Hey ,

I know I usually chat all things books (and there are some book recs below), but with tax time around the corner (thank you deadline extension!), I’ve got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.

I hope you’ll indulge me as I share some of the tools that have helped the husband and me up our finances game.

And by “upping” I mean basic adulting stuff like: getting out of consumer debt, growing our emergency fund, saving for retirement, and doing estate planning for the peace of mind that the kiddos are all set if god forbid the worst ever happened.

Ok now that I write it all out like that I’m high-fiving myself because I’m so proud of us for getting our sh*t together.

Growing up, neither of us had solid role models when it came to long term financial planning, so this all feels like a huge accomplishment for our little familia.

And because I love sharing what's helped me with anyone who'll listen, below are two resources that were total game changers for us over the last two years.

(FYI: affiliate links below; if you purchase using my referral links, I may earn perks or a small commission at no cost to you.)

I know us creative types don’t always like to talk finances, but ask yourself this: 

Who is our silence around money actually serving?

I believe it’s beyond time we have more honest, open conversations about the role money plays, and, to be more precise, the role financial (in)stability and (in)security plays in our ability to live the creative lives we crave.

Look, I “squandered” away about a decade of potential retirement savings by choosing to live the life of a “gradual” student.

I have no regrets! 

I loved getting my PhD, but that choice had financial consequences, and I could bury my head in the sand and ignore that reality, or I can get clear on where I am now and what I need to make happen going forward.

I choose getting clear and that choice feels empowering.

And, yes, I married a doctor.

I’m the first to admit it: that helps — a lot.

And yet, having money coming in hasn’t always translated into us being intentional about how we managed those funds from month to month.

YNAB & I Will Teach You to be Rich helped us make that shift towards being intentional with and more in control of our money — both on the big picture, long term strategy front, and on the day-to-day how we spend each paycheck front.

These resources might be helpful for you too, so I wanted to share.

I’ll get off my random money related soap box now. Thanks again for indulging me!

Let me know if you found any of this useful (or go ahead and tell me to stay in my bookish lane. lol. I won’t be offended).

TL;DR: The app that changed my life? YNAB (aka You Need A Budget). If you use any of my links to sign up for YNAB's 34-Day FREE trial, we’ll both get a free month if you decide to subscribe after the trial period — thank you and you’re welcome. 

Even if you don't want another app, I highly recommend reading about “The 4 Rules” in the "Learn to Budget" section of the YNAB website. Implementing their 4 rules (with or without the app) will bring about a shift in how you manage your money.

PS: Want more on money & the creative life? Here you go:

• BLOG POSTS Writing & Finances related posts on my blog.

• BOOKS RECS check out some books that have helped me get my head around personal & professional finances over the years:

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