A Week In Her Wallet: A 48-Year-Old School Counselor’s $1,000 Week

Summary

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky
Episode: A Week In Her Wallet: A 48-Year-Old School Counselor’s $1,000 Week
Date: September 5, 2025

---

Episode Overview

This episode of HerMoney features another installment in the "A Week In Her Wallet" series, where host Jean Chatzky invites a real woman from the HerMoney community to track her spending for a week and reflect on her financial decisions. The focus for this episode is Kathy, a 48-year-old school counselor, wife, and mother of two teenagers, living outside Philadelphia. Through Kathy’s week, listeners get a candid snapshot of typical summer spending mixed with family gatherings, personal care splurges, unexpected expenses, and the realities of budgeting as a middle-aged woman with a family.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing Kathy & Her Context ([02:55])

• Who is Kathy?
  • School counselor in Montgomery County, PA.
  • Married to another teacher, mother of two teens, and two dogs.
  • Has summers "off" but chooses to work part-time in July for extra income.

“I’m a mom of two teenagers and a wife and a mom of two dogs.” — Kathy [03:01]

• Motivation for Tracking
  • Doesn’t usually track daily spending, but summer patterns and family gatherings prompted her to get a clearer handle on money flow when schedules—and expenses—change.

---

Monday: The Cost of Convenience ([04:28])

• Spending

  • $25 to hem a pair of clearance pants at the dry cleaner.

• Reflections on Spending

  • Annoyed at paying more for alterations than the pants cost, but necessary due to lack of sewing skills.
  • Sees it as a tradeoff of cost for convenience.

“I spent more on the hemming of them. But…it was necessary. I’m wearing them all summer, so as long as I don’t change my size, they should last me for years to come.” — Kathy [05:04]

• Jean’s Reflection
  • Relates to the frustration of spending more on alterations than on discounted clothes, highlighting how budgeting for deals sometimes comes with hidden costs.

---

Tuesday: Family Time & Surprises ([06:08])

• Spending

  • $63.33: Tickets to Legoland for her nephew’s birthday.
  • $6.89: Lego minifigure as a gift.
  • $9.18: Pizza lunch.
  • $40.00: Medical copay for X-ray.
  • Total: ~$119

• Reflections on Spending

  • Cherished time with nephew outweighs expense.
  • Acknowledges higher spending during family visits, but justifies it due to the rare opportunity to connect.

“Sometimes the experience of having hours together with your little nephew…that’s priceless to me.” — Kathy [07:26]

• Additional Family Spending
  • Multiple celebratory lunches for her mother’s 84th birthday.
  • Accepts that annual family gatherings naturally spike her spending.

---

Wednesday: The Price of Personal Care ([08:35])

• Spending

  • $135.90 at Ulta for makeup essentials (eyeshadow, moisturizer, lip gloss, concealer, lotion).
  • Used a 10% off coupon, but surprised by the total.

• Reflections on Spending

  • Self-justifies: buys higher quality products as she ages and views skincare and makeup as essentials.
  • Highlights the unavoidable “pink tax”—costs women incur for items that are essentially non-negotiable.
  • Sees restocking as a periodic, necessary expense even if the total gives pause.

“It wasn’t even a lot of items for $135…But they are things that I use every day, and that will last me months.” — Kathy [09:58]

“It’s kind of like the pink tax that all of us women participate in…because I can’t cut these things out, right?” — Kathy [11:16]

---

Family Budgeting Dynamics ([12:01])

• Systems in Place

  • Maintains separate accounts; also a joint account for household expenses.
  • Kathy handles bill paying and tracks finances.

• Challenges

  • Uses credit cards for most purchases to earn points, pays off monthly.
  • Summer spending (vacations, child activities) often leads to shortfalls in checking that require extra transfers.
  • Acknowledges risk of “blown” budgets certain months but justifies credit card use by the rewards enjoyed (e.g. free family excursions).

“With teenagers…we are putting a lot on the credit card every month to get the points, and our monthly budget kind of gets blown by having to pay the credit card off every month.” — Kathy [12:28]

• Savings Goals
  • Joint focus on college funding in the near term, then retirement savings.
  • Hopes to both retire in the next ten years, after youngest finishes college.

