Hey Girlies,
Happy holidays!
Because it’s a short (holiday) week, we’re keeping this week’s newsletter and podcast episode brief.
(Much like you, we would rather be plotting how many crafts, Christmas cookies, and movies we can cram into the next week.)
But if you’re craving a quiet mindset reset amidst the holiday chaos, we’ve got just the thing for you…
We created a 30-minute New Year Money Reset to help ease your biggest money pain point this January. Details on that (plus a link to accompanying free download) below!
Also! We’ve got one more podcast episode going out in 2025, and it’s a fun one. Next week, we’re dropping our “2025 Wrapped” episode, where we answer personal questions about what we spent, how we stuck to our financial goals, our best and worst purchases, and more.
Plus, this year we added new, juicer questions to the mix. (And for that reason, you’ll have to be a Finance Girlies Insider to hear the whole episode.)
Stay tuned next week for this celebratory episode!
Wishing you lots of rest, joy, and hot cocoa this week!
On the pod 🎧
Last year around this time, we recorded an episode called How to financially plan for the new year (5 steps + free worksheet).
At the time, our listenership was tiny — this was only the 7th episode we’d published. Still, we heard from a handful of folks that they found it helpful.
We’re so glad, because we looked back at that worksheet while planning this episode, and we both felt overwhelmed. We’re not sure if it’s because we’re just tired or because we’ve learned more about financial education over the last twelve months — but we felt like that episode and worksheet were wayyyy too meaty.
This year, we’re trying something different: A quick 30-minute reset to alleviate ONE financial pain point in the new year.
We’re not trying to do everything this time around, because honestly, this is a busy time of year (and we’d rather be crafting, reading, and watching Christmas movies snuggled up with our pets).
But we also want you to head into the New Year with financial optimism.
This episode (and downloadable worksheet) is where we landed.
Not only will this help you address your biggest money pain point, it’ll help you plan for the inevitable obstacles that threaten to derail your progress.
Tackle it before the clock strikes midnight next week, or wait until you’re back in your regular routine, ideally feeling refreshed from some time off. Either way, this is a quick, low-lift exercise that we promise won’t overwhelm you.
👉 Grab your worksheet here!(And make a copy if you want to edit it.)
More of a reader? Check out the full episode breakdown on our blog.
🎤 Mic drop moment:
“It’s really easy to think that if this thing is important to me, I will naturally make time for it.
And then if you find yourself not making time for it, it’s easy to beat yourself up about it and be like, well, this thing must not actually matter to me because it’s not happening.
I find myself doing this all of the time. When I’m in a busy season of work, everything else falls to the wayside. Dishes are piling up in the sink. I’m not folding laundry right out the dryer. I’m not doing anything else that I should be.
And so I feel like by writing down all of the roadblocks that could get in the way, you’re able to stay more mindful of them. And then you can make sure they don’t stop you in 2026 from working on this thing that you wanna work on.”
Catchup corner 💬
What we’ve been up to:
* E: For the first time since moving, I woke up early Saturday and drove into town for a “community run” followed by coffee with the local track club. It’s one of those things that I kind of dread the night before (especially when it’s 20 degrees) but am always so glad I went.
* C: I spent 4 hours on Saturday building out this gallery wall in my TV nook. Obsessed is an understatement.
What we’ve been reading/watching/listening to:
* E: My Spotify Wrapped playlist. I share an account with my husband, so our Wrapped is an eclectic mix. Chappel Roan, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Chris Stapleton top the charts for 2025.
* C: Are there any SNL fans in the house? I go to bed way too early to watch it on Saturday night, but catching up on last night’s episode is my favorite Sunday activity.
What we’ve been crafting:
* E: Not exactly crafting, but I’ve hemmed 3 pairs of curtains over the last few weeks. Honestly, a super easy project but very satisfying to have done myself. (Also, why are all the curtains I’ve bought soooo long?)
* C: I finally finished my paper-chain garland wall (!!)
Money moment:
* E: My husband and I finally sat down to redo our budget post-move. And it wasn’t as overwhelming or scary as we thought! Just goes to show that sometimes the hardest part of managing your money is taking the first look when you’ve been avoiding it.
* C: Don’t sleep on giving grocery store gift cards to the adults in your life! I received a lil’ Trader Joe’s gift card from a family member, and the joy I felt getting ‘free groceries’ this week was truly unmatched.
Money tip of the week 💸
A lot of us feel the urge to completely overhaul our lives at the start of the New Year. (‘New Year, New Me’ as they say. 💅) But instead of trying to reinvent your financial life completely, just focus on the first baby step you need to take to get there. That could look like:
* Committing to not add any new debt to your plate in January
* Opening that HSA you’ve been meaning to get around to (it’s Cass, hi 👋)
* Redoing your direct deposit at work so part of your paycheck automatically goes into your savings account
Need help deciding what your first step should be? Do this quick exercise.
Love ya, bye!
Emily + Cassidy
