Spring is finally here! It’s time to pack away the thick sweaters, open up the windows, and clean the corners of our houses that haven’t seen the light of day all winter.
Are you familiar with the KonMari Method of tidying up? For those who aren’t familiar, the KonMari Method states that any item that doesn’t “spark joy” should be thanked and discarded. Founded by Marie Kondo, the KonMari Method has helped thousands of people across the world find deeper happiness and sense of calm by eliminating those items that no longer “spark joy.”
Personally, I’ve had great success with the KonMari Method. By eliminating items that no longer sparked joy I found that my home stayed tidy, felt less cluttered, and gave me a sense of peace. It also helped tremendously with my own mental clarity, which got me thinking: are there other areas of my life that could be KonMari’d?
The idea excited me, and I dove into other ways I could KonMari my life. My digital life needed cleaning up, so I purged my laptop of all the old and useless files and organized only the ones still important to me. Apps on my phone got organized into folders based on their function, and ones that no longer served me were deleted. I cleaned up my online presence as well, by removing old website login info (bye Myspace!) and embarrassing Instagram pics from 2013.
The last piece of the puzzle was figuring out what to do with my financial life. While combing through my bank statements and credit card transactions, it occurred to me: I’m paying for things that don’t spark joy but are a necessity (like electricity, my cell phone bill, etc.). How am I supposed to KonMari those things? This made me step back and think – how can I bring more joy into my life with these necessities?
The first step in this process was to sit down and figure out what I was paying for out of necessity. Was I getting what I paid for? Do these companies and services have my best interests at heart, or do I only hear from them when my bill is late? What are my other options? Many of these services didn’t pass the KonMari Method test (looking at you, Internet provider), so I started to sniff out what other companies offered the same services.
Spoiler alert: most of the necessities that I was paying for didn’t pass the KonMari test. In fact, only one did: my Metromile car insurance. To most people, their car insurance provider doesn’t exactly light a fire within them, but mine does.
If I’ve forgotten where I parked my car, the Metromile app tells me exactly where it is (this happens a lot). The Metromile app also tells me how much gas I have left in my tank and helps decode warning lights that pop up on my dashboard from time to time. As a low-mileage driver, I never feel like I’m paying for something I don’t use because, quite simply, I’m not.
My favorite feature, however, is the trip tracking feature. As a freelance writer, I’m frequently driving to various client meetings. The mileage that I put on my car for those business meetings is a deductible expense which I can claim on my taxes at the end of the year. With Metromile, I can see every single trip I’ve ever taken and the exact mileage incurred, which makes bookkeeping for my small business an absolute breeze.
While I still might be struggling to find other options for the services that don’t spark joy, I know one thing for damn sure: my car insurance sparks joy. Does yours?
Does your car insurance spark joy? If not, it might be time to switch to Metromile. Click here to grab a free quote and Spring clean your car insurance provider! Already part of the Metromile fam? Share the love and make some cash! Click here to take advantage of our friends and family referral program. Be safe out there and see you on the roads!