Yet Another New Season

In just a few hours, my boys will begin first grade. With it will come a plethora of varying emotions. On the one hand, I'll be proud of them and who they are becoming. On the other hand, I'll mourn the fact they are growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday, they were learning to walk and talk. Today, they read everything they see and constantly add random numbers. It seems like just yesterday, they decided it would be fun to fingerpaint with their poop. Today, they strategically drop farts on me and each other. Ok, some things never change!

For as much as I want time to slow down, I'm trying to enjoy it for what it is: a series of really cool seasons. If I look at life as one linear story, I feel lost in it. However, if I view it as a number of seasons, it changes the dynamic for me. If our midwestern winters stayed in perpetuity, it would drive me mad. But the fact it's merely a season makes it something I celebrate and, dare I say, embrace it.

Life is much the same way. When we can view it in terms of seasons, we can celebrate and embrace each moment more intentionally. Though our summer was extraordinarily busy, I strongly feel like we embraced the season. Lots of memories, tons of adventures, and plenty of bonding. That's the thing about time. We're never going to slow it down, so we ought to savor it the best we can. I used to foolishly think I could bend time if I was intentional enough, but alas, I was wrong. Instead, I'll concede time will always go too fast, but we'll embrace every moment as it comes. I don't always get it right, but perhaps I can get a little better each time I try.

So today, I celebrate and mourn.....but mostly celebrate. I'll always cherish the seasons we've had in the past, but it's time to embrace the one upon us.

Because Every Month Is Different

July has been absolutely bonkers for our family. By the time July comes to a close, one of both of us (Sarah or I) will have been traveling for 23 of the 31 days of the month. It’s a combination of work, fun, and family. With crazy summer travel comes a very common occurrence in households all across the country. Finances can become chaotic, unpredictable, and laxidazical. I have this conversation with clients all the time, reminding them they aren’t alone.

This brings into focus a topic I talk about frequently. Not only is it important to budget, but it’s important to make each month’s budget unique. Not doing so is one of the primary drivers for people struggling with finances in the summer. If you’re used to spending xyz on certain categories, summer will be like a grenade that lands in the middle of all of it…..and explodes.

Sarah and I knew July was going to be nuts, so we planned for the nuts. Since we’re on the road a lot, we cut back on groceries, but increased the dining out budget. We have less money allocated for the house, and more for the trips. Even the source of our income shifts in the summer, so we take that into account as well. The plan is never perfect, but we simply do the best we can.

When we take this proactive approach and enter new, unique months with intentionality, alignment, and a purpose, even the most chaotic situation can feel manageable. It’s been an awesome month. Lots of memories, lots of experiences, and lots of adventures. But when the dust settles, it won’t hinder us financially. I know this because the plan says so. I hope you’re having an awesome month, as well! And while you do, I hope you feel the same level of intentionality and control over your finances. You deserve it!

The One Place....Yeah, That One

Question of the day: What’s that one place you want to travel to more than any other? Most people know the answer to this question, and you probably do, too.

A while back, I was talking to a client when the topic of travel was brought up. They revealed to me their absolutely biggest bucket list item is to travel to ________ (the place isn’t important….insert your imagination here). They’ve always dreamt of it, and they talk about it all the time, but they have no plans to ever do it. It’s not a money issue. The trip honestly wouldn’t cost too much money in the context of their financial situation. It just felt too big to actually be real.

In the conversation, I reminded them how they’ve spent many multiples of this trip in restaurants, clothes, toys, and other miscellaneous “want” categories over the last few years alone. In short, they’ve willingly (but accidentally) abandoned their biggest bucket list item in exchange for a lot of things they really don’t care about.

Then, I asked another question. “When are you going? Pick a day.” “It’s not that simple, Travis.” But it is. It is that simple. It’s that stinkin’ simple. We visually mapped it out on the whiteboard. They have the vacation time, they have the flexibility, and they certainly have the desire. We illustrated that if they were to save $_____ for the next 5 months (completely doable!!), the trip is paid for. Just like that!

Last night, I received a screenshot of a hotel reservation. They are doing it!!! They’ve waited 15 years to take this trip, and all it took was a little nudge and a lot of intentionality.

What’s your one place?

