💸 Our Final Full Note of the Year 💸

🔍 In this Issue

• This Week's Money News

• It's Not About the Money

• My Final Two Cents

• Introducing Something New

Need to catch up? Read our latest issues here.

This Week’s Money News

👛 Wallet Watch

• 🟤 I’m still completing my reflections. Read week three’s reflection here.

• 🟤 From shoes to Playstations, here’s how the new administration’s tariffs are expected to impact costs of goods.

• 🟤 Here are a few money moves you should consider before the year is over.

Upcoming Events

📆 Join Us This Thursday

if you’ve been thinking of getting your budget outlined for the new year and don’t want to do it alone, join us on Thursday for our 2025 Planning Party. Bring drinks, a snack, and chill vibes. Learn more and register here.

Fiscal Focus

💸 It’s Not Really About the Money

Happy week 3!

Last week, I shared my 2025 planning process. This week, I wanted to talk more about how my Weekly December Reflection and planning process tie together.

Our Values
I think all of you who read this newsletter could likely agree with me on one thing: money is just the means to an end. After talking to so many of you, it’s clear that we don’t care about the money itself. We care about creating opportunities for our children, taking care of our aging parents, having the time and space to explore the world, and having the cushion in our income to give to the causes and organizations we care about. The money is just the vehicle that gets us there. 

That said, I think it’s clear why my planning process and December reflections go hand-in-hand. I want to create the vision as I examine the dollars and then put those dollars to work to help bring the vision to fruition. When I sit down to plan, I don’t just ask, “What did I spend?” or “How much did I save?”—I ask:

• Did I spend my money in ways that reflect my values?

• Did I create space for the things that bring me joy and fulfillment?

• Did I move closer to the life I envision for myself and my loved ones?

When I first started doing this reflection, I didn’t even know my values. I wasn’t sure what brought me joy and fulfillment. It took time to uncover those things. That’s why this process is so important. You never find the answers if you don’t ask the questions.

I hope this practice is helpful for you. I can’t wait to hear what goals you all have for 2025. This is the final full newsletter of the year! Next week, I’ll be wishing you a Merry Christmas. The week after, I’ll send you Happy New Year wishes. We’ll be back in full force in January, and we are excited to introduce new events and tools to support this community.

It’s been an amazing 2024 with you all. Here’s to 2025. 🥂

Vocab, Mindfulness, and Quick Facts

💰 My Final Two Cents

💬 Money Vocabulary:
Values: Your values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live and work. They (should) determine your priorities, and deep down, they're probably the measures you use to tell if your life is turning out the way you want it to. Read more here.

🧘🏾‍♀️ Mindful Money Prompt:
Check the December Weekly Reflections for this week’s prompt.

📠 Money Quick Fact:
Check back in January for more of our money quick facts.

Celebration Syndicate

🎉 Introducing a New Way to Celebrate You

Did you get a higher-paying job, pay off a credit card, or meet a savings goal? No matter what your money accomplishment is, we want to celebrate you! Share your money wins here for a chance to have them featured in future newsletters and on Ed. Opal socials!