over what comes in, but they do have control over what goes out. When you control that, you’re able to sock more away for both goals (like vacations and other big ticket purchases) and saving for the future. If you’re not the type that gets excited by saving money, dealing with finances is a real drag. Thankfully, it’s now easier than ever to lean on technology to help sort out the minutia of your monetary life. Herewith, the lazy man’s guide to getting ahead financially.