Simplicity For the Win

Later today, I’ll be hosting a workshop in Los Angeles about getting a better grasp on our finances. The general expectation in the room will likely be for me to launch into a diatribe about budgeting, spending less, and saving more. If I’m being honest, that would be boring. For as simple as that topic is, I want to go even more simple. Behind this idea is my theory that we humans tend to overcomplicate things every step of the way…..our money included.

Asking someone to do simple things when they’ve already structured their base financial life in an unintentionally complex way is a fool’s errand. This is one of the biggest reasons people are unable to change and make positive strides with their finances. To get one level simpler, I like to discuss core values, basic account structure, and to gain self-awareness of what’s happening in their life. It’s only then we can move into budgeting and other similar topics. Once we know some of these basics, we can begin the process of simplifying and consolidating to whatever extent is needed.

If we start complex with our finances, it will inevitably get more complex over time. If we start simple, we have a chance to build simple. Then if we build simple, we have a chance to continue building simple. It takes a lot of intentionality, but it’s worth the endeavor.

“Travis, you try to make things too simple.” That’s one of the best insults I can get. If someone is thinking that, then I know we’re on the right track. Complex doesn’t mean we’re smart or sophisticated. It just means we are complex. Simplicity, on the other hand, can free us and empower us. The simpler we can make it, the less brain power and more energy we can put behind it.

So ask yourself the same question I try to ask myself (and my clients) on a regular basis: “Is there a way to make this simpler?” If the answer is yes, we have work to do. If the answer is no, then we’re as simple as we need to be. Simplicity for the win.

Creating Traditions

As I write this, I have one little boy snuggled up to my left side, fast asleep. On my right side, the other little boy, equally exhausted. I’m laying in a tent, using my thumbs to peck away this post. I can hear birds settling in for the night, and thunder in the distance. I’m exactly where I am every year on this night. The boys and I are on our annual pre-Mother’s Day camping trip. We rode horses, shot BB guns, played dodgeball, swam for far too long, and ate s’mores. It’s a tradition.

There’s something about traditions that stick with us. We nostalgically remember the past, savor the present, and eagerly anticipate the future. Sometimes we find ourselves yearning for traditions of the past. Traditions that can’t be recreated or maybe shouldn’t be recreated. We mourn the loss of them while trying to hold onto the fond memories created from them. We often fail to realize every day is an opportunity to create new traditions.

This is something I took from therapy years ago. The power of creating new traditions. My wife, Sarah, sometimes takes it to the extreme. We could go to the grocery store on a random Tuesday afternoon, just one time, and she very well may declare going grocery shopping on Tuesday afternoons a new tradition. When I started taking the boys on this camping trip three years ago, I didn’t know it would become a tradition. But then they starting making references to the trip, asking when we could go back, and planning all the things they want to do next time. And just like that, we have a tradition. It’s a special tradition to me. It adds a richness to my life because I get to create lifelong memories with them. Though Sarah isn’t part of this trip, she looks forward to it as well. The original intent of the trip was to give momma a little rest ahead of Mother’s Day. She may have been counting down the days until we left for this trip, secretly planning all the rest and fun she’ll have in our absence. Let’s just say she ushered us out the door quite hastily this afternoon…..she was ready! It’s the tradition.

There’s something powerful about knowing we are one simple decision away from creating a new tradition in our life. I find myself seeking them out and finding creative ways to start something. In the world of meaning vs. money, it proves once again that meaning always prevails.

What are some of your favorite traditions?

Sometimes Surviving is Thriving

We’re in the middle of a tough financial season for many. Between groceries, fuel, vehicles, and housing, inflation has been squeezing people from all sides. I’ve talked at length about this topic on the podcast, but I like to categorize people into three different groups:

• Group A: They have quite a bit of financial margin in their life. Though they see inflation is happening, it’s not making a significant impact on their day-to-day life.

• Group B: They had some margin in their financial life and are really feeling the impact of inflation. Not long ago they were making swift progress, but now most (or all) of their financial margin has been squeezed out. They are making ends meet, but many of their wants and savings have been paused.

• Group C: They had little to no financial margin in their life. They were struggling to keep the train on the track even before inflation struck. Now, they are experiencing profound pain and chaos.

Most of us live in little vacuums. We live our own unique lives and base our perceptions of the world on a sample size of one: ourselves. For the members of Group A, this causes many to lose sight of what’s really happening to people in Groups B and C. They aren’t trying to be insensitive or dismissive……they often don’t know what they don’t know.