---

Children’s Activities & Summer Work ([18:10])

• Spending

  • $40: Pedicure.
  • $39.22: Swim top for vacation.
  • $24.49: Shorts for vacation.
  • $200.65: Soccer uniform and early birthday gift for her son.

• Reflections on Spending

  • Sporting uniform fees can be unexpectedly high and often mandatory.
  • Working over summer provides peace of mind and a financial cushion for these one-off expenses.
  • Describes her earning strategy as a way to avoid tapping savings.

“Part of why I choose to work in the summer is for these kinds of things. It’s just a little extra cushion...so when things come up, I don’t feel like I have to dip into any savings.” — Kathy [19:05]

• Gift Giving Philosophy
  • No set rules: “Let’s assess, what do you want? What do you need? And then look at the list.”
  • Kids aren’t extravagant, which keeps spending reasonable.

---

Weekly Spending Summary & Emotional Response ([20:38])

• Total for the Week: Just under $1,200 (personal items, gifts, food, travel prep, kids’ care).
• Immediate Reaction
  • Shocked at the number: “That’s really high. That is not the norm.”
  • Realizes many expenses were clustered into a single, untypical week.

“If you had said to me, ‘Kath, you’re probably gonna spend about over $1,000 this week,’ I would have said, ‘No way’…” — Kathy [21:29]

• Insight from Tracking
  • Surprised by how easily expenses add up when unexpected needs and last-minute family obligations arise.
  • Found the act of tracking valuable in surfacing spending habits and gaps in planning.

---

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Priceless Experiences:
  “Sometimes the experience of having hours together with your little nephew…that’s priceless to me.” — Kathy [07:26]

• On the 'Pink Tax':
  “It’s kind of like the pink tax that all of us women participate in…because I can’t cut these things out, right? I can’t cut out my SPF moisturizer and my good mascara.” — Kathy [11:16]

• On Household Cash Flow:
  “With teenagers…we are putting a lot on the credit card every month to get the points, and our monthly budget kind of gets blown by having to pay the credit card off every month.” — Kathy [12:28]

• Spending Surprises:
  “If you had said to me, ‘Kath, you’re probably gonna spend about over $1,000 this week,’ I would have said, ‘No way’…” — Kathy [21:29]

• On Life’s Financial Rhythms:
  “Life is not always neat and predictable. It’s really about showing up for the people that we love and meeting our needs as they come.” — Jean Chatzky [22:19]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:55 — Meet Kathy: her background, family structure, and motivation for tracking her spending.
• 04:28 — Monday spending: dry cleaning and the cost of convenience.
• 06:08 — Tuesday spending: family day at Legoland, birthday celebrations, and the emotional value of experiences.
• 08:35 — Wednesday spending: makeup restock, the realities of “pink tax.”
• 12:01 — Budgeting with a spouse, credit card strategy, and summer spending pitfalls.
• 14:21 — Discussing retirement and savings strategy.
• 18:10 — Weekend spending: pedicure, clothing shopping, and costly kids’ activities.
• 19:05 — Why summer work is financial “padding.”
• 20:38 — Summing up the week, emotional reactions to total spending, and lessons from tracking.

---

Closing Thoughts

Jean and Kathy’s conversation offers an honest glimpse into the natural ebb and flow of a family’s finances—with strategic restraint most weeks, and occasional splurges or spikes when family, health, and life happen all at once. The episode highlights that women’s financial realities are shaped by caretaking, family priorities, and the unpredictability of life, making tailored advice and open conversations essential.

Listener Takeaway:
Track your own week, notice where your money goes, and don’t be surprised when necessities (and a few curveballs) break your budget. What matters is being prepared, flexible, and non-judgmental with yourself—because real life, and real money, is never just numbers on a page.

