A Week In Her Wallet: How One Woman Turned Divorce Debt Into a Bulletproof Budget, and a Savings Surplus

Summary

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Episode: "A Week In Her Wallet: How One Woman Turned Divorce Debt Into a Bulletproof Budget, and a Savings Surplus"

Date: May 15, 2026
Guest: Nicole, Senior Executive Assistant, 56, Raleigh, NC

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Overview

This episode continues the "A Week In Her Wallet" series, in which host Jean Chatzky interviews real women about their week-by-week spending. Nicole, a single senior executive assistant living in Raleigh, North Carolina, opens up about her financial journey—how she navigated the aftermath of divorce debt, developed a mindful budgeting system, and built up enough savings to start thinking about her future in a new light. The conversation highlights themes of intentional money management, the emotional landscape of spending, healthcare frustration, the social dimension of money, and the importance of adapting financial strategies as life evolves.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Nicole and Her Motivation

• Nicole, age 56, has tracked her spending for a week.
• She’s typically detail-oriented with her finances due to her experiences with debt, especially post-divorce.
• Participating in the series helped her get a clearer sense of “extra” money each month.
  • Notable Quote:

    "It did help me... allow me to work on my little spreadsheet a little bit more... and to think a little bit more clearly about the 'extra money' I have and what to do with it." (02:13, Nicole)

2. Healthcare Confusion and Frustrations

• Midweek spending included routine doctor’s bills and medical costs.
• Nicole discusses the complexity of her employer’s health plan—specifically, difficulty understanding when and how a third-party benefit is supposed to pay co-pays.
  • Memorable Moment:
    Nicole expresses confusion about insurance copays and frustration over unexpected bills after prepaying for procedures.

    "It's just frustrating that after the procedure is over with, I still get another bill. Even though it's under $20, it's still a little aggravating." (03:28, Nicole)

  • Jean notes this is a widespread issue, referencing a Kaiser Family Foundation study about healthcare affordability (04:39).
  • Nicole admits she’s never tried negotiating or questioning medical bills:

    "I've never even thought about bartering with them for the invoice." (07:13, Nicole)

3. Social Spending and the Value of Inclusion

• On Thursday, Nicole spends $9 for Thai food with coworkers, acknowledging social interactions drive some spending choices.

  • "Most of my friendships are maintained over a meal or a drink, so a lot of social socialization is factored in to how much money I'm budgeting so that I can go out and be entertained and still keep my relationships with my girlfriends going." (12:23, Nicole)

• She rarely spends on alcoholic beverages but has noticed rising gas prices instead (13:17).

4. Paying Yourself First: Tackling Bills and Debt

• Friday is her biggest spending day: small treat at Dunkin Donuts, paying off several credit cards in full, knocking out bills, and making a little-extra payment on her student loan ($200).
  • She uses a detailed spreadsheet and phone calendar alerts to track all bills, always aiming to pay a few days before due dates (16:23).
  • Quote:

    "I try not to do them the day that they're due because inevitably something will happen and I will miss it and then I'll be mad at myself." (16:57, Nicole)

• Student loan debt: Nicole took a “scenic route” to college, joining the military before returning to school; she deliberately carries a low student loan balance for credit, as the interest rate is just 2.8%.

  • "I could have paid this loan off a long time ago, but I chose not to simply because it helped me build my credit. And it's an extremely low interest rate... I just didn't see the need to hurry and pay it off." (17:06, Nicole)

5. Divorce Debt to Bulletproof Budget: Lessons from the Past

• After her divorce, Nicole was left with debt solely in her name, prompting a strict no-balance policy for credit cards.

  • "He left me with all of the debt and there was no way I could pay any of that stuff off on my own. So that's why today I'm very hesitant about leaving any kind of balance on a card." (22:16, Nicole)

• She now feels pride and security knowing she can easily pay off even large expenses, thanks to her careful budgeting.

6. Practical Tools: Modified Envelope System

• Inspired by Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, Nicole created her own system using debit cards for different spending categories (household, entertainment, groceries), transferring set amounts each pay period.