Here’s where I’m trying to land the plane. Members of Group B also have a blind spot. While watching their margin melt away and lose momentum, they are looking in the mirror and wondering what they are doing wrong. What they don’t know is so many others are having the very same experience. The walls are slowly closing in, and they think their own failure is the cause of it. I’ve had multiple client conversations around this topic recently. My motto has become, “Sometimes surviving is thriving.” Everything is a season, and for some, this season is about getting out alive.

However, it all comes down to your definition of “surviving.” Based on the looks of this recent article, more and more, people are turning to their credit cards to keep the train on the track. Credit card debt just hit an all-time high, and we’ll soon hit an outstanding balance of 1 TRILLION! Yikes!

In my book, “surviving” looks a little different. It looks like navigating from month to month without incurring debt. It looks like overcoming medical, car, house, and other emergencies without wreaking havoc on your life and marriage. It looks like prioritizing your values and holding onto the things which add the most value to your life (and perhaps letting go of the others). It looks like keeping momentum toward your aspirations (even a forward crawl is better than standing still or heading backward). And it looks like waking up every day with meaning and purpose. It’s not perfect, and it’s often messy, and it’s far from easy, but it’s worth it. If that’s you, I celebrate you and what you’re trying to do. It doesn’t always feel great, but you’re doing far better than you know!

You got this, guys! Sometimes surviving is thriving!

The Great Reset

15 years ago, my life was completely upended. As I walked into the office one morning, instead of walking to my desk, I was led into a conference room where all my colleagues were sitting. It was explained to us that our company was being shut down and everyone would be fired. In that moment, I watched my intentionally-created life dissolve before my eyes. I loved my job, my co-workers were like family, I was a newer homeowner, I found a wonderful church, and I had been engaged to Sarah for just a handful of days. Oh yeah, and I had a ton of debt. Normal debt. “Good” debt. Responsible debt. Affordable debt. Except now that I was facing possible unemployment, those debt payments didn’t seem so innocent and “good” anymore.

I was ultimately blessed with an opportunity to move to Iowa where I could continue my work…..and keep a paycheck. I didn’t want to move to Iowa, though. Remember my intentionally-created life? Awesome job, friends, house, church, and new fiancé from that city. Poof! Because of the position I had put myself in, I didn’t have a lot of options. After discussing all this with Sarah that night, we made the difficult decision to move to Iowa, humbly and gratefully accept the job, and start afresh. We called it our “great reset.”

Over the coming months and years, we would transform the way our life was structured, how we viewed and handled money, and of course, pay off a ton of debt. $236,000 over the course of 4.5 years as I painfully and proudly remember. Ouch! It wasn’t fun at the moment, but as I reflect back on it years later, it’s cool to think about how we used that singular terrible moment as an opportunity to reset our entire lives.

I was recently having lunch with a friend who is in a similar position. Fortunately for him, his life isn’t crumbling around him, though. Instead, he and his family are relocating to a different city. But he too is viewing this as an opportunity to reset. They sold their house, will be moving into a short-term housing situation, and hope to buy the house they want within the next few years. In the meantime, however, they are taking the opportunity to use their equity to pay off a bunch of debt, streamline their budget/cashflow, and build up positive momentum for the season ahead. They are using this relocation, and all the change that naturally comes from it, to reset their financial life.

These are golden opportunities that don’t present themselves often. For many, it can be hard to make financial progress. Budgets are tight, lifestyles have grown cushier, the debt feels heavy, some past decisions are hard to unwind, and the idea of making big shifts is scary. My encouragement to you is to take advantage of any opportunity you get to create your own reset. Gaining positive momentum in any given month can be challenging, so these resets can propel you years into the future if done well. My friend is happy and optimistic after just a few weeks of movement…..just wait until they get 6-12 months in! I have a feeling they will look back on this moment with gratitude and fondness. The point where everything changed!

Protecting Yourself From Yourself

In a recent meeting, someone told me about how they invest in their company’s stock from each paycheck. This in and of itself isn’t worth writing about…..lots of people do this. What she said next is what drew me in. “I really don’t know if this is the best investment, but it makes sure I don’t spend it on something else. I know it’s there.” This is one of the countless ways people play games with themselves to achieve something. Or as I like to call it, “protecting yourself from yourself.”

