Jen Your Money Coach

If you've been lurking and haven't followed yet — now's a great time. 😄 I post real money stuff, no lectures, no giving up coffee. Just hit follow and see what happens.

On my personal page's "Memories" today, was my long-winded frustration with Quicken as a software to try to manage my personal budget. Reading that thread brought back so many memories of feeling so lost with our money. Not knowing that no two months are EVER the same, so looking at Quicken's "budget" was like trying to predict July's forecast by looking at June's weather. Not knowing what any of this money was actually for, or if we could afford anything.

I remember the first time I ever put all our numbers down - all our costs, compared with our income. I was applying for private school for our first born. I don't know how those poor admittance people didn't laugh us out of the office. We literally had $20 "extra funds" every month. And what did I do with that new-found knowledge?

Nothing. I ignored it. After all - we were paying the bills. We weren't rich, and so our kid wasn't going to go to private school. We went back to our lives - slowly and steadily digging ourselves deeper into debt. Quicken never showed us any problems. We thought we were fine.

As the AI bots say: spoiler - we were not fine. lol
It took almost 5 more years of this - trying spreadsheets and talking to financial planners (who, btw, do NOT help you with budgeting) - before it (finally) stopped working for us, and I started searching for a serious answer. That's when I finally found YNAB, and started to really KNOW exactly what my money was for.

I don't know if I can explain the peace of mind I got almost immediately, but I just know that the nights lying awake wondering if we could eat, keep the electricity on and ever retire, were over. I can now see just how much we have, and exactly what we want to spend each dollar on. It was life changing, no exaggeration.

Reading all the similar stories in the new book "Never Worry About Money Again" made me nod and go "yup - been there" so many times. It's one of those feelings I wish I could give to everyone! Start by reading this book - it might just change your life.

(Reminder: I’m part of YNAB’s book launch team and received an advance copy and thank-you package. However, I also am required to give only HONEST reviews, and that is what I've done!)

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Hi friends! I would love to build this little community to start sharing more money tips and wisdom to the world... So I am going to challenge myself to get to 100 followers! Can you help? Find a recent post you loved, share it with your friends and suggest they follow me. I be posting new tips regularly so you can keep learning and liking my content (I hope!)
Thank you, as always, for supporting my small business and helping me bring financial help to more people.

Wondering what actually happens in a free first session with me? Let's pull back the curtain. 👀
It's not a sales pitch. I'm not going to corner you into signing up with me.
It's just 30 minutes where I ask about your life — what's stressing you out, what you wish felt easier, what you've already tried that didn't work. No judgment, I promise.
Then I tell you honestly if I think I can help, and what that would actually look like. If it's not a good fit? I'll tell you that too.
Most people come in nervous and leave saying "that was so much less scary than I thought." Which is totally legit — money stuff feels vulnerable. I get it.
So if you've been curious but keep putting it off... that's literally all it is. A conversation. Link in bio. 💛
What's stopping you from booking that first chat? Genuinely curious. 👇

So, remember how I said I'm on the launch team for a new book by Jesse Mecham — the founder of YNAB? 📚 Here's why I applied!
I said I'd do this because YNAB changed my life — and I've watched it change so many others too. I wanted to be part of getting that message to as many people as possible.
I also am hoping it would back up everything I already tell my clients — that being good with money doesn't mean giving up your coffee, your donuts, or anything else that brings you joy. It just means being intentional about it.
That's my kind of money book. 💛

I'm just about halfway through, and so far this book is everything I hoped it would be! I can't wait to finish it and share more with you - but if you want to get ahead of the crowd, go ahead and pre-order now! (Note: I don't get anything from this, just making a suggestion because I genuinely think you'd like it)

It's called Never Worry About Money Again and it comes out August 11th. Link in comments to pre-order!

Full Disclosure: I’m part of YNAB’s book launch team and received an advance copy and thank-you package.

Here's one tiny skill to start getting good with your money — forget the 47-step budgeting systems you see online. Just ask yourself one question:
"What is this paycheck actually for?"
Not what you think it SHOULD be for. What do you actually want to do with your money? Once you know that, everything else gets easier.

What's one thing your money is FOR? Tell me below. 👇 Extra points for NOT saying "bills!" 😂

Yep, it's 6 months to Christmas, today! How ready do you feel? There's still time to get prepared. Give me a call and we can discuss how.

Halfway to the Holidays! | Jen Your Money Coach Holiday season - the ones that all come and crash your schedule in December - is just 6 months away! Are you ready? YNABbers are!

Beach trip wasn't originally in this year's vacation plans. 🏖️
(This is trip #3 from my Summer 2026 teaser — the one that came out of nowhere!)
Somewhere in May I looked at our calendar and realized we only had one big family trip this summer. With a chunk of free time in June staring at us, I thought — we should do something fun.
So I asked the family. Unanimous verdict: beach. Our favorite little town we've been going to since the kids were small. We like it because it doesn't require elaborate planning, flights, or complicated packing lists. Just find a room, grab the sunscreen, go.
I moved some money around from lower priority categories — stuff we just weren't going to spend on any time soon (if ever) — and suddenly a trip that "wasn't in the budget" was completely in the budget.
That's the thing about YNAB that I love the most: it's not just for planning ahead, it's for saying yes when something comes up, even when it wasn't on the original plan.
If you're tired of skipping things because of money stress, I can help with that. Hit me up for a (free) chat to see if we fit. (Link in bio of course 💙)
And tell me - what's your favorite kind of family getaway — big elaborate trip or simple and easy like ours? 👇

Okay I have exciting news and I cannot keep it to myself. 🎉
You know how I said I'm not the "give up your coffee" money coach? Turns out YNAB wrote a whole book about that.
It's called "Never Worry About Money Again" and I've been invited to join the official launch team — which means I already have an advance copy in my hands.
As a YNAB Certified Coach this feels like a pretty big deal. A book about finally feeling good about money without the guilt, the restriction, or the lectures about lattes? Yes please. 😄 At least, I hope that is what it's about! LOL
I'm not allowed to share details yet — but I AM allowed to tell you it's coming, that I'm reading it, and that I'll have my honest thoughts to share closer to launch.
If worrying about money feels like your default setting right now — stay tuned. 👀💛
Disclosure: I’m part of YNAB’s book launch team and received an advance copy and thank-you package.