Insights
Insights for smarter expense management
Practical tips, user stories, and financial strategies that help you track expenses, organize your finances, and make better spending decisions.
Author
Daria Larsson
A continuous improvement enthusiast with a background spanning engineering, project management, and operational excellence—and a PhD focused on Lean in engineering organisations—her work centers on creating smarter, simpler, and more efficient ways of working. Experience across offshore, energy, and technology sectors has built a deep appreciation for how well-designed processes can elevate both people and performance. Outside of work, life is happily shared with a husband and young son. Passionate about improving life after working hours as well, she enjoys finding small, meaningful ways to simplify everyday routines, create balance, and make space for what truly matters.
62 articles published
Articles by Daria Larsson
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
How financial anxiety affects decisions
Financial anxiety is one of the most common forms of modern stress.
Daria Larsson••5 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
How installment payments impact your creditworthiness
Understanding how installment plans influence your credit score can help you avoid hidden pitfalls and build a stronger financial foundation.
Daria Larsson••5 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Example: financing a €2,500 sofa
High-Interest vs. “0% Interest” Plans — What You Need to Know
Daria Larsson••5 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Klarna, PayPal Credit, store financing explained
This article breaks down how BNPL financing works, how Klarna and PayPal Credit differ from store financing, and how to use these tools without falling into debt traps.
Daria Larsson••9 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
How to avoid car-related debt traps
For many households, the car is the second-largest expense after housing. Yet cars are also one of the easiest ways to fall into long-term debt.
Daria Larsson••5 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Depreciation and hidden fees
Depreciation directly affects your long-term financial stability: it’s money you will never recover.
Daria Larsson••4 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Car loan structure and interest
Car loans are one of the most common types of consumer debt, yet few people actually understand how they work.
Daria Larsson••2 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
How banks calculate mortgage eligibility
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Case study: The €5 coffee habit that became €180/month
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Rules for impulse-proof shopping
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Delayed gratification training
In personal finance, no habit is more powerful—or more underrated—than delayed gratification. It is the ability to resist a smaller immediate reward in order to gain a larger, more meaningful reward later.
Daria Larsson••6 min read
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
The dopamine-reward loop
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Why we buy things we don’t actually need
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Social media influence and targeted ads
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Case study: A family with 27 active subscriptions
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
How free trials and micro-payments trick our brains
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Tools to track and cancel subscriptions
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Why people lose track (Ostrich Syndrome in action)
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Identifying hidden recurring payments
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
How to adjust a budget after unexpected expenses
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
The rise of subscription culture
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Tracking tools: apps, spreadsheets, AI tools
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Setting categories that actually work
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Traditional budgeting vs modern budgeting
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
MASTERING YOUR HOME BUDGET
Budgeting methods: 50/30/20, zero-based, envelope system
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
Understanding your financial “leaks”
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
Understanding your financial “leaks”
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
Fixed vs variable expenses
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
One-time expenses vs recurring subscriptions
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
The difference between net income and real disposable income
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
What is a “home budget” and why most don’t have one
A home budget is a simple financial plan that shows how much money comes in, how much goes out, and what’s left at the end of the month.
Daria Larsson••2 min read
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
How AI and digital services changed our spending habits
Artificial intelligence and digital services have reshaped the way we spend money—often without us noticing.
Daria Larsson••2 min read
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
The psychology of ignoring money problems
Many people assume financial struggles come from poor planning or lack of discipline—but psychology plays a far bigger role.
Daria Larsson••2 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
What affects your monthly payment
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Example: financing a €25,000 car
Buying a car is one of the biggest financial decisions most households make. And yet, people usually judge affordability by one thing: the monthly payment.
Daria Larsson••3 min read
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
The shift from cash to invisible digital payments
In the past decade, the world has moved rapidly away from cash and toward digital transactions. What began as a convenience has now become the dominant way people pay for almost everything—from groceries to streaming services.
Daria Larsson••2 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Understanding amortization
Amortization is one of those financial words that sounds complicated… but it describes something very simple: how you pay off a loan over time.
Daria Larsson•
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
“0% interest, buy now pay later”—what’s the catch?
At first glance, “0% interest” and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) offers seem like the perfect deal. No extra fees. No interest. Small monthly instalments.