  • "Where he would have cash envelopes for those other two debit cards, I use the debit cards for those purposes. And I'm trying really hard these days when I have money left over in those accounts to move them over to the savings account..." (23:38, Nicole)

7. Savings Surplus & Next Steps

• Nicole has discovered recently she has more left over each month than she realized.
• Considers starting a Roth IRA and/or annuity, since current retirement strategies aren’t enough.

  • "I've taken a couple of webinars on Roth IRAs and some annuities. Still not fully educated on either. But I definitely have the money left over each month to put in one or both of those..." (24:54, Nicole)

• Jean encourages her to pursue the Roth IRA as a tax-advantaged option (25:49).

8. Spending on Health and Wellbeing

• Sunday’s standout purchase: $118 at a Hemp Boutique for CBD products to help with menopause-related pain. Nicole openly discusses her breast cancer diagnosis, inability to take hormone treatments, and her journey discovering relief with CBD.

  • "I went to the hemp store and shared my story...the guy...was very educated and very helpful and I purchased some CBD oil...that helps me get through my workday with little to no pain." (29:47, Nicole)

9. Reflection and Future Goals

• Nicole reviews her total weekly spending of $1,718.93—most of it on necessary bills and credit card payments, not discretionary expenses. She feels mostly good about it, noting the Apple Card balance was higher than usual.
• Future vision: a “rich enough old lady” retirement with at least one big trip a year and the ability to stop working entirely.

  • "I would love to volunteer but I don't want to have to have a part time gig for any reason. I just want to be able to be at home, maybe see friends and family when I can." (31:48, Nicole)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Frustration with Medical Billing:

"...for someone I'm a layperson, I know nothing about medical coding…so I stay in this state of confusion and then I get even more confused when I get a check back from the provider. It's just this endless money and run." (07:59, Nicole)

Social Spending as Connection:

"I felt like I was part of the group today because normally we don't get to do anything together for lunch." (11:01, Nicole’s audio journal)

Post-Divorce Mindset:

"I really am proud of myself because over the years I've created a budget that allows me to do a lot more things with my life and my money than I used to be able to do." (22:16, Nicole)

Personal Health Challenges and Adaptation:

"...the type of breast cancer that I have makes me not a candidate for hormone replacement...I purchased some CBD oil in a tincture and I got some gummies...that helps me get through my workday with little to no pain." (29:47, Nicole)

Sense of Security from Budgeting:

"It feels good to be able to say it's easy to turn around and pay off an $800 expense, but knowing that I have the money in the bank to do so." (22:16, Nicole)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:13] – Nicole’s motivation for participating and her approach to budgeting.
• [03:28] – Voice journal on frustration with medical billing.
• [06:23] – Explanation and confusion over employer health benefits.
• [11:01] – Nicole’s social spending for office lunch.
• [13:40] – Discussion of Friday’s bill-paying routine and approach to debt.
• [17:06] – Nicole’s student loan philosophy and credit-building.
• [22:16] – Nicole reflects on her divorce-driven approach to credit card debt.
• [23:38] – Nicole details her adaptation of the envelope budgeting system.
• [24:54] – Discussion of discovering surplus savings and new retirement planning.
• [29:47] – Nicole’s health journey and spending on CBD products for menopause symptoms.
• [31:48] – Vision for a “rich enough old lady” future and retirement goals.
• [32:44] – Nicole’s reflections on the week’s total spending.

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Final Thoughts

Nicole’s week-long spending diary is both relatable and inspiring. Through her transparency, Nicole reveals the emotional and practical factors underpinning every dollar spent, and how facing financial hardship—especially post-divorce—can fuel a fiercely intentional approach to money. The episode closes on a hopeful note, as Jean and Nicole discuss the power of mindful budgeting, the importance of flexibility as our needs change, and the value of making room for joy in our lives and futures.

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For more episodes and resources, visit HerMoney.com/subscribe.

Transcript

[A]

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[C]

Hey everyone. Welcome back to HER money. I'm Jean Chatsky, and today we are continuing our series, A Week in Her Wallet. Each week we follow a real woman as she tracks her spending for seven days. Every swipe, every bill, every splurge, every skip, and reflects on not just what she bought, but what. Why? Because behind every dollar is a decision. And behind every decision we learn something about our priorities, our values, and sometimes a little inner negotiation we didn't even know we were having. Today we are spending the week with Nicole. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She's 56, single, and a senior executive assistant. And like many of us, she is figuring out what intentional money management looks like at this stage in her life. Nicole, welcome. Nice to see you.

