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“Help! I Think I’m Bad with Money”
How to manage money anxiety.
Victoria Christie
January 24, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes
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JANUARY 24, 2025
Talking Points
Welcome back to another special edition of Financial Fridays with Facet*, the financial planning membership. 💰 💸 Today’s topic is about how to deal with money anxiety. If you think you’re bad with your money, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals at Facet, Kathy Griffin, Meagen Wagner, and Jeanette Beatty, have some words of wisdom. 💗
“Help! I Think I’m Bad with Money”
First, we have to debunk the tired, boring, misogynistic myth that women are inherently “bad” with money. It’s because we only care about buying frivolous, materialistic items like designer shoes and $72 serums, right? 🙄 Yawn! And if a woman is financially successful, it must be because of a rich father or husband! You should see how hard we’re rolling our eyes right now.
What does it mean to be “bad with money” anyway? 😰
“For many, it’s a matter of not having a clear picture of what they should be spending versus saving and not having a simple method to keep track,” says Griffin.
Wagner agrees. “It really just means you need more visibility, accountability, and education around finance. Deciding to dig into your own earning and spending habits can be intimidating, but knowledge is really the first step to understanding what needs to change and what comes next in working towards your goals.”
Here’s how you can take the stress out of managing your finances:
Reframe your POV. The first step is freeing yourself from this limiting label. Repeat after us: You’re not “bad with money.” You made choices with the information you had at the time and the situation you were in, so please, forgive yourself.
Get curious. If you tend to overspend (who hasn’t been there?), Beatty suggests asking yourself these questions: How has overspending benefited you? Were you stressed out? Were you lonely? Did you set too low of a spending budget for the month? Did you stop paying attention to your bank account?
Start small. “Pick one area to focus on and build on your success,” says Beatty. “If you have zero in savings, focus there first, build up one month's worth of cash reserves. If you have debt that you're avoiding, open your statements and get an accounting of where you sit. If you have a good foundation in place but you haven't started investing, it's time to find out if you can participate in your 401(k) plan at work or start an IRA.”
Make budgeting work for you. It’s a little something called “intentional spending,” according to Wagner. “Structure your expenses around what is important to you and your goals.”
Say you love cooking but find yourself ordering Uber Eats three times a week because you’re too exhausted after work to even wash a head of lettuce (same!), “there is a misalignment between your intentions and the reality of your expenses,” says Wagner. “This exercise helps uncover what intentional spending means to you.”
First, draft a theoretical monthly budget. What would you ideally spend on all categories each month? Things like groceries, entertainment, transportation, restaurants, etc. Then compare it to the reality of what you spent last month. From there, the categories that are the most far off from your intentional budget are the ones you’re going to focus on.
“Just saying you’re going to spend less money in general is usually not sustainable,” says Wagner. Instead, saying, “I’m only going to spend $____ a week on eating out” is a lot more specific, making it easier to hold yourself accountable.
Ask for help. Whether it’s opening up to your friends and family or working with a trusted CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (see below 👀👇), talking about your finances and leaning on others for support will relieve you of that emotional burden. You don’t have to figure out your finances all on your own!
🤑 Community challenge of the week: Struggling to pay off your credit card in full every month? "Try paying the full outstanding balance every time you get paid instead," advises Griffin.
Book a FREE 15-minute call with Facet today to learn how you can make your money work for you, not the other way around.
*Sponsored by Facet. (“Facet Wealth, Inc”) is an SEC-registered investment adviser. This is not an offer to sell securities or the solicitation of an offer to purchase securities. Facet’s specific investment management services vary depending upon the chosen service level. This is not investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.
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Snacks
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 Dove Pro-Retinol Body Cream Serum, Amazon, $13.99 | The Body Serum That Works Wonders“TBH, I’ve always found it kind of strange that there’s an entire industry dedicated to the skincare products we put on our face, while the skin on the rest of our bodies goes largely ignored, or slathered in some basic lotion with no notable ingredients. So, when I discovered this new Pro-Retinol Body Cream Serum from Dove, I was extremely intrigued. It promises to firm, lift, and brighten skin in just two days: I’ll admit, I was skeptical, but after applying it for the past week, I’m officially converted. The moisture truly lasts and gives my skin this supple quality I didn’t know was possible from a lotion in a few short days, especially one at this price. Beyond that, my husband started using it on his famously rough and bumpy arms, and we’ve both been shocked at the improvements we’ve seen. For the first time in as long as I’ve known him, his arms are soft. It’s a miracle! The only issue is: now I have to share my favorite lotion. 😜 ” — Lara, contributor |
 HEATTECH Cashmere Blend Turtleneck, UNIQLO, $24.90 | The Go-To Layering Piece“Living in a cold climate means layering is a survival skill—a polar vortex is looming as I write this! Staying warm and stylish is a real challenge. I don't want to look bulky! This is where UNIQLO's HEATTECH Cashmere Blend Turtlenecks come to the rescue! I own them in black and gray, and I’ve been stalking the site for the Natural color to restock. They’re suuuuper soft and surprisingly warm for being so lightweight and sheer, making them the perfect base for layering. 🚨 PSA 🚨 They’re sheer enough to show your bra, so maybe skip the solo office look, but that makes them stealthily sexy for a cute little date-night look. Dress them up or dress them under, they're versatile, affordable, and a winter staple.” — Kate, brand partnerships manager |
 The Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 30 oz. Tumblr™ in Pomelo, Stanley, $35 | The Viral Tumbler That’s Worth the Hype“Everyone and their 8-year-old niece have a Stanley, so this Staff Pick is by no means original (yes, I am lightyears behind), but let me tell you, I get it now. It’s the only thing I’ve been sipping out of ever since I got it for my birthday in November. (Don’t worry, I’ve washed it… um twice or three times I think? Oop!). My old water bottle didn’t fit in the cup holder of my car (Stanleys do!), so I would throw it on the car seat, just to have it leak everywhere. 🙄 I am in love with this Stanley’s sunny yellow color and how it keeps my water ice-cold for hours. The 30 oz. is just big enough but not as bulky as the 42 oz. It goes everywhere with me: beside me at my desk, to spin class, and running errands. Ya girl is quenched! 💦 ” — Victoria, executive editor |
Weekend Plans
Before you log off for a well-earned weekend of rest and relaxation, let us help you curate your weekend vibes with the best things to watch, cook, and read right now. ✨
👀 To watch: Severance is back after three (very long) years—an especially cruel move because Season 1 ended on one of the biggest cliffhangers in TV history! The second episode of the new season is out today, so get ready to strap back into this creepy dystopian hellride.
👩🍳 To cook: Victoria, Girlboss’ executive editor, saw this Warm Roasted Vegetable Harvest Couscous Salad from Ambitious Kitchen in TheSkimm’s newsletter, and she made it that night for dinner with some oven-baked chicken drumsticks. 10/10!
📚 To read: Fantasy lovers and #BookTok enthusiasts alike have been salivating over the new release of Rebecca Yarros's Onyx Storm, the latest installment in The Empyrean Series. If you love Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses or Throne of Glass, you’ll have to pick this one up too.
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