Transcript

[A]

Hey everyone. Welcome to Her Money. I'm Jean Chatky. And today, another installment of our series A Week in Her Wallet, where we follow a real woman from our community as she tracks her spending for seven days and shares what she spent, how she felt about it, and what her money is really saying about her life. Because as we know, money isn't just numbers in a spreadsheet. It's a reflection of what we value, what we're juggling and how we're doing. And we are spending the week with Kathy, whose week includes a mix of family time, personal care, summer shopping and a few curveballs. Cozy Earth's pajamas and blankets are so soft, so breathable and so cute that you'll start planning your evenings around them. These are not your average loungewear pieces. Their bamboo stretch knit pajamas have a lightweight feel, a beautiful drape, and they actually sleep cooler than cotton, which means you stay at just the right temperature through the night. And here's the best part. Cozy Earth stands behind every product. Their apparel is backed by a lifetime guarantee and their blankets come with a 100 night sleep trial and a 10 year warranty so you can truly rest easy. Go to cozyearth.com and use code hermoney at checkout for up to 5 40% off your new favorite pajama set and blanket. That's cozyearth.com code hermoney. And if you get a post purchase survey, do me a favor, let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here. Elevate your downtime with Cozy Earth. I've had term life insurance since my kids were little. It was one of those decisions I made early on. Not because I wanted to think about those worst case case scenarios, but I wanted to know they'd be protected no matter what. Fabric by Gerber Life is term life insurance you can get done today made for busy parents like you. It's all online on your own schedule and can be done right from your couch. You could be covered in under 10 minutes with no health exam required. Fabric's policies are flexible, high quality and affordable. We're talking a million dollars in coverage for less than a dollar a day. Join the thousands of parents who trust fabric to help protect their Apply today in just [e-mail] hermoney that's meetfabric.com hermoney me etfabric.com hermoney Policies issued by Western Southern Life Assurance Company not available in certain states. Prices subject to underwriting and health questions. Kathy, thanks so much for being here. Hi.

[B]

Thanks for Having me.

[A]

Tell me a little bit about you.

[B]

Well, I am a school counselor and I'm outside of Philadelphia in Montgomery county, and so I technically have my summers off, but I choose to work the month of July. I'm a mom of two teenagers and a wife and a mom of two dogs.

[A]

Amazing. And how old are you?

[B]

I'm just about to turn 49.

[A]

Happy birthday. Happy almost birthday. Let's dive into your week. What made you want to be a part of a week? In her wallet. You said that you don't usually track your spending.

[B]

I usually don't, like on a daily basis. So summer is an interesting time for me because I'm not working full time. I'm home a lot more. I'm available a lot more. I'm married to another teacher and the kids are home from school. So our summer spending some certainly goes up every year. So I just thought it was a good idea just to kind of get a handle on what was going on. The week that we were tracking my spending was really the very start of my summer vacation. I think I mentioned that. That it was. It was sort of an odd week because I was just having enough time to like, run errands and get supplies that I needed. And I also had family and from out of town, but, you know, it. It was good to see where the money was going that week on the very first day.

[A]

And you mentioned errands. You started the week with something small but familiar.

[B]

So today is Monday, and I spent $25 picking up a pair of pants that I got hemmed at the dry cleaner. More than I would like to spend. But I don't sew, so I have to go the dry cleaner when I need clothes hemmed. I didn't spend any other money today, so good start to the week, I think.

[A]

So often we trade off cost for convenience in moments like this. What were you feeling?

[B]

That kind of stuff sort of annoys me that a. I don't have the skill set. I never learned to sew. And obviously it was a necessary expense. It annoyed me also because I got the pants on clearance, so I didn't spend a lot of money on the pants. I spent more on the hemming of them. But, you know, like I said, it was necessary. I'm wearing them all summer, so as long as I don't change my size, they should last me for years to come.

[A]

I feel the same way. I make such an effort to buy things on a discount or I often get things on the realreal or other consignment sites and then I take them in to get them altered because I'm short and they never fit and it does cost sometimes more than the item themselves. And then I get mad at myself. I think like maybe I shouldn't have bought them in the first place.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, I can relate.

[A]

On day two, your week really kicked into gear. You had family in town, you took your six year old nephew to Legoland.