[A]

Nice to see you too, Jean. Thank you. I'm excited to be here.

[C]

I really loved going through this week with you. What made you want to take part in A Week in Her Wallet?

[A]

I have listened to so many exciting and very interesting stories over probably the last year or so, and I thought, wouldn't it be interesting to share my take on a Week in My Wallet? The one thing I will say is that this particular week that I followed myself wasn't a very exciting financial week for me. But it did help me kind of rethink things and allow me to work on my little spreadsheet a little bit more to get it organized and to think a little bit more clearly about the quote, unquote, extra money I have and what to do with it.

[C]

Are you normally someone who pays close attention or not so much?

[A]

Oh, I pay very close attention, yeah. I've been forced to, I think.

[C]

All right, well, let's learn a little bit more. You kicked off the week on Monday with a doctor's bill and a cell phone payment. Very routine stuff.

[A]

Very.

[C]

By Wednesday you let us in on the fact that medical bills genuinely frustrate you, especially if you've already paid for a procedure and then another bill shows up.

[B]

Anyway, today is Wednesday, and this is my voice journal for the Her Money challenge. Today I spent $15.76 at the grocery store to get a couple of items for my fridge and for lunch. And I also spent $14.62 to close out a doctor bill. I looked over the list of questions and one of the questions from Haley was, how do these expenses make you feel? And quite honestly, the doctor bill frustrates me because when you go for certain procedures, you have to prepay. And so I had prepaid. And it's just frustrating that after the procedure is over with, I still get another bill. Even though it's under $20, it's still a little aggravating. So that is it for today. I will be back tomorrow with more of my out of pocket expenses. Thank you.

[C]

And by the way, you are far from alone. I feel that way sometimes you get a bill from like the doctor and then you get a bill from the facility and it's just one on top of the other. And according to a recent report from the Kaiser Family foundation, nearly half of all American adults find it difficult to afford healthcare costs. And people 55 and older make up more than half of all the health spending in this country, despite the fact that we are just 31% of the population. So I think the frustration makes complete sense. Tell me about your frustration.

[A]

So part of my frustration with our health insurance here at work is that we obviously have a deductible to meet. And then we have this side program, I'll call it, where a specific amount of money is set aside for each employee and that company or program will help pay some of our co pays. And I never know if I should pay the copay in office or if I should let the health provider bill the insurance and then let this third party company pay the copay. It's so confusing. And I end up spending a lot of money out of pocket paying it because the provider says, no, no, you have to pay now. And then I find out from the third party company, no, no, you shouldn't have paid. They should have billed us. So it's just very confusing.

[C]

And it sounds fairly unusual to have a system like this too, which is probably why the doctor's office clearly don't know how to handle it.

[A]

Yeah, and it's a limited amount of money too. So I think it's $500 per person on the plan. And once that $500 is gone, but it can only be used at the time of service. So I can't use this plan to get reimbursed for the things I pay out of pocket. So, so frustrating and so confusing.

[C]

Maybe it's time to talk to Benefits about is there a better way to do this? Right. We appreciate the effort, but this is a lot of. A lot of back forth in terms of the actual bills themselves. Do you ever call your doctor and try to negotiate the charges?

[A]

I never do. I'm not even sure why I don't. I just. I get this quote from the doctor's office saying what they anticipate the charges to be and then what my portion of said bill would be and I just pay that. I've never even thought about bartering with them for the invoice.

[C]

Yeah. Sometimes when I get a bill and I don't understand the different pieces, I'll call and ask to have them explained. And you find that some of them end up getting taken off because they shouldn't have been there in the first place. Which feels a little bit less like a negotiation and more just like our medical system is really. You've got to double check everything.

[A]

Yeah, it's. And for someone I'm a layperson, I know nothing about medical coding. I don't know what things are actually supposed to cost. And it just becomes very confusing looking at the bills and trying to understand what the actual codes are for the service that I've received and what could be negotiated, what should and shouldn't be there. I'm just at a loss. So I stay in this state of confusion and then I get even more confused when I get a check back from the provider. It's just this endless money and run.

