A Week In Her Wallet: With A Clinical Researcher Who Makes Over $150k And Travels Nearly Full-Time For Work

Summary

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Episode: A Week In Her Wallet: With A Clinical Researcher Who Makes Over $150k And Travels Nearly Full-Time For Work
Air Date: November 14, 2025
Guest: Kristen, Clinical Researcher

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Episode Overview

This installment of "A Week in Her Wallet" shares a raw, detailed look into the spending habits and emotional logic behind money decisions of Kristen, a single, highly-compensated clinical research associate from Atlanta. Over one week, Kristen’s experience offers a window into the financial challenges facing professional women, from travel expenses and home repairs to mindful charitable giving, debt, and balancing joyful spending with future security. Host Jean Chatzky guides Kristen through reflections on her choices and values, providing both practical advice and empathetic insight.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Kristen and Her Life (05:14 – 08:57)

• Kristen’s Role: Clinical research associate focusing on adult oncology, traveling extensively to hospitals nationwide.
• Income: Salaries range from $100k–$175k, her own compensation is "over $150k" (07:23).
• Living Situation: Resides in Atlanta’s Ormwood Park. Purchased a townhome at age 31, paying less in mortgage and HOA than rent at the time.
• Personal Life: Single, dog owner, values her stable home.

Quote:
"I just spent a lot of money this summer, so I needed a way to get back on track too. And no better way than having to share it with a bunch of people." — Kristen (05:23)

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2. Managing Money While Constantly Traveling (09:03 – 12:51)

• Describes a typical week: multiple flights for site visits, spending on travel and meals, and struggles to plan meals on the road.
• Distinguishes between company reimbursable expenses (per diem) and out-of-pocket "splurges" (trying a nice restaurant in a new city).
• Tips for separating work from personal expenses: uses per diem as a boundary and tries to stay under to benefit personally.

Quote:
"That's definitely one of the hardest parts about traveling is not really being able to fully plan for meals, especially while I'm on the road..." — Kristen (10:45)

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3. Charitable Giving & Community Involvement (15:22 – 18:22)

• Monthly donation to East Atlanta Kids Club; Kristen serves on the board and is now vice chair.
• Has a dedicated savings account for gifts and charity; also donates to the rescue organization where she got her dog, Planned Parenthood, and Atlanta Community Food Bank.
• Emphasizes importance of giving with intention and sticking to causes that personally resonate.

Quote:
"We give these kids a safe space. We teach them skills that they can translate into the real world…everything that we do is based on giving by others." — Kristen (16:08)

• Jean suggests using a DAF (Donor Advised Fund) for more impact (18:28 – 20:12).

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4. Homeownership, Debt & Smart Credit Management (20:12 – 24:45)

• Holds a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) as a financial safety net, used recently for home repairs due to a leak.
• Leveraging 0% balance transfer offers on credit cards to transfer HELOC debt, saving on interest.
• Negative experience with a Lowe’s credit card “bait and switch” on promotional financing—charged a large amount of interest unexpectedly.

Quote:
"I actually think the interest was more than two of the pieces that I purchased together..." — Kristen (24:22)

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5. Mortgage Payment Strategy & Budgeting Flexibility (27:29 – 31:44)

• Pays mortgage bi-weekly, resulting in an extra (13th) payment every year, reducing total loan duration and interest.
• Began habit because of previous employer’s bi-weekly pay cycle; stuck with the strategy for budgeting convenience.
• Jean highlights consumers’ flexibility with payment schedules—suggesting people can make payments on their own convenient cycle, so long as deadlines are met.

Quote:
"That’ll cut a 30 year mortgage to a 24 year mortgage, which is really nice. You'll get out six years early if you stay." — Jean (31:44)

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6. Decluttering, Yard Sales, and Conscious Spending (31:57 – 37:01)

• Huge yard sale with friends after home renovations forced her to confront clutter; proceeds (earned $150) quickly spent on a music festival ticket.
• Routine: donates unsold items, shops for local/handmade holiday gifts throughout the year, attends community events (e.g., Atlanta Community Food Bank’s "Empty Bowls").
• Uses spending as a reflection of values—prioritizes experiences and community engagement over material accumulation.

Quote:
"It’s much easier to keep things clean and organized...that was the impetus behind [the yard sale], was moving out and then not wanting to move it all back in." — Kristen (36:04)

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7. Money Personality, Reflections and Advice (37:01 – 40:44)

• Total spend for the week: ~$3,000, including major recurring expenses (mortgage, debt repayment, subscriptions).
• Surprised by the total spend, recognizing many expenses hit in the same week.
• Scored as both "connoisseur" (loves experiences, good living) and "nurturer" (generous, supportive) in HerMoney’s Money Type Quiz.
• Advice for other women:
  • Be intentional: focus on purchases and gifts that bring real joy.
  • Don't dilute your impact—give to what truly matters to you.
  • Spending should feel fulfilling, not obligatory.
  • Sometimes, intentional spending also means putting up guardrails.

