HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Episode: A Week In Her Wallet: A 35-Year-Old Nurse and Money Coach Who Swears By Systems

Date: January 30, 2026
Guests: Prisca – Nurse, Money Coach

Episode Overview

In this episode of the "A Week in Her Wallet" series, Jean Chatzky follows Prisca, a 35-year-old nurse and part-time money coach from New Jersey, as she tracks and reflects on her spending over one week. The conversation delves into Prisca’s practical systems for managing money, the psychology behind her choices, her strategies for resisting impulse purchases, and the unique ways her career as a nurse influences her approach to personal finance. Jean and Prisca explore how structure, intention, and self-compassion help create lasting financial habits.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Prisca's Background & Approach to Money

• Prisca works full-time as a nurse and part-time as a money coach; combined annual income is ~$85,000.
• She credits money podcasts (including HerMoney) with her financial re-education, and now teaches others personal finance through straightforward, jargon-free advice.
• Quote: "When I realized how simple money can be ... Once I applied it and saw the effects, I was like, oh my God, people have to know this." – Prisca (01:31)

Theme of Control & Systems

• Prisca emphasizes the influence individuals truly have over their money:

  “A lot of people don't take as much control as they have the power to do...In terms of how we manage our own finances, the control we have over that, it’s completely in our power.” – Prisca (02:20)

• She builds routines ("SOPs"—Standard Operating Procedures) for spending, saving, and even responding to temptations, to keep decisions rational and remove stress.

Week in the Wallet: Day-by-Day Highlights

Monday

• Spending: Therapy bill ($8.25), Costco ($36.62), pho from a restaurant (comfort for feeling under the weather).
• Mindfulness: Allowed herself comfort spending (pho), but resisted over-indulging in snacks and impulse buys.
• Quote: "This feeling under the weather makes me feel like I need comfort a lot...sometimes a dangerous feeling to have around my money." – Prisca (04:53)

Grocery Shopping Strategies (06:37–07:37)

• Primary stores: Costco & Trader Joe’s.
• Limits visits to main two shops for simplicity and to avoid impulse spending.
• Partners with her husband: He goes to Costco with a strict list (less temptation), she allows herself 1-2 spontaneous items at Trader Joe’s, max.
• Quote: "Trader Joe's is great because it's like limited… with Costco, there is a lot to googly eye. So I actually send my husband with a list to Costco ..." – Prisca (06:37)

Therapy as a Regular Expense (08:42)

• Pays $80 per session (used to be $5 copay), uses FSA funds to reduce anxiety over the higher cost.
• Routine bi-weekly sessions are prioritized for mental health.
• Quote: "I use my FSA to cover that so that I could... feel less anxiety about it because that is money already set aside for my healthcare..." – Prisca (08:42)

Avoiding Food Delivery & Balancing Health (11:49–12:38)

• Picks up food rather than ordering in to avoid delivery fees.
• Financial and fitness goals are linked through routine, mindful choices in food and spending. Both require habit formation and planning ahead.
• Quote: "The same way you want to develop habits when it comes to your money, same things you want to do when it comes to your health." – Prisca (12:38)

Saying "No" to Unnecessary Bulk Buys (14:01)

• Avoids buying Costco-size products she’s never tried to prevent waste.
• Views mistakes as learning experiences for updating her “SOPs.”
• Quote: "Whenever I make mistakes, quote unquote, I don't look at them as mistakes. It's more like learning experiences." – Prisca (14:01)

Wednesday: Adapting to Life Changes (15:02)

• Refills E-ZPass account by $100 due to husband’s new commute (previously used bus, now drives).
• Adjusted budget so husband contributes weekly refills from his paycheck.
• Quote: "Every paycheck I check the easy pass to see if it needs money and I top it off... now we have it in his budget that he's going to add money every week with his PayCheck..." – Prisca (16:09)

Money Management in Marriage (16:23)

• Household system: “His, Hers, and Ours”—joint finances for household expenses, separate for individual spending (including cars and personal expenses).
• Quote: "When it comes to things like EasyPass, this is... all him." – Prisca (17:08)

Thursday: Payday Routines & Donations (19:22)

• Payday: Implements automated systems—savings, investing, credit card payments.
• Donates $50 to her religious organization (planned, recurring item).
• “Sinking fund” for guilt-free spending.
• Quote: "It doesn't necessarily enact a special feeling except for I'm always grateful to be able to continue doing it because it was a time when I couldn't." – Prisca (19:53)

Sinking Fund Explained (21:19)

• Started in 2018–2019 after learning about financial flexibility.
• Money is automatically set aside each paycheck for spontaneous, guilt-free spending (e.g. massage, gifts).
• Separate from structured sinking funds for travel, home, etc.