[C]

Exactly. We're going to take a very quick break. Back in a sec. Summer is almost here and I've been in full planning mode. Trips I want to take, things I want to do. But here is what I've learned after years of talking about money. The people who actually enjoy their summers are the ones who did the financial work beforehand, not the ones who crossed their fingers and hoped that the credit card bill would not be too bad come September. Monarch is the personal finance app that tracks everything. Accounts, investments, savings goals and spending. Get your first year of Monarch Core for half off. Just $50 with promo code hermoney. My producer Hailey uses it every single day. And once you have that kind of visibility into your finances, it's hard to imagine going back. Use code [e-mail] to get your first year of Monarch Core half off at just $50. That's 50% off your first year at monarch.com with code hermoney. You know that feeling when you've tried everything, the diets, the early morning workouts, telling yourself this time will be different and the scale still won't budge. Or worse, you lose the weight and then watch it slowly creep back. It is so frustrating and honestly, it' not a willpower problem for a lot of people. It's biology. Which is why I want to tell you about Weight loss by hers. Hers now offers access to an affordable range of FDA approved GLP1 medications ready to reach your goals? Visit forherhers hermoney to get personalized affordable care that gets you that's F O R h e r s.com hermoney forhers.com hermoney Weight loss by hers is not available in all 50 states. Wegovy is the registered trademark of Novo Nordisk as to get started and learn more, including important safety information, WeGovy clinical study information and restrictions, visit forhers. Com On Thursday, the ladies in your office decided to order Thai food. You joined in. You said you ordered gyoza and paired it with a salad that you brought from home.

[B]

Hi. Today is Thursday and I decided to splurge a little. Today some of the ladies in the office decided to order Thai food and I decided to allow myself to order with them since normally we don't order things together. So I thought I should probably pitch in and be inclusive. And So I spent $9 today on lunch. I decided to order myself some gyoza which I love. They are pork dumplings so I felt like I was part of the group today because normally we don't get to do anything together for lunch. So I paired the gyoza with the salad that I brought from home. So so $9 is my total for Thursday. I will be back on Friday with some bill paying. I have a bunch of expenses I'm expecting for tomorrow so thanks and I'll be back on Friday.

[C]

Total of $9. Not a lot of money, but what struck me was you did it because you said you wanted to be part of the group. You just did it to be included. How often does social interaction factor into your spending decisions?

[A]

Well, let me just say for that particular day it factored in a lot because I sit in the executive suite and there are only three of us up There we never get an opportunity to eat together. Never. So this, I felt was like the perfect time for us to have a few minutes to just catch up with each other and have a bite to eat. So that was why I did it that day. Most of my friendships are maintained over a meal or a drink, so a lot of social socialization is factored into how much money I'm budgeting so that I can go out and be entertained and still keep my relationships with my girlfriends going.

[C]

Have you noticed lately the rising price of a drink at a bar?

[A]

Honestly, I rarely ever order an alcoholic beverage when I'm out. I am a lover of sweet tea.

[B]

Ah.

[A]

That's why I moved to the South. Every now and then I'll have a hard cider that's one of my favorites. But those tend to be like in the six to nine dollars range. So nothing in my mind that's going to break the bank. I'm not a heavy drinker anyway, so I have not noticed that. But I have surely noticed the gas prices. It's getting a little ridiculous.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. Friday was your biggest spending day of the week. It was a masterclass in paying yourself first and knocking out your balances.