As I meet with people, lots of versions of this story are told. Lots of interesting ideas, ranging from practical to absurd. Lots of people automate their savings/investing as if it were a utility bill. One friend pays extra on their mortgage instead of saving for their next house to ensure they can’t repurpose that money for a different use. One client loves buying shoes, but knows she could easily overdo it in the shoe-shopping department. Therefore, she only buys a pair of shoes if she accomplishes certain goals in her business. Another client knows they struggle to spend money on themselves (to an unhealthy extent). So we’ve created a structure so that every time they spend money on their kids, they also spend a certain amount on themselves. Another friend, due to some bad (really bad!) childhood experiences growing up, struggled to spend money on dining out. They budgeted for it, but never spent it. I helped them negotiate a ridiculous rule where if there is any unused money in their dining out budget at the end of each month, they have to give it to one of their in-laws. They really don’t want to give money to their in-laws, so they miraculously started spending it each month. Over time, they’ve not only gotten comfortable spending it, but actually learned to enjoy it.

I have a few of my own. In my pursuit to become a more generous person, I recognized the allure investing had on me. Knowing how investing works, how powerful it can be, and frankly just liking the process of it, I knew it could potentially inhibit my giving journey. Therefore, we negotiated a rule in our house about a decade ago. Never again would we invest more than we give. We have to give at least as much as we invest. No exceptions. This one simple decision has transformed the way we approach finances, investing, and generosity. It was a simple decision, with simple implementation, with powerful results. Protecting myself from myself.

What are some ways you protect yourself from yourself? I’d love to hear your ideas, whether they are practical or absurd.

Gaining Control When It's Simple(r)

I recently met with a new 22-year-old coaching client. There’s something special about working with young people. They have big dreams, a ton of passion, and the energy to match it. They also have something else many of us more senior people don’t have: simplicity. Many young adults don’t have spouses, kids, houses, or weighty financial entanglements……yet. Instead, they have small bank accounts, a few assets, and a lot of time in front of them.

We, humans, are really good at making our lives progressively more complicated. These young adults will inevitably make their lives more complicated in due time, as well. However, I’m blessed with the opportunity to help some of them gain control of their finances where they stand today. This is a huge win, as it’s always easy to learn a new concept when it’s simple. Simple is good. As we parsed through his very short list of financial considerations, I knew something he doesn’t yet know. This is going to be a really easy process for him. Far easier than for most.

Many people come to me in their 40s, when life is anything but simple. Yes, someone at that stage can absolutely gain control and learn how to handle their finances better…..and I’m so excited for them when they do! Everyone can do it! But it’s trickier. There are more pieces to wrangle, less time to do it, and it’s tougher to gain control. That’s the beautiful part about being young. When you’re young, you have the opportunity to learn this stuff when it’s easy…..so that you can grow into it when life inevitably gets more complicated.

Today’s message is two-fold. First, it’s never too late or too early to gain control. your life is likelier simpler today than it will be in the future. So take control now and grow into your future life! Second, encourage the young people in your life to lean into these topics now, when they are young and life is simple. If they do, their future selves will feverishly thank their younger selves for the generous and sacrificial act.

Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too

A few days ago, I met a woman in Thailand who is familiar with our podcast. It was shocking that she knows who we are - especially on the other side of the world - but her kind words were uplifting and encouraging. One of the things she said struck me. She loves how we continually talk about and teach the importance of being financially responsible……while also living with meaning and enjoyment.

She went on to share how this mindset makes all the difference. It’s easy to put our mathematical hat on and make the ”best financial decision.” Doing so takes no effort and no thoughtfulness. We simply do the math and make whatever decision results in us having the most money. Unfortunately, when we let math guide all of our decisions, we turn into fun-hating robots. We hoard our resources, say “no” to anything fun, and constantly wonder when enough is enough (spoiler: it will never be). Conversely, living financially responsible AND with meaning allows us to disconnect ourselves from constantly making mathematical decisions.

Yes, let’s save, give, invest, and practice frugality in the various areas of life. These are inherently good things and our life will most certainly be better for having done them. However, let’s also take that trip, buy that thing, make that memory, eat that meal, and go to that event. These things add so much richness to our life. It’s about balance and intentionality. When we get it right, we truly can have our cake……and eat it, too.

The Dreaded B-Word

I talk about budgeting every single day. It’s a cornerstone of my coaching. It’s not because I especially love budgeting, but rather because of how important it is. It’s so important, in my perspective, that we need to get that right if we want to achieve the other financial goals in our life. People will often tell me they do great without a budget. That may be partially true, but they also don’t know what they don’t know. From my experience, they are driving a 5-speed transmission but only think it has 3 gears. 3rd gear feels really fast if you’ve never experienced a 4th or 5th gear. Something very powerful is unlocked when budgeting is done right.

