Stop Feeling Broke

Hello, and welcome to another edition of me writing to you on a Friday evening and choosing to ignore the fact that I could schedule this to send at a time you're more likely to read it. But as usual, I’d rather send it out while the thought is fresh. If this is not your jam, I give you guilt-free permission to swiftly and liberally smash the UN-subscribe link (https://preview.convertkit-mail2.com/unsubscribe). Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the challenge of knowing what you truly...

I used to be a money stasher. I'd put cash in little places around the house, including in books and boxes in the closet. I opened multiple bank accounts and stashed money in where I hoped I'd forget to look. I really enjoyed "finding" money later. It felt like a nice surprise, and I guess it made me feel financially secure in the back of my mind. My own little version of, "There's always money in the banana stand!" In 2014, I discovered a bank account with $4,000 in it that I'd completely...

I've worked with 74 clients since I officially opened my coaching practice 1 year and 7 months ago. That is crazy. Every single client has something in common. Not a single one of them cut back their spending. I never expected them to. And I don't expect you to, either. (Some would say it's impossible to cut spending.) Budgeting has a major branding problem. To most people, budgeting = restriction. Failed plans. Making commitments you cannot keep. Forget that. Boo, that! If I thought...

I recently replaced the home page of my website with two simple words: "Helpful conversations."* So, what does a helpful conversation look like? Here are a few I've had over recent weeks. A consultant working 60-80 hours per week realizes he'd be very satisfied making 30% of his current income in exchange for having a life to spend it on. A finance executive's stress visibly evaporates when he realizes he could be so much happier if he bought a house 10 minutes inland instead of right on the...

Hey friends, Sometimes I act like an immature brat. Unfortunately, this tends to happen in high stakes situations where it is least needed, least helpful, and most damaging. And, of course, the victims tend to be those I love the dearest. I really hate admitting that publicly, but I'm wondering if anyone out there can relate. Because I am aware of this ego-driven tendency of mine, I felt a lot of sympathy for a client who shared with me last year about his loss of faith in the religion he was...

Hey friends, All the BEST moments I have with my clients have something in common. Power. ⚡️ I experienced such a moment this week. A new client had just finished organizing her spending categories and gathering all of her bank account information. She was looking at a number that represented all of the money she had to her name in that moment. She knew the number was accurate. And then I asked the question. “What do you want to do with this money?” I live for the reaction people have to this...

Hey friends, I want to personally thank you for receiving these email messages. Just over a year ago I set out to share my enthusiasm for budgeting out of pure, nerdy joy and because of how the practice has transformed my life. I had no idea whether my experiences would resonate with you or anyone else. I was scared to share because I’m self-conscious…I love budgeting, but most people would probably rather die than do it! So, your response has come as a total surprise to me. Having worked...

TYLER SMITH Hey friends, I've gained 30 pounds over the last few years. Somewhat disturbed by this, I recently decided to hire a coach to help me improve my health. Things have been going well. But then... Two weeks ago I went on a quick trip with my brother-in-law. We saw Jacob Collier perform at the Hollywood Bowl and returned home the very next day. In that short time, I managed to gain back nearly half the weight I'd lost over several months. This depressed me. How could a few days of...

Hey friends, One idea I've been thinking about lately is the more responsibility you assume, the more problems you face. A new relationship. A new child. A new pet. A new job. A new business. A new volunteer position. A new personal goal. A new home. A new hobby. Each enriches your life. Each brings new problems to solve. Sound familiar? This week I completed 78 items on my to do list. Each item represented a problem in my life. There were work problems: How to earn a promotion? How to...

A client and I had an insight this week as we chatted: we spend so much more in this life than our money. We also spend our time and our attention. We can spend our money, our time, and our attention in a “default” way, which tends to be the path of least resistance. Or, we can spend with intention. We use a budget to spend our money in alignment with our values. We use a calendar to spend our time in alignment with our values. We use a to-do list to spend our attention in alignment with our...