[B]

Hi, this is Nicole and today is Friday, day five. Today I have quite a few expenses to start the day. I did a swing by at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and spent $3.88. That started my day off on the right foot because it has been a long week and I felt like it was a nice treat for breakfast. Then I paid a few bills. My water bill for $47.21, my BJ's credit card, I paid off, which I use that credit card for gas. By using this credit card, I saved 10 cents a gallon, so paid the card off. It was 97.69. I also paid off my Ann Taylor card. I had purchased a couple of work pants and paid the card off at $135.10. Then I paid toward my student loan. I always pay a little bit extra, so my payment was $200. I also paid off my belt card. I think I purchased a pair of shoes and maybe some accessories. So that card was paid off at $75 and 42 cents. And it feels really good to have paid these cards off because I don't like carrying balances. So I'm feeling accomplished there. And then I treated myself to lunch. Today's payday, so I felt like, why not go ahead and treat myself to lunch? Lunch, Considering I do set money aside in my budget to do this. So I spent $19 and got myself a personal pizza and a simple salad. So that is it for today. I will be back tomorrow, which is Saturday. I'm so glad it's the weekend.

[C]

You started with a 388 Dunkin Run a treat for yourself after a long week. And then you methodically paid off your water bill, your BJ's card, your ANT card, and your Belk card. And then there's the student loan payment, which is $200 with a little bit of extra because you always pay more than the minimum. Is this how you typically pay your bills? Do you just do it all at once?

[A]

I have a spreadsheet which I brought with me. I could hold up and show you if you want me to, but I have a spreadsheet and I also have reminders in my cell phone that are on my calendar that pop up three to four days before the bill is due. And I pay them on that three or four day reminder day. So this particular day happened to be three or four days before the bills were actually due. And that's typically how I do them. I try not to do them the day that they're due because inevitably something will happen and I will miss it and then I'll be mad at myself.

[C]

Yeah. And tell me about the student loan. Is this from your original college years or did you go back to school at some point?

[A]

No, I actually took the scenic route to college. I started. Oh my goodness. I graduated high school in 1987 and I went for two years and just was not focused. And I joined the military. So I went to the military for a handful of years. And then when I got out of the military, then I went back to school. And so this is from the second time that I went through college. And I could have paid this loan off a long time ago, but I chose not to simply because it helped me build my credit. And it's an extremely low interest rate. I think it's like 2.8%. And so I just didn't see the need to hurry and pay it off when I'm not really paying that much in interest.

[C]

I get that. I think there are a lot of borrowers out there who probably feel the same way. The stats on student loan borrowers basically tell us that borrowers between the ages of 50 and 61 are carrying the highest federal student loan balances of any age group. And it may be for them, it may still be for their kids, but I suspect that over time, a lot of them have found that they have very low interest rates like you do or have negotiated their way into those rates. And at that point, it seems to make more sense to put money into your 401k, your other investments, and just pay for the student debts over time. When will you be out from under of that loan?

[A]

Honestly, I could pay it off today if I wanted to. I think I would be done with it in like two and a half years. So under, under 36 months. But I literally could pay it off today if I chose to.

[C]

But before retirement.

[A]

Oh, absolutely. Yes.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And I feel like I'm a long way from retirement, though. That's another struggle.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. But I am also seeing more people carrying student debt into retirement, and I think that's to be avoided if at all possible. We want to make sure that some expenses roll off our budgets before we take a drop in income. We're going to take a very quick break. When we come back, we're going to get into the final days of Nicole's, including a very meaningful Sunday purchase and what she thinks about this whole experience. Back in a sec. You know, I have to say it. Cats are having a moment. Our producer Emily has two cats, and every time their little faces pop up in our virtual meetings, it brings a little more joy to my day. Here's the thing, though. As much as we love our feline companions, the litter box not so glamorous. That's where Whiskers Litter robot comes in. It automatically cycles after every use. So you're never scooping, never handling waste, never doing that thing where you just hold your breath and hope for the best. I can see why Emily is so excited to start tracking their cat's routines. The future is feline. Learn more about Whisker litter robot models and starter kits today. Take an additional $50 off bundles with code HERMONEY. That's an additional $50 off bundles with Code HERMONEY. Visit whisker.com hermoney to shop now. As someone who loves to cook, I've always been particular about where my protein comes from. I seek out the good stuff and the butcher counter, the farmer's market, because I believe quality ingredients make all the difference. But honestly, with all my travel lately, that takes time that I don't always have. That's where Omaha Steaks has been a genuine revelation for me. My husband asked me to make him the steak Diane that his mother used to make him. I did. It was delish, and you could taste that. It's a real quality standard that shows up on the plate. What I love most is that I always have something exceptional to work with, whether it's a quick weeknight dinner or a weekend dinner party. Get flavorful high quality proteins delivered by visiting OmahaSteaks.com/35 off when you use promo code HERMONEY at checkout. That's OmahaSteaks.com code HERMONEY terms apply. See site for details. We are back. We're talking to Nicole, who spent a week tracking her spending for us. Saturday was a big mostly because you paid off your Apple credit card in full. $795.67. You were very clear that carrying balances makes you nervous. Can you talk a little bit about that? Where does the feeling come from? How does it shape the way that you think about how many credit cards you have and what you're willing to put on them?