Daria Larsson••4 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Example: €300,000 mortgage calculation
A detailed breakdown of costs, interest, amortization, and real long-term impact
Daria Larsson••9 min read
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
The rising cost of living: global trends
Across the world, households are feeling the pressure of a steady rise in the cost of living. While the causes vary by region, several global trends are shaping how much families spend on essential goods, services, and everyday life.
Daria Larsson••2 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
The psychology of monthly instalments vs paying cash
A scientific perspective on cognitive biases, decision-making, and household finance
Daria Larsson••5 min read
FOUNDATIONS OF HOME FINANCES
Why households overspend
Why Households Overspend: The Hidden Factors Behind Everyday Money Mistakes
Daria Larsson••2 min read
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
What is the Ostrich Effect
Research shows people are more likely to skip financial information when they expect the outcome to be unpleasant. In the moment, ignoring feels easier. But it quietly creates long-term damage.
Daria Larsson••3 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
What is refinancing and when it makes sense
Refinancing—whether for a mortgage, car loan, or personal loan—means replacing your existing debt with a new one, ideally under better terms.
Daria Larsson••3 min read
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Mental accounting: why people separate money into “buckets”
Mental accounting is not just psychology—it is tradition, culture, and identity expressed through the way we handle money.
Daria Larsson••5 min read
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Why people avoid checking bank accounts
This isn’t laziness or irresponsibility. It’s psychology.
Daria Larsson•
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Anchoring and pricing tricks used by companies
The Psychology Behind Why We Spend More Than We Think
Daria Larsson•
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Pain of paying vs pleasure of buying
Money decisions aren’t rational. They are emotional. Every purchase triggers an invisible tug-of-war inside the brain: the pain of paying versus the pleasure of buying.
Daria Larsson••5 min read
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Scientific research on financial stress
Financial Stress Is a Scientific Issue, Not a Personal Failure
Daria Larsson••8 min read
AI & THE FUTURE OF MONEY MANAGEMENT
AI financial assistants
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
AI & THE FUTURE OF MONEY MANAGEMENT
Expense-tracking apps
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Interest types: fixed, variable, hybrid
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
HOUSEHOLD TYPES & PERSONALIZED STRATEGIES
Managing subscription chaos in a family
Music streaming, digital newspapers, online courses, fitness apps, audiobook platforms—most of these will only show up when you carefully go through your bank account. And almost nobody wants to do that every day.
Daria Larsson•
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Why budgets fail—behavioral traps to avoid
Budgets Don’t Fail Because of Math—they Fail Because of Psychology
Daria Larsson••5 min read
UNDERSTANDING BIG EXPENSES
Leasing vs buying: real costs
Leasing a car has become popular because it promises low monthly payments and access to a new vehicle every few years.
Daria Larsson••5 min read
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Case study: From avoidance to control in 60 days
There isn’t one famous “60-day case,” but there is enough evidence to justify a realistic 60-day transformation story based on known mechanisms (reduced avoidance, increased checking, better planning).
Daria Larsson••6 min read
MONEY PSYCHOLOGY & HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Practical methods to overcome avoidance
The article introduces three unconventional, practical methods that go far beyond generic advice on dealing with financial avoidance. Each approach is grounded in behavioral science and designed to be simple.
Daria Larsson••3 min read
AI & THE FUTURE OF MONEY MANAGEMENT
Automatic categorization of transactions
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
AI & THE FUTURE OF MONEY MANAGEMENT
Predictive budgeting
Stay tuned! A new article is on the way, packed with insights and practical tips. Coming soon.
Daria Larsson•
AI & THE FUTURE OF MONEY MANAGEMENT
AI-generated budgets
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way households manage their finances. One of the most promising developments is the rise of AI-generated budgets
Daria Larsson••4 min read
AI & THE FUTURE OF MONEY MANAGEMENT
Fraud detection and alerts
The next generation of AI tools will not only detect fraud but predict it—forecasting risks based on early behavioral signals. Instead of reacting to fraudulent activity, families will receive proactive warnings.
Daria Larsson•
Why This Project Exists
Why knowing your budget comes first and how lean thinking inspired Billy
Prologue: Why This Project Exists
Daria Larsson••5 min read