Friday: Gas Routine (23:24–25:57)

• Spends $8.26 to fill up her car; never allows tank to drop below a quarter (learned from past experiences of running out of gas).
• Emphasizes comfort and routine as means of reducing stress.
• Quote: "It's a far cry from when I was in college, like, really trying to make that dollar stretch. And one time I did run out of gas on the... highway on the way to work." – Prisca (24:57)
• "I just aim for calm." (25:57)

Saturday: Joy Spending – Dance Class (26:08–28:14)

• $25.98 for two hours of dance classes with her sister; recognizes importance of spending on joy.
• Values the freedom and happiness dancing brings—contrasts with her generally structured approach.
• Quote: "It's the one place I feel like completely free... I'm just here to learn the thing. I get so much joy of people's energies..." – Prisca (27:18)

Sunday: Routine Costco Run (28:14–29:38)

• Husband does the weekly $72.79 grocery run with a list, keeping spending lower than when she used to go alone.
• Proud of progress in controlling impulse and convenience spending at bulk stores.
• Recognizes some spending on convenience treats but overall stays within budget.
• Quote: "It used to be that this would easily be $100, $200 every week... if I could do it, I promise you could do it." – Prisca (29:38)

Takeaways and Actionable Advice

Prisca's Top Money Advice

Pay Yourself First:

"The one I always give people to do first is to just pay yourself first... Now it's like a set amount. 400, $500 is going towards investing and saving every single paycheck... so you see your savings grow and it motivates you to do it more." (31:44)

• Prioritize automation: direct a fixed sum to savings/investments each pay period, rather than saving what’s “left over.”
• Establish routines and standard procedures for money decisions to build calm and reduce the anxiety and friction of daily choices.
• Sinking funds—segregate discretionary/guilt-free spending from structural budgeting to reduce emotional stress about little purchases.
• Accept that systems need to adapt to changing circumstances (healthcare costs, family life, transportation, etc.), and build flexibility into your planning.
• Allow for (and celebrate!) spending that brings joy—whether that’s good food, mental health care, or a Saturday spent dancing.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Prisca on personal control:

  "I think a lot of people don't take as much control as they have the power to do... In terms of how we manage our own finances, the control we have over that, it’s completely in our power." (02:20)

• On linking health and wealth:

  "The same way you want to develop habits when it comes to your money, same things you want to do when it comes to your health." (12:38)

• On systems and learning from mistakes:

  "Whenever I make mistakes, quote unquote, I don't look at them as mistakes. It's more like learning experiences." (14:01)

• On routines to reduce anxiety:

  "Having a routine to me is just easier... I just aim for calm." (25:57)

• On joy and financial discipline:

  "I want my money to look like the way I want my life to look like, where it's calm. I get to travel without worrying about incurring debt..." (28:14) "It's the one place I feel like completely free... I'm just here to learn the thing. I get so much joy of people's energies..." (27:18)

Key Timestamps

• [01:20] Prisca's background and approach to money coaching
• [02:20] The importance of control and agency in personal finance
• [04:53] Mindful spending and comfort buys
• [06:37] Grocery shopping systems, minimizing temptation
• [08:42] Therapy as a financial and mental health priority
• [12:38] The crossover between physical and financial health habits
• [14:01] Saying “no” and learning from spending “mistakes”
• [15:02] Adjusting budgets for household changes (commuting)
• [19:22] Automated payday routines and guilt-free funds
• [23:24] Gas tank routine and preventing stress
• [26:08] Prioritizing joy through activities like dance
• [28:14] Weekly grocery run, budgeting, and shared household responsibilities
• [31:44] Prisca’s #1 advice: Pay yourself first to build financial safety

Final Thoughts

Prisca’s story highlights the rewards of mindful, proactive money management — not deprivation, but purposeful spending that balances needs, comforts, and pleasures. By embracing structure and automating good habits, she moves toward lasting financial wellness and reduces daily stress. Her advice and routines offer practical steps for anyone seeking more confidence and joy in how they handle their finances.