Money Habits

Perfect Is The Enemy

I have this fun, dare-I-say Pinterest-worthy gallery wall in my office full of photos and moose heads and inspirational sayings—some that are actually inspirational, and some that just make me laugh. One little sign says, “Believe in Your Selfie.” One says, “Trust me, you can Dance—Vodka."

Lindsey Burgess

September 20, 2016

Academic New Year Resolutions

Oh, you didn’t know academic new year resolutions were a thing? They should be. Actually, as of right this second, they are. Here's the plan.

Lindsey Burgess

September 5, 2023

Got 20 Minutes A Month? Then You Can Budget.

Budgeting can seem like a big, serious undertaking. But really, if you have 20 minutes a month, you can budget. Read for a quick run through.

Jesse Mecham

August 17, 2016

What is Sabotaging Your Finances?

Many people believe that finances are inherently complicated. But it simply isn’t true. You can and should simplify your budgeting routine.

Lindsey Burgess

July 28, 2016

There Is No Such Thing As A Normal Month

I was chatting with a friend the other day, and she was talking about how it had just been “one thing after the other this month.” A new HVAC system (ouch!), an unexpected payment due to her accountant (unexpected because she thought she’d paid it seven months ago!), and the dog had to have surgery.

Lindsey Burgess

November 21, 2016

If You Are Drowning, Your Budgeting Spreadsheet Can't Help You

It may look like there is no way that your money situation is going to get better, but YNAB works. It is the best thing you can do right now.

Lindsey Burgess

October 7, 2016

9 Tiny Habits to Help You Stick to a Budget

Want your money to really work for you? You have to change the way you think about money to actually be able to stick to a budget.

Rachel Wong

May 9, 2022

The Most Boring, Perfect, Real-Life Success Story Ever

Financial awakenings come in all shapes and sizes. For Melissa Wiley, a 29-year-old federal employee, living in Washington, D.C., it was a broken A/C unit. On the surface, Melissa had it all together. She owned her own place. She always checked her bank balance before purchasing anything.

Lindsey Burgess

June 2, 2016

January vs. December

January is the antithesis of December. Think about it. December is all about the spending. And January is all about opening that credit card bill. I'm mostly speaking to those of you that maybe weren't following the YNAB way in 2015, or let the holiday spirit get the best of you.

Jesse Mecham

January 26, 2016

Little Things Can Add Up To Big Things

If little things add up to something big, you should continue doing those things and not feel bad about it. Yes, I'm talking about lattes.

Jesse Mecham

November 18, 2015

The Big Questions of Budgeting

Should you automate your finances? Yes. Spend your time and energy on prioritization. What do you really want? What is most important to you?

Lindsey Burgess

October 15, 2015

The Real Cost of Money Shame

Many people talk about how they’ve “never been good with money." And with that statement, there's an undercurrent of shame.

Guest Author

August 7, 2015

Is Your Attitude Hindering Your Budgeting Success?

From Podcast #176: Is That Budget Half Empty or Half Full? Jesse dispenses some relationship advice that could help lead to budgeting success.

Jesse Mecham

July 7, 2015

Make it a Habit: Start a New Habit in One Evening

My desired habit? To spend 5-10 minutes every night brainstorming ideas, creating a To Do list, and prioritizing the list. How did I do?

Jesse Mecham

December 22, 2021

How You Never Get Anything Done (But Do it Perfectly!)

Jonathan over at MyMoneyBlog had a great article about how the concept of Kaizen ties in to personal finance. According to Wikipedia: a Japanese philosophy that focuses on continuous improvement throughout all aspects of life.

Jesse Mecham

June 17, 2008