I get it, the idea of budgeting is terrible. Most people (fairly) assume budgeting will suck the fun out of their life. That’s simply how budgeting is approached by the vast majority of our financial world. Stop spending, be responsible, cut back. We treat it as a crash diet. I think we’re missing the point. The objective of a budget isn’t to spend less, but rather to spend better. It’s a way to live out our values. So through the lens of “spend less”, yeah, I’d hate budgeting, too. But through the lens of “spend better”, budgeting gives us life. It’s a tangible way to execute our hopes, dreams, values, and principles.

Last week, one of my 6-year-olds approached me and asked, “Daddy, when is the end of the month?” When I asked him why, he responded, “because I want to go to Chuck-E-Cheese and thought we could put Chuck-E-Cheese in the new budget.” “Yeah, bud, let’s put it in the budget next month. That will be a lot of fun. What else should we put into the budget?”

Even at 6, he’s realizing this money stuff shouldn’t suck. It shouldn’t rip the fun and enjoyment out of life. It shouldn’t hinder our ability to live a quality life. He’s already learning that it’s a way that we can intentionally plan for fun things and live out our family’s values.

As this week begins, I encourage you to look at money through the lens of “spend better”, not “spend less.”

Slow Down or Get Burned

We recently made a bad decision in one of my businesses. It’s not a life-threatening mistake, but it was serious enough to cause some heartburn and consequences. We haven’t made many bad decisions in the past, but this one was a doozie. In the moment I kind of knew there would be regrets, for one specific reason. We rushed to make a decision and did so under pressure.

Us humans rarely make good decisions when we’re under duress or facing time constraints. It’s a concept I talk to clients about all the time, yet here I was falling for the same trap. This topic is so, so, so important. Think back to the financial and career decisions you regret. Were you under stress or experiencing pressure to make a quick decision? The answer is probably “yes” in most cases. Common examples of bad financial decisions revolve around the following situations:

• When we’re faced with a car accident or significant repair needs, which often leads us to quickly buy a vehicle we can’t afford.

• When we’re house shopping and the seller’s agent tells us there are a few other offers on the table already, forcing us to make a snap decision.

• When we experience a major medical or relational situation, resulting in us making impulsive financial decisions to self-medicate the pain.

• When someone offers us a job but they need to know by the end of the day.

One of my primary objectives when working with clients is getting them to slow down, take their time, and be intentional about their decisions. It’s a simple concept, but it’s easier said than done when life is moving fast and feeling chaotic. There are probably 10-20 decisions made (or not made) each year that have the power to significantly alter our financial journey. If we can slow down and get those right (or at least not get them wrong), our future selves will be grateful.

Have an awesome and intentional day!

Giving Money a Purpose

Yesterday, I was in the middle of a coaching session with a new client (they are awesome!) when a hugely important topic came up. I was walking them through the idea and execution of sinking funds (i.e. separate named bank accounts for specific categories - travel, house, car, medical, etc.) I don’t remember the exact wording, but to paraphrase, they were curious why someone would do it this way rather than just having all the money in one account and mentally earmarked for future use. I absolutely love this question!

In theory, having all the money in one big pot would achieve the same purpose….and be administratively easier. However, in practice, it makes a world of difference. Here are a few reasons why:

Commitment: If we house all our money in one big pot, we can just make an impulsive decision and mentally reallocate the funds from one use to another. It takes no energy or work to butcher months (or possibly years) of work. When we separate these funds into unique accounts that are specifically named for that use, we’re less likely to reallocate this money for a different use. Doing so requires us to consciously make a decision and physically transfer money from one fund to another.

Emotion: If we house all our money in one big pot, it’s easy for us to feel guilty or regretful about a particular decision we’ve made. For example, let’s say we’ve set aside some money for a trip to Disney. The moment we feel financial stress, we’ll think to ourselves, “well maybe there’s a more responsible use for this money. After all, I don’t NEED this trip.” And just like that, we’ve dismantled our trip and all the amazing memories that surely would have come from it. When we separate these same funds into our travel sinking fund, it’s clear what these monies are for. There’s no doubt about it. “Travel Fund.” It’s literally in the name of the bank account! When we do this, we’re emotionally able to let go of the guilt and the regret, and simply go enjoy that trip. It sounds silly, but it’s true!