Quote:
"Just finding those things that make you happy make spending money maybe a little easier. Maybe too easy at times." — Kristen (40:35)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "No better way [to get back on track with spending] than having to share it with a bunch of people." — Kristen (05:23)
• "I try to keep that in mind in terms of food. But I'm very lucky. My company will cover if I have to pay for parking or I have to drive to dinner or anything like that. They'll cover all of that..." — Kristen (12:09)
• "We work really, really hard and a lot of hours, so we should enjoy it. And I think finding the things that really, you know, spark creativity...it just makes life a lot nicer." — Kristen (39:31)
• "Be intentional. Don't dilute your impact. Give to what truly matters to you." — Kristen (paraphrased advice, 39:31 – 40:44)

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Key Segment Timestamps

• Meet Kristen & Her Job: 05:14 – 08:57
• Travel, Work Expenses & Food: 09:03 – 12:51
• Charitable Giving & Community: 15:22 – 18:22
• HELOC, Credit & Debt: 20:12 – 24:45
• Mortgage Payments & Budgeting: 27:29 – 31:44
• Yard Sale & Value Spending: 31:57 – 37:01
• Money Type Discussion, Wrap-Up: 37:01 – 40:44

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Tone and Takeaways

The episode balances practical, no-nonsense financial management advice with warmth and humor. Kristen is frank, organized, and values-driven, seeking joy and meaning from both her spending and giving—but also candid about missteps and surprises. Jean Chatzky provides actionable tips (like setting up a DAF, using credit card transfers wisely, rethinking payment cycles) while championing community and intentionality.

For listeners:
Whether you’re a high-earning professional or simply juggling busy modern life, Kristen’s week offers validation and concrete examples for managing expenses (planned and unplanned), rewarding yourself without guilt, maximizing giving, and understanding that being “intentional” with money often means aligning money habits with your values and your well-being.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hey everyone. Welcome to Her Money. I'm Jean Chatzky and today we're diving into another installment of our special series, A Week in Her Wallet where we follow real women from our community as they track their spending and unpack the emotional values and trade offs behind each dollar. Because when it comes to money, the what is important, but the why is where it gets personal. This week we're heading to Atlanta, Georgia to meet Kristen. She is a single professional in her 40s with a big job that has her traveling several times a month. This particular week was no exception. Kristin walks us through a week that includes work trips, unexpected home repairs, yard sale wins, and her favorite way to wind down wine strolls. I am absolutely with her on that. You'll hear from Kristen in her own words. She sent us voice notes through the week and then she sat down with me for a thoughtful conversation about credit card debt, travel perks, and how she's thinking about making home feel more like home. Here at her money, we are all about finding simple habits that make a beautiful big impact. Our Chief Content Officer, Katherine Tuggle has been loving one in particular lately. Every morning she mixes a scoop of AG1. It's become a staple in her routine right before she dives into emails or heads into back to back meetings. She says it's one of the easiest, most effective ways she's found to support her energy, focus and overall wellness without juggling five different supplements. So what is AG1? Well, it's a daily foundational nutrition drink that blends 75 vitamins, minerals, probiotics and real food sourced nutrients in a single scoop. Head to drinkag1.comhermoney to get a free welcome kit with an AG1 flavor sampler and a bottle of vitamin D3 plus K2 when you first subscribe. That's Drink AG. AG1.comhermoney pop quiz can you name all your financial accounts right now? 401k savings, credit card, mortgage investments? My producer Hayley thought she could until she started using Monarch and discovered a crypto account that she hadn't touched in years. With a couple hundred dollars just sitting there, that one surprise made her realize how easy it is to lose track of your money. Feel organized and confident in your finances with Monarch, an all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or your phone. And right now, just for our listeners, Monarch is offering 50% off your first year with code [e-mail] Now Hailey uses Monarch to keep everything in one place, spending savings, investments, and even shared budgets. No more spreadsheets. No more surprises. Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code hermoneyonarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year at monarch.com with code hermoney hi Kristen, thank you so much for taking part in a week in her wallet.

[C]

Hi Jean. Yeah, thanks for giving me the opportunity to do so.

[B]

What made you curious to do this exercise with us?

[C]

I think part of it is I just love hearing everybody else's stories and I've never done anything like this, so I figured it would be a fun opportunity for me to kind of push myself out of my comfort zone a little bit. But also I had a summer where I feel like I just spent a lot of money, so I needed a way to get back on track too. And no better way than having to share it with a bunch of people.