[A]

Sure. So years ago I was married. I've been divorced almost 20 years this year. And during that marriage we had some shared debt that actually was all in my name because he didn't have good credit. So when we went our separate ways, he left me with all of the debt and there was no way I could pay any of that stuff off on my own. So that's why today I'm very hesitant about leaving any kind of balance on a card. So I really do my best to try to pay everything off at the end of the month and I really try to focus on not putting too much on the card if I don't have the funds to cover it at the end of the month. I really am proud of myself because over the years I've created a budget that allows me to do a lot more things with my life and my money than I used to be able to do. So I'm much more comfortable using a credit card these days. I didn't always used to be that way. So it feels good to be able to say it's easy to turn around and pay off an $800 expense, but knowing that I have the money in the bank to do so.

[C]

How did you go through that budgeting process and what were the changes that you made to free up your ability to spend?

[A]

So I'm sure you're familiar with Dave Ramsey. I went through his Financial Peace University, and that was probably 15 years ago. And I will admit that I don't follow every single step of his plan simply because working with cash doesn't work for me. So where he used an envelope system, I created a debit card system. So I have one account that I use for my Household bills. I have a separate debit card for my entertainment expenses. And I put $200 a pay period in that account. And then I have a third account is for my groceries. And I put $100 a pay period in that account. And so where he would have cash envelopes for those other two debit cards, I use the debit cards for those purposes. And I'm trying really hard these days when I have money left over in those accounts to move them over to the savings account so that I'm creating additional savings on top of what I'm already saving.

[C]

And is that for retirement?

[A]

Yes and no. This process of watching the week and writing everything down has identified that I have far more money left over at the end of the month than I was really aware of. And I've taken a couple of webinars on Roth IRAs and some annuities. Still not fully educated on either. But I definitely have the money left over each month to put in one or both of those. And I think I need to do that because the two things that I have in place right now for my retirement aren't going to fully fund my retirement. So I need to be doing something else. That's really an after tax mode for me because I don't have an after tax option right now.

[C]

How much do you make a year? I should have asked at the beginning, and I didn't.

[A]

Yeah. So I'm eligible for overtime, but annually it's 100%, $15,000.

[C]

So you qualify to make a Roth IRA contribution?

[A]

Yes.

[C]

I mean, I would start there. It's very easy. You can always, once you grow the money in a Roth, if you want to take it and use it to buy an annuity down the road, you could always do that. But if you have the ability to save money in a Roth where you can invest it, you'll never owe taxes on it again. It is, I think, a gift from the government, if not from the gods. And maximizing our ability to sort of balance out 401ks and other traditional retirement accounts with Roth accounts gives us choices in retirement about where we're gonna pull money from. So it's very nice to be able to have the flexibility. You were surprised to learn that you have more money?

[A]

Yes. I mean, it was a nice surprise, but I'm typically just sliding that money over and just saving it. And I was really shocked because I had a month or two where I wasn't really buying a lot of extra nonsense or traveling anywhere. And when I saw the number last month, I was like, wow, I could really be doing something with this money and I'm just not doing anything. Yeah, I need to do better.

[C]

Well, starting to invest is a great way to start. Let's talk about Sunday. You spent $118 at the Hemp Boutique. You mentioned that you're navigating menopause and you were looking for something to help with muscle and joint pain.