[B]

Today is Tuesday and I have family in from out of town, so this is not going to be a normal rest of the week. As far as my spending. I took my six year old nephew to Legoland and I spent $63.33 on our two tickets. I bought him a Lego minifigure for $6.89 as part of his birthday present. I bought us pizza lunch at the mall for $9.18 and I had to pay an X ray copay of $40 today. So all in today my day was 119 and cents. So again, not a normal day, but glad to be with family.

[A]

Tell me about that day.

[B]

Yeah, my sister and her son and brother in law were in from out of state and we were celebrating my nephew's birthday and it was our little special day, just the two of us, to go do something fun. So I don't want to say cost wasn't really a factor, but I only see him about twice a year, so cost really wasn't a factor. I just was looking forward to spending an afternoon with him. He loved it. I've been to Legoland when my kids were small, so, so I knew, I knew what the expense was. But sometimes the experience of having hours together with your little nephew, your little buddy, that's priceless to me, especially since I don't see him very often.

[A]

So when family visits, at least when family visits me, I feel like the spending does sort of come in waves. Did you or do you wind up spending more than you think when family's in town?

[B]

I definitely did because we were also celebrating my 84 year old mother's birthday, recent birthday. So because we were all together, we wanted to take her out to a nice lunch. So we did that. And I think that was like the day before or two of her real birthday. And then of course on her real birthday then we bought her lunch and brought it in to her senior living. So my mindset was we're only together really not even two weeks a year. It's not a big deal. It's not going to be a budget breaker because I'm usually very mindful of my spending, and it was just the time together. So all of that was good.

[A]

Day three took you to Ulta for a makeup restock.

[B]

Today is Wednesday, and I had to go to Ulta to replenish some of my makeup that has been used up or is running low. And since it's the first week of my summer vacation, this is the first chance I've had to have some time to go to Ulta. I bought Mac eyeshadow, a moisturizer with spf. I bought a lip gloss and a concealer and another lotion. So all in, it was $135.90. I used a 10% off coupon at the register that the store offered me. But still, this amount is more than I thought I'd spend when I walked into the store. But the price on everything seems to just keep going up. So I will have all these things and be using them for months to come. So even though I spent more per item than I would have liked, in my mind, I kind of justified that I use these items daily and they will last me for months and months. So so far that's what I've spent today. I don't plan on spending any more money for the day.

[A]

You said it was more than you expected to spend. What happened there? I mean, I know when I'm in that checkout line at Ulta, I get tripped up by all the travel sizes.

[B]

Well, what happened is I think a lot of people can relate to this too. You go in for one or two things and then you. It's like Target. Like, you never leave with just your intended purchase. So it was again, the beginning of summer. I had to do the restock. And as I'm in the store, I'm just like, ah, you know, I think I'm running low on these things. And, you know, it wasn't even a lot of items for $135. It was a handful of things. But they are things that I use every day and that will last me months. So that's kind of like the justification. And I also feel like at my age, I like better products. I'm not just getting the Ulta brand eyeshadow anymore. I like products that complement my aging skin and all of that. So I am willing to pay a little bit more for those kinds of things that are quality.

[A]

You know, how do you think about the. The non essentials that kind of feel like essentials that come up every single six months or so? I mean, I would put. I put makeup and skin care in this category. I put Bras and underwear in this category, right? Like, there's just. It comes a point where you're like, yeah, this stuff has to go.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Well, it's. It's kind of like the pink tax that all of us women participate in, because I can't cut these things out, right? I can't cut out my SPF moisturizer and my good mascara. I just can't cut them out. So I already feel like my routine with that kind of thing, like, makeup is not extravagant, so I'm already like, pretty pared down. So when I have to go in and replenish every couple of months or whatever, then that's just a cost that I have to expect. But at the same time, when I go in and I get to the register, it's not the $135. It's like, I don't have a lot to show for that.

[A]

Right. How do you handle the budgeting in your household with your husband? How do you guys. How do you plan for it? How do you. How do you make sure that you stay on track? Where do you find that the system works and where do you find that it breaks down?

