🤓 CPA helping moms:📈 Invest confidently🚸 Raise money-savvy kids 🤑 👉 My FREE Money Challenge helps you accomplish the MOST important financial tasks step-by-step!
💸 Break up with the Joneses . . .
|
Hey Reader, “The easiest way to avoid the temptation to keep up with the Joneses
. . . is to not hang out with the Joneses.”
My husband and I are nearing our Financial Independence goal, and if I had to credit one major factor, it was this: avoiding lifestyle inflation as much as possible so we could invest the difference. But how did we do that without feeling miserable? ✅ Choosing our neighborhood, schools, and social circles wisely. Admittedly, finding extra money to invest wasn’t always easy. Early in our marriage, living on a modest income in one of the country's most expensive areas forced us into a state of borderline deprivation—we could cover our basic needs, but there was virtually nothing left for wants. But as our income grew over the years, our strategy shifted. We finally earned enough to leave deprivation behind. Then, instead of trying to upgrade our lifestyle into the trappings of "high society" (luxury homes, private schools, and country clubs), we stayed in the same neighborhood, attended public schools, and joined a modest community pool. We intentionally surrounded ourselves with kind, hard-working people who aren't pining for flashy possessions or status symbols, choosing instead to value deep relationships and meaningful shared experiences. When you change who—and what—you look at every day, you completely change what your brain desires. Money Fit Challenge of the Month: "Mute the Joneses" Digital Cleanse✅ The Goal: This month, audit your digital environment to protect your subconscious from lifestyle inflation. 👉 The Action: Unfollow, mute, or unsubscribe from the sources that trigger the urge to spend more than you want to. This could be a luxury lifestyle influencer or all the retail email lists designed to trigger impulse buys. 👉 Wanting less because you *love what you already have* is a financial superpower. 🦸🏻♀️By the way, if you'd like to learn the simple strategy my husband and I used to get on track for early retirement (without spending hours managing our finances), come hang out with me for an hour. The live class is capped at 100, so I can answer your questions directly in the bonus Q&A. 👉 LAST class this year! Grab one of the remaining spots here! 📈 Your nerdiest finance friend, Lisa Schader, CPA Financial Coach - Founder of MoneyFitMoms Want help getting your finances on track? That's my passion! 🤗
P.s. This is your monthly reminder to update your Net Worth. . . an easy way to track your financial progress. Want the Money Meeting Agenda?
|
Lisa Schader, CPA @MoneyFitMoms 🤓💸
🤓 CPA helping moms:📈 Invest confidently🚸 Raise money-savvy kids 🤑 👉 My FREE Money Challenge helps you accomplish the MOST important financial tasks step-by-step!
Hey Reader, “The culture wars have divided us — this is how we come back together.” Summer is officially kicking off, and for so many moms, the financial and mental load is already peaking. If you're already stressed trying to balance work with the soaring costs of summer child care, please hear me: this is not a personal failure. Last year alone, nearly 500,000 women left the U.S. workforce—largely driven out by skyrocketing care costs. The U.S. remains the only developed country without...
Hey Reader, “If I keep chasing more, I will never feel like I have enough." This month’s challenge comes from the book Never Enough: From Barista to Billionaire—the story of a man who built a net worth approaching $1 BILLION, bought the mansions, supercars, and waterfront vacation homes… and became increasingly miserable. What struck me most wasn’t the size of his wealth. It was how NO amount of money protected him from the trap of wanting MORE. In fact, the more he bought, the less time,...
Hey Reader, If things stay on track, my husband and I could be financially independent (FI) as soon as summer 2027(meaning: we could cover our living expenses with our investments alone, making work optional). That still feels wild to write — and I want to be clear about something: This didn’t happen quickly. We’ve been working really hard toward this goal since we took our first investing class back in 2008. It’s been almost 20 years of showing up, learning, resetting mistakes, and doing the...