[B]

Hi, this is Nicole and this is my final audio journal entry for the Her Money a Week in Her Wallet challenge. This is day seven for today. I spent $118.25 and this was spent at the Hemp Boutique. I am currently experiencing menopause and was seeking some items that might help help control my muscle and joint pain. So that was the purpose of today's purchase. This, happily was the only purchase that I made today. Actually, that's not true. I totally forgot about my brunch that I had earlier today. So I did spend $25 even today at brunch. So those are my two expenses for today. And I really appreciate the opportunity to have participated in this activity. It shed some light on how I spend my money. And one thing I noticed is that the items that are auto paid either to credit card or drafted directly from my checking account aren't really front of mind for me. They're not large ticket items. But I wanted to do a different way of tracking these items going forward. So that's it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to have participated and I truly hope that this process will make some real changes in the way I spend my money and save my money.

[C]

First of all, thank you for sharing something so personal. I know I'm through it, but I know many of our listeners are right there with you, managing their bodies and their energy and their health and the fact that there is a shortage of estrogen patches right now in ways that they did not have to think about 10 years ago. How has getting older changed the way that you think about spending on yourself and your well being?

[A]

I think what's been most impactful for me is three years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was caught very, very early. But the type of breast cancer that I have makes me not a candidate for hormone replacement. So I can't do the patch. I can't do any kind of estrogen or progesterone. So I was hoping to find some medication, something that would help me with the hot flashes. And then this joint pain came on and I feel like my body is 85 years old. I'm hurting so bad all the time. I've had to stop playing sports, I've had to stop exercising because I just don't feel good. It feels kind of like I've worked out really, really hard, but I'm not working out. I'm just going through my normal day. So someone had suggested to me to try CBD and I was so clueless about any of that. And I went to the hemp store and shared my story and, and the guy that I spoke with was very educated and very helpful and I purchased some CBD oil in a tincture and I got some gummies and basically take them at the same time. And believe it or not, that helps me get through my workday with little to no pain.

[C]

Oh, I'm so sorry.

[A]

Which is surprising. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. Wow. That's phenomenal. A big chunk of our audience is right around your age and mid to late 50s star down retirement sometime in the next 10 to 15 years. We actually had a recent participant in a week in her wallet describe herself as preparing for her rich enough old lady future. So what does yours look like when you picture the next chapter? What are you working toward?

[A]

Wow, that's a really good question. Currently I like to have at least one big trip a year and I would love to still be able to do that. I've. I really don't want to work at all. I would love to volunteer, but I don't want to have to have a part time gig for any reason. I just want to be able to be at home, maybe see friends and family when I can. But the desire to work in 10 years is going to be gone. So I'm hoping that I can prepare myself for a future where I don't actually have to do any kind of working.

[C]

When you add it all up, your total spend for the week was $1,718.93 sense to be exact. Now a big chunk of that was credit card payoffs and bills, not discretionary spending. But what do you think when you hear that number? Is there anything that you do differently or do you feel pretty good about where you landed?

[A]

For the most part I feel really good about it. I will say, although I can't remember specifically what the Apple card expenses consisted of, that that dollar amount seems high, so I'm not really sure what I purchased. But typically my credit cards are not that high. So the $1,700 doesn't scare me. But I can say it would probably be $800 lower if that expense wasn't there. And I do treat myself every now and then to some clothing entertainment of some sort. And I do have a little budget for that. Granted, this spending list doesn't show you that, but it is. When I go to pay for it, I'm pulling it from savings for the bucket for clothing and reimbursing myself for it, so to speak.

[C]

We're all for treating yourself a little bit.

[A]

Exactly.

[C]

In my house, we say this is why we work. And it is. I mean, we work for many reasons, but this is definitely one of them. Nicole, thank you so much for doing this with me us.

[A]

Thank you so much. This has been so fun. I really appreciate it. It was very nice to meet you.

[C]

Nice to meet you as well. And before we go, if you love today's episode, please take a moment to leave us a five star review on Apple Podcast. Your feedback means the world to me, but it also helps other women find the show. And if you haven't yet, be sure to pre order my new book, the Forever Paycheck. It's your guide to building a secure, steady income stream that actually lets you enjoy the retirement you've worked so hard for. Tap the link in the show notes to pre order your copy today. Her money is produced by Hayley Pasqualides. Our music is provided by Video Helper. Thanks for listening and we'll talk soon.