Dear Reader, If your credit card payments feel out of control, you’ve probably seen advice about: 👉🏽 Debt Management Plans👉🏽 Debt Consolidation Loans People use these terms interchangeably — but they are NOT the same. Choosing the wrong one can keep you stuck in debt for years longer than necessary. Here’s the difference so you can make an informed decision. Debt Management Plan (DMP): Structured Repayment With Support A Debt Management Plan is run by a nonprofit agency (for example,...
9 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, One of my clients—a first-gen healthcare professional with a son with special needs—came to our session in a panic. “I think I was scared that I was going to waste all the money in the universe.” She had more money sitting in her checking account than she’d seen in a while. Instead of feeling secure… she felt urgency. Like she needed to move it somewhere before it disappeared. When we reviewed her numbers, we calculated her true monthly expenses: about $5,100. Then we did...
14 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, One of my clients—a first-gen Latina therapist—came to our session feeling stressed about money. Income had shifted. Some clients had paused. Payments felt inconsistent. On top of that, she was planning a wedding and navigating grief. Instead of looking at her numbers, she noticed herself going off vibes. She knew her client roster had thinned.She could feel that less money was coming in. She knew she’d had a recent month where income was strong—and that the last month was a lot...
16 days ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, I have a client who is in a growth season. She and her partner are earning more, planning ahead—and preparing to send their child to college. And yet… when it comes time to talk money? She freezes. Budget meetings give her anxiety. Her ADHD brain jumps around. And the shame of “not doing it right” creeps in fast. “I just don’t know where to start,” she said. So instead of pushing through the overwhelm, we slowed way down. Together, we built a system that fits her nervous system....
21 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, One of my clients was making good money, saving when she could...but repeatedly second-guessing herself. “I should be saving $5K in 90 days,” she said.But for what? No clear answer. Just pressure. She had the income.She had the goals (kind of).What she didn’t have was clarity. Together, we built her clarity. ➡️ A move-out fund for freedom to live in the city ➡️ A paid-time-off fund for to be able to cover months where her caseload was low ➡️ A “loved one emergency fund” so she...
23 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, One of my clients came into our session overwhelmed. She had just taken on a second mortgage, faced surprise home repairs, and was staring down what she called “a million dollars in debt.” The anxiety was so loud, she said, “It feels unsafe. It makes me feel like a failure.” That’s the weight of financial trauma talking. Years ago, she had filed for bankruptcy. And even though she’s come a long way—high credit score, zero-interest financing, and stable income—her body hadn’t...
28 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, Here’s a pattern I see all the time with myself and clients:When life gets stressful, spending often increases. Not because we’re irresponsible — but because we’re human. Stress, grief, burnout, urgency, celebration, and overwhelm all shape how we spend. The goal isn’t to judge that. The goal is to notice it with intention so you can make choices that support both your dinero and your well-being. I want to offer a helpful distinction. Impulse Spending Impulse spending often looks...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, I had a client who was all-in on Costco stock. It felt safe. Familiar. She didn’t want to give it up. “But what if it goes up again?” she asked. “I’ll feel like I missed out.” Totally valid. But when we reviewed her portfolio together, something clicked. Costco wasn’t performing the way she hoped. And she realized something important: ✨ Holding onto one stock out of fear was keeping her from growing her money. So we mapped out a new strategy. ➡️ She kept some Costco➡️ Bought...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, Ever find yourself checking your bank balance again and again like something bad might happen if you don’t? One of my clients used to check her account every two hours. She made six figures. Had savings. Owned a home. But none of that mattered—because in her body, it never felt safe. She was carrying all the pressure as the breadwinner, still stuck in the belief that if she didn't watch every dollar, everything could fall apart. The real issue wasn’t the money. It was the anxiety...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read