Give Your Budget a Check-Up

We’re in the full swing of Summer, and whether you’re in vacation mode or you’re working just as hard as ever, July is a great time to review your budget. After all, if you created it in January, a lot can change in 7 months, and you want to make adjustments now if you need to. Budgets are fluid documents that are meant to be changed and updated as needed to make sure your money is always working for you.

You don’t need to spend hours and hours pouring over every detail of your budget, but I do suggest taking the five steps listed below to make sure you’re on track to reaching your goals by the end of the year. 

Review & update your budget

If you created your budget at the beginning of the year, now is the time to make sure that it’s still working for you. Are you staying within your budget, or are there some categories that need to be adjusted? With the increases we’ve seen in food and gas prices, many of our clients are finding ways to reduce spending ...

Personal finance books come in two varieties: entertaining or drier than twice-reheated pork chops. So, you may not think of giving recent graduates personal finance books for fear of wasting your money on a book they’ll never read (see: pork chops).

That said, there are some fantastic personal finance books out there! I love giving at least one of these ten books as graduation gifts because they all teach wise financial lessons in relatable ways so grads start out their young lives on the right financial foot.

(Our original post included five books, but I found five more that are worth checking out!)

1. The Latte Factor by David Bach

I love giving The Latte Factor as a gift to everyone, not just recent grads. This book is short and sweet, but very impactful. It teaches that no matter where you are in your personal finance journey, you have the power to achieve your financial goals. You’re richer than you think (and you didn’t have to take any big leaps to make that your reality)...

So who has started spring cleaning? Do you have a good system in place so it doesn’t take hours and hours to get the job done? There certainly are a lot of cleaning checklists on Pinterest and Instagram. As we’re thinking about spring cleaning our homes, it’s also the perfect time to spring clean your finances. The first quarter is over, and last year's taxes have been completed, so let’s get organized financially for the rest of the year.

Here are 10 ideas for spring cleaning your finances.

Check your credit reports. You can check your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus once a year so I recommend checking one at the end of April, one at the end of August, and one at the end of December. Credit report mistakes can prevent you from getting a loan or force you into paying a higher interest rate. If you see any errors or fraudulent activity on your credit report, file a dispute with the credit bureau right away.   

Review your monthly budget. Your current budget may ne...

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many women are thinking about how to show love to the special people in their lives. But before you buy the flowers or book the dinner, I want to invite you to pause and do something equally meaningful: show love to yourself and your financial future.

Self-love is not selfish. It is one of the smartest investments you can make. Just like the airplane safety reminder says, you need to put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others. The same is true with your money. When you prioritize your financial wellness, you create stability, confidence, and peace that benefit everyone around you.

As a financial planner who has helped hundreds of women through major life transitions, I have seen how financial clarity can transform confidence. When you feel in control of your money, you show up differently in every area of your life. You make choices that align with your values, not your fears. And that is the ultimate form of self-love.

Here a...

It’s easy to overspend and go over budget during the holiday season! I’ve certainly done it plenty of times!! I know it’s hard not to get caught up in the gift-buying season with all of the advertisements and “special” deals that we’re bombarded with every day. And none of us want to be viewed as a “scrooge.” With some planning and research, there are so many ideas for creating a wonderfully memorable holiday season without stressing about spending too much. 

Here is a recap of some of our previous blog posts that share gift ideas for some people that may be hard to buy for as well as tips on how to stay on budget and creative ideas for decorating. 

8 Ways to Stay on Budget During the Holidays

Read about some tips to help you stay on budget, including setting spending limits, only shopping for the kids, using cash-back websites, and more! Even if you only want to incorporate a few of these tips, they are sure to help you stay on track this holiday season.

Use These Affordable Holid...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays with its focus on family and gratitude, and it’s the perfect opportunity to feel grateful for everything that I have, despite whatever bumps in the road tried to take me off course throughout the year. But Thanksgiving can also be a difficult time for people for a variety of reasons so I wanted to share how developing a gratitude mindset can help you take a different approach to not only Thanksgiving but each new day. 

So what is a gratitude mindset? 

Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful and exhibiting a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Simply put, a gratitude mindset is the ability to focus on the positive things in life rather than the negative - you know the glass is half full kind of thinking. You see opportunities instead of obstacles. When you can focus on gratitude, the number of things you appreciate continue to grow. 

Why should you strive for a gratitude mindset?

Engaging in a gratitude...

If you have ever felt nervous about asking for a raise or raising your prices, you are not alone. Many women, even successful and high-achieving women, hesitate to advocate for themselves financially.

Sometimes it is mindset. Sometimes it is fear of rejection. Sometimes it is that voice whispering “Who am I to ask for more?” But here is the truth: your skills, experience, and growth have value. Your compensation should reflect that. Whether you work for a company or run your own business, increasing your income often starts with getting comfortable asking for what you deserve.

Why Asking for More Money Matters

I once worked with a client who transitioned into data analytics without a formal degree in that field. She was talented, highly capable, and significantly underpaid.

She believed she did not deserve the same salary as someone who studied analytics in school. However, I encouraged her to look at the value she was delivering: her expertise grew every year, her skills contribut...

April is Financial Literacy Month! It’s such an important time for me because I truly believe in the importance of education, especially around money. The reality is that the schools don’t provide much, if any, financial education.

So, I want to make sure you have the tools to feel confident in sharing this information with your kids and also so you are confident in advocating for yourself when it comes to your finances.

I remember learning about money at a young age — I must have been about 10 and my brother was 15. My mom was a single mom. She hurt her back and couldn't go grocery shopping, so it fell to us (my brother and I) to go to the store and get what we needed.

It was the first time we had to be responsible to get the groceries and it was a little scary. We were in charge of making sure we chose wisely so we would all have food to eat for the whole week and hadn’t loaded the cart with groceries that would exceed our budget.

Even though it was a little nerve-wracking, that ...

If you want to increase your income and feel confident advocating for yourself financially, your mindset is the very first place to start. While we cannot control everything around us, we do have influence over the most powerful piece of the puzzle: our thoughts, our reactions, and the beliefs that shape how we approach money. When you take ownership of that inner voice, you put yourself in a strong position to attract and earn more.

And it begins with a simple act: asking for what you want.

Kids have this mastered. My kids ask for McDonald’s constantly and they do it with zero hesitation. Even though they hear “no” almost every time, they keep asking. They have not yet learned the fear that so many adults feel around money, rejection, or being seen as “too much.” There is a lot we can learn from that confidence.

Wanting something does not guarantee it will happen. But believing you have agency and actively participating in your money journey opens the door to more opportunities. Yo...

Often, as a woman is entering a life transition, she experiences this feeling of “I can do it!” mixed with a hefty dose of “What am I going to do?” Our mission at Watch Her Thrive is to provide support for women to thrive through these transitions.” 

The goal behind Watch Her Thrive is to be a beacon. It’s more than just writing helpful blog articles to show you how something is done. It’s to empower you and show you that, Yes, you can do it!

From my early career days, I’ve always been an educator. I've used my experiences to provide support for women to thrive, regardless of circumstances. Sometimes in the traditional sense, like when I taught third grade in inner-city Baltimore; and sometimes in the non-traditional sense, like when I became a published senior equity research analyst. And sometimes in the very non-traditional sense as my ex-husband and I navigated the adoption system.

No matter what I did, my mom was always my rock. She was non-judgemental, full of support and enco...