[B]

So we each have our own accounts, and then we have a joint account for household and shared expenses. And I typically do all of the bill paying and financial just deep dives when we're looking at our money and things like that. So what works is that I pay bills as they come in. I don't save them all for a set beginning of the month or whatever. I just pay them as they come, and then it's just off my mind. What I have found, though, with teenagers and the phase of our lives that we're in is that we are putting a lot on the credit card every month to get the points, and then our monthly budget kind of gets blown by having to pay the credit card off every month. We don't keep a balance on that at all. But I'm kind of like at the end of the month asking him for a little bit extra. I'm putting in a little bit extra, especially in the summer when we have vacations planned and things that don't come up in the school year. So. So I think looking at the budget is probably a good idea, knowing that every month we're kind of coming up short in terms of like, what's in our checking account and then paying off that credit card.

[A]

Do you have separate savings goals that you're also trying to meet at the same time?

[B]

Well, I think we have shared savings goals. Because we are thinking, hoping that maybe we can retire around the same time in the next 10 years or so. I certainly plan on doing something else for a period of time. I don't know about my husband, but, you know, so we have that long term goal. And so the shared idea is let's, let's get college knocked out, which will be coming up for us starting next year. And then for the next eight years or so, once that gets knocked out, then we can really look at, hey, when can we retire realistically?

[A]

Yeah, college is a big one. Can I go back to that credit card debt for just a second? What is it about the credit card? I mean, look, I know that people like me say, absolutely, pay off your credit card every single month, but what is it about the credit card that sort of feels like it gets a little out of control and then weighs on you?

[B]

Well, I think it's just everything costs more. Number one. Like our grocery bill is just exponentially higher now. You know, I have a growing, almost 15 year old boy and groceries are pricier. But also for me, just knowing that I'm getting something for free, quote, unquote, like the points. And we did tap into that this summer as part of our vacation. So the four of us had an excursion that was paid for by the points. So to me, it's like that balance. Like, I am going to use those points eventually. I'm going to save them up probably for a full year and then look at where we're at and what we can use it to benefit the family.

[A]

Do you think you spend more because you know you're getting points?

[B]

No, no, no. Okay. All right.

[A]

Some people do, I think, yeah, we.

[B]

Use the credit card for like groceries and just the weekly daily expenses. But I'm not purposely shopping to get the points now.

[A]

Good to hear. We're going to take a very quick break. When we come back, we're gonna get into the rest of your week. You know that moment you're standing in front of your closet packed with clothes, but somehow you have nothing to wear? Oh, I have been there. Which is why I'm obsessed with Armoire, the clothing rental service that's made getting dressed again actually fun. With Armoire, you take a five minute style quiz and then high end pieces tailored to your taste arrive at your door in as little as two days. Most recently from Armoire, I rented a skirt and a top that I used for a shoot. It elevated my entire week and I got some compliments on Zoom and in person right now my listeners can Give Armoire a try and get up to 50% off their first month. That's up to $125 off. Just visit Armoire Style Hermoney. That's a r m o I r e style hermoney to get up to 50% off your first month. Never worry about what to wear again. Try Armoire today. Here's something scary but true. The average adult unknowingly consumes over 100,000 plastic particles every year. And over 70% of the cookware sold in the US is still coated in PTFE. That's the same toxic chemical used in traditional nonstick pans. Caraway is on a mission to make cookware safer and way more stylish. I've been using my Caraway set on repeat. I gotta say, everything moves around the pan so much easier than in traditional cookware. And it's so beautiful that I don't mind just leaving it sit right on top of my stove. Caraway's cookware set is a favorite for a reason. It can save you up to $190 versus buying the items individually. Plus, if you visit carawayhome.community you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase. This deal is exclusively for our listeners, so visit caraway home.com hermoney or use code hermoney at checkout. Caraway Non Toxic Cookware Made Modern we.

[B]

Are back with Kathy on Saturday, June 21. I spent $40 on a pedicure, 39.22 on a swim top. Since we're leaving for vacation next week, $24.49 on a pair of shorts. So that's $103.71 total. We also spent $200.65 on soccer uniform and an early birthday present for my son.

[A]

Boy, kids and sports. Crazy expensive.