Administrative: The idea of sinking funds sounds administratively difficult. After all, having multiple accounts seems more complex than having fewer accounts. However, the execution is an entirely different story. When we push money into these accounts each month as part of our budget, it’s clear where the money goes. When we want to know how much money we have for our next trip, there’s an account balance staring at us. And when we start spending these funds (plane tickets, hotels, gas, etc.), we always know where we stand with the remaining balance. In other words, we get transparency, and with that transparency comes better decisions.

If you’re interested in setting up sinking funds for your finances, most credit unions allow it. Most banks don’t, with one exception being Wells Fargo. If your bank doesn’t (like mine), CapitalOne 360 Performance Savings accounts work great. I’ve been using this platform for more than 15 years, as do many of my clients. If you want to hear more about sinking funds, we did a podcast episode about the topic back in June 2021. You can listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Have an amazing day!

Permission to Push Pause

I love it when people gain traction in their finances. They know what they are trying to accomplish, they get intentional, they make sacrifices, and they execute. It’s a beautiful thing. There’s a sense of satisfaction, confidence, and accomplishment that comes from such an experience.

But then, life happens! A job change, a wedding, a baby, a relocation, a career shift, a medical emergency, a new small business idea, kids college……the list goes on and on. These things are the very definition of life. There’s nothing linear about life. It’s a series of twists and turns, tragedies and delights, anxiety and confidence, sadness and joy.

While on a financial journey, especially if we’re really locked in and making progress, it can be easy to get fixated on the financial matters. After all, financial progress is a good thing. However, it can’t be the most important thing. If our finances become the most important thing, we’ve lost the game. Our finances should serve our life, not the other way around.

For that reason, you have permission to push pause. When life happens, we need to give ourselves permission to push pause on the finances and address the life in front of us. No guilt, no regrets, no second-guessing. Yes, this money stuff is important…….but the other things are more important.

I have multiple clients that have pushed pause on some of their financial endeavors so they can focus on life. Some of the best things life has to offer, and some of the worst things life has to offer. The highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and everything in between. In each of those scenarios, they needed to push pause for a season. Not forever…..just for now. It was hard at first, but their finances serve their life, not the other way around.

* This idea was given to me by my dear friend Tracy. If you have ideas for future blog posts or podcast episodes, I’d love to hear them!

Old Habits Die Hard

“I’m sorry, but old habits die hard.” These were frustrated words proclaimed by a client during a recent coaching meeting. This quote was thrown out during a somewhat tense conversation about a few of his questionable decisions and repeat offenses. I wasn’t asking him to perform brain surgery….these were simple adjustments in behavior.

Though my perspective of these changes being “simple” is correct, so too are his words. Old habits do indeed die hard. We can’t repeat the same behaviors and processes for decades then suddenly make a 180-degree shift overnight. That’s now how human behavior works. It took years to establish these harmful behaviors, so it’s going to take several months (at a minimum) to re-wire them into healthy behaviors.

I don’t say all this to demean my friend. In fact, he’s in the perfect spot. He has a keen self-awareness of his behavioral pitfalls, he’s taking steps to create new structure around it, he’s persistent, he knows his “why”, and he’s giving himself grace along the way. This is all we can ask for. I know he’s going to win. Why? Because he’s playing the long game. Get a little better each month, and do it for the right reasons. He’s definitely going to fail along the way. After all, old habits die hard. But this is more about the journey than the destination.

If you’re in your 30s, 40s, or 50s (or older), it’s never too late. It’s going to take some time and intentionality, but you, too, can re-wire these behaviors to create a healthy relationship with money. If you’re in your 20s, you probably haven’t had a chance yet to fall deeply entrenched into bad financial behaviors. What an opportunity for you! This is the beauty of getting this money stuff right when you’re young. It’s so much easier to create healthy habits and behaviors when you’re fresh in the adulting game, preventing you from having to dig out and re-wire further down the road when it’s significantly harder to do so.

What’s one financial habit you can start/stop during this season of life? Pick one thing and try to get a little better each day/week/month.

** If you want to learn more about creating healthy habits around money, check out my recent appearance on the Happily Every Habits podcast and connect with host Jason Harwood’s content. This guy is awesome and he knows his stuff!