Last week I talked about your money story - where our thoughts and feelings about money originated. This week we’re moving into the present and asking, “What is actually happening with my money right now?” Not what you think or hope is happening. What is actually, honestly happening. 🟢 Why awareness is the foundation of everything Most of us operate on financial autopilot. Money comes in, money goes out, and we hope things are basically working out. We have a general sense of our spending but don’t look too closely because we’re busy/it’s uncomfortable/we don’t really want to know…you choose the reason that applies to you. Awareness might seem scary at first, but once you have a clear picture of where you are, you can begin making intentional choices. You need to know what’s happening now, so you can decide which improvements and changes you want to make. The good news is awareness itself creates change. Simply noticing where your money goes can create a natural shift in how you spend. It puts you back in the driver’s seat instead of feeling like money is just something that happens to you. 🟢 What awareness actually looks like Financial awareness doesn’t have to be complicated. It means checking your account regularly, noticing your spending habits, and paying attention to where your money goes. It also means noticing your money feelings. Do you shop when you’re stressed? Spend when you’re sad/bored/lonely? How are your emotions tied to your finances? 🟢 This week’s action step For the next seven days, I want you to try checking your accounts every day. Quickly glance at checking and savings balances, note your credit card balance, and just pay attention to what’s happening with your money. Notice what’s there, how it makes you feel, and any patterns that start to emerge over the week. At the end of the week, set aside some time to think about what you learned. Awareness can have a huge impact on the way you manage your money day-to-day, so establishing this habit can naturally lead to positive changes.

Join the win-a-day challenge and share your financial wins five days in a row. Share in the community with #winaday so we can cheer you on!

It recently dawned on me that determining the best way to use this community might not be very clear! I'm hoping this post will help direct you on the best way to take advantage of everything here. I know it's a little long, but I think taking a few minutes to read it will pay off and help you make the most of MMS. Of course, I'm always here if you have questions, aren't sure where to start, or need anything at all! Money Made Simple is a community built to support women developing financial literacy skills. We're here to keep you thinking about money and focused on supporting you as you work to hit your financial goals, whatever they may be. MMS offers tips, information, lessons, resources, and asks questions to keep you thinking. Content can be found in two places. First, in the community feed. You'll find a weekly newsletter shared most Mondays full of ideas, information, questions, and tips focused on different elements of your finances. There are typically daily follow-up posts focused on the same topic as the newsletter. Second, you'll find content in the classroom. Because the feed can be long and overwhelming to search, all important posts and videos are in the classroom under the appropriate category. You also want to be sure to check the calendar. All calls, challenges, workshops, etc. can be found there. I'm working to get events calendared a month in advance so you can add things you're interested in to your own schedules. First Steps 1️⃣ When you join, I highly recommend hitting the classroom tab and working through the Start Here section. We have made some changes around here in the last few months, and this section will get some updates in July, but it's still a good spot to get basic details and an introduction to the community. 2️⃣ Next, determine what you need to work on when it comes to your money. If you know it's time to familiarize yourself with your finances, set up a budget, etc., move to Phase One. In Phase One, you'll find four categories of learning walking you through everything you need to do to understand where you are now and steps to get you where you want to be. You can work through this phase at your own pace, one step at a time.

The Money Moment is a new feature here in MMS. Each week I'll be sharing a quick, 5ish minute video that expands on the topic from the week's newsletter. This week's video is a little longer since I spend the first couple minutes introducing the Money Moment, but moving forward my goal is to keep them to short little lessons or reflections. This week is all about your money story. I talk about what it is, why it matters, share an example, and give some tips on rewriting yours. Let me know what you think!

What are you thankful for today? Drop a gif or comment of something you're grateful for today. Gratitude helps us focus on what we have, and less on what we wish we had!