[B]

Yeah, you gotta love when the league is like, hey guys, we're getting new uniforms and it's mandatory and it's $200 in addition to your club fees and things like that.

[A]

So how do you budget for these? One off expenses that are related to their activities.

[B]

I think part of why I choose to work in the summer is for these kinds of things. It's just a little extra cushion, a little padding. So when things come up, I don't feel like I have to dip into any savings or we have to pull money from different accounts. I just like that security. It's working part time. It's not every day. It's not the same grind as it is during the school year. So that's Nice. But just having that security, that's just like a big thing for me.

[A]

That's so funny to hear you say that. My dad was a college professor for the first half of my childhood, and he always picked up a summer course or two for exactly that same reason. You mentioned a birthday gift, an early birthday gift for your son. What's the. What's the spending philosophy on gift giving in your family?

[B]

I don't know if we have a philosophy. It's like, let's assess, what do you want? What do you need? And then look at the list. Fortunately, my kids don't ask for a lot. Typically, my daughter is very into thrift store shopping, so, like, we're not spending a lot on her clothing and her wardrobe. And my son is just really. He just is all about the sports, so that's kind of what we're spending on. So he needed a new soccer bag that was like 50 bucks. And his birthday is at the end of August, so he really needed it this summer. So that was the early gift. So, I mean, he'll get other things for his birthday. But I think our bigger spends on the kids are birthdays and Christmas time.

[A]

Your total spending for the week came out to a little under $1,200 split across personal items, gifts, food, travel, prep, and care for your kids. When you hear that number, how does that make you feel?

[B]

That's really high. That is not the norm. That is not the norm. I mean, that's like, not even like the monthly budget typically.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, it's really just groceries and like, whatever is the need. It just seemed like this particular week sort of everything culminated at once. So, yeah, that is really high to me. Again, when I break it down into chunks of what those things were, I'm okay with those expenses. But when you hear the total, it's.

[A]

Like, what surprised you most, besides the big number?

[B]

About tracking, I guess just how easy it was to not have forethought about how the week was going to go at the beginning of the week. Not really thinking, oh, we're gonna spend this money on taking mom out. I'm gonna take my nephew out. I didn't know about the soccer thing. That kind of. That email came right around the time I was doing the week logging for you. So life, there's always surprises of what's gonna be necessary to spend your money on. But, yeah, if you had said to me, kath, you're probably gonna spend about over $1,000 this week, I would have said, no way, because that's really not the norm.

[A]

Maybe surprising is the word that you would use to describe the week.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, just a little bit. Thank you so much for your honesty and your thoughtfulness and for reminding us that life is not always neat and predictable. It's really about showing up for the people that we love and meeting our needs as they come. I enjoyed talking to you.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you so much. It was great talking to you too.

[A]

And if you're ready to keep the Money conversation going, HerMoney has three amazing programs designed to help you feel more confident and in control of your money. There's Finance Fix. It's our four week coaching program that helps you rethink your spending, find hidden savings, and make smarter choices for the future. Our pre retirement program runs for six six weeks and walks you through building a retirement strategy that's personalized for your next chapter. Finally, there's Investing Fix, our investing club for women. It meets every other week on Zoom. It is a supportive space to learn, ask questions, grow your investing confidence, and build your portfolio. And your first month is absolutely free. These programs are truly helping level the playing field for women financially. I'd love for you to join us. Her money is produced by Hayley Pascalides and our music is provided by Video Helper. Thanks so much for listening and we'll talk soon.

[B]

I'm Nate Silver.

[A]

And I'm Maria Konnikova.

[B]

We're journalists who moonlight us high stakes.

[A]

Poker players and on our podcast Risky Business, we bring an analytical lens thinking.

[B]

About odds, incentives and outcomes to the choices shaping our democracy.

[A]

Because every move in politics is a.

[B]

Calculation and sometimes our leaders can make bad bets. You don't say Nate. If you want to understand what our politicians are thinking and what's at stake.

[A]

With each decision they make, this show is for you.

[B]

Listen to Risky Business wherever you get your podcast cast.