[B]

It's so true. Absolutely. All right, before we get into the nitty gritty of your spending, tell me a little bit about you. What do you do? Where do you live? What does a month of income look like?

[C]

So I am a clinical research associate, which means I basically go around to different hospitals throughout the country training people on how to do research studies. And then once they open their study at their site, I go visit and make sure that their data is correct, that they're enrolling the patients that they should be. And this is all in oncology, so adult oncology. And then I live in Atlanta, Georgia. I live in a little neighborhood called Ormwood park, and it's conveniently located to pretty much everything I need. So close to the airport, close to little areas of shopping and restaurants and a lot of parks. So I've been here for about 20 years now.

[B]

Amazing. So you. You're saving lives. I mean, that's what you're doing. You're saving lives with your research. I'm a data nerd. So I think that studies in general, I read a lot of them, mostly financial ones, but I just think it's fascinating and the protocol has to be followed so precisely in order to make sure that the results hold and can be replicated. And you're doing this in oncology, so. Wow, that is so. It's so impressive. What does a job like this pay?

[C]

So I think there's a range, and it also depends on what kind of area you're in, what disease indication you're in, but I would say anywhere from probably about 100 to probably 175 or so. We, because we travel a lot, I think we get paid a little more. And as you progress in your career, obviously as you move up the ranks, you get paid more. So it's dependent on that. And then we have different certifications, depending on your disease indication, and I think that also helps.

[B]

Are you married, partnered, single?

[C]

No, I'm single and looking.

[B]

Okay, put it out there.

[C]

Yeah. So it's just. Just me. I have a dog, and so we. I live, you know, here. I have a house or a townhome, actually, by myself, that I. I was telling somebody before I got about 12 or 13 years ago, I said it was the steel of the century. So very happy to be here still.

[B]

Wow. You were a homeowner Very, very young.

[C]

Yes. I was trying to decide if I wanted to go move back to New England, where I'm from, or stay here. And I found this deal and I could not pass it up. And I was actually, when I purchased it, I was paying less in my mortgage and HOA than I had been in rent, so I figured I would Go for it.

[B]

How old were you when you bought it?

[C]

I was 31, I think.

[B]

Okay, so you're in your early 40s at this point?

[C]

Yeah, I just turned 44.

[B]

Happy birthday. Thank you. All right, so let's dive into your week.

[C]

Just doing my Monday check in. I am just back from North Carolina. I had to travel there yesterday for a work visit and then I'm heading out again tomorrow morning for a visit in Missouri and then I'll be home Wednesday evening and be here for the rest of the week and actually through next week, which is really exciting. Today was a strange spend day just because I've been waiting for information about a few things to book and they all seem to happen today. One of the things I did was I purchased entry to a run walk that my friend's company is hosting and it benefits a pet shelter in my town. And then another friend and I are going to New York City next month to celebrate our birthdays. So I bought tickets to the Tenement Museum. And I sent my dad some money because he let me use his Best buy card to buy a laptop late last year because he pays for some service where the geeks are. Vlad will fix it. So I sent him money every month for that. And I had to pay for breakfast or the over expenditure, I guess for breakfast this morning at Hilton because they give me a food and beverage credit but it never covers breakfast, which is kind of annoying, but that's how it goes. At least I got something. Oh, I did stop at the grocery store and picked up some food so that I would have something for dinner. That is definitely one of the hardest parts about traveling is not really being able to fully plan for meals, especially while I'm on the road and never knowing exactly what time I'm going to get back because of how hectic travel is these days.

[B]

Let's talk about your Monday. You called it a strange spend day. What is that all about?

[C]

I travel for work a lot, so I was on the road. So it's always a weird is this money that I'm spending on my own or is it because I'm traveling? So I think I had, you know, a couple work food expenses, but then also a couple things that popped up that I had been waiting on. So I finally got the details. So it was kind of things that I normally wouldn't be paying for. I ended up purchasing that day a little out of the norm.

[B]

Got it. Is it tough when you're on the road keeping your expenses separate from your work expenses? And do you have any hacks that you use or tips for people. I'm so guilty of this. I travel for work and I try to keep my receipts, but I know I end up footing the bill for things that I should be expensing.

[C]

Yeah, so we get a per diem when we travel. And so I try to keep that in mind in terms of food. But I'm very lucky. My company will cover if I have to pay for parking or I have to drive to dinner or anything like that. They'll cover all of that, so I don't have to worry about it. And I typically try to stay under the per diem because then I get to keep whatever is extra. But I do when I go to a new city, I kind of. I splurge and I try a fun restaurant or something that I wouldn't get to do at home. So I think when I was doing a week in her wallet, I was in a city that I'd never been to before. So I went all out for dinner where usually I'll just buy something cheap and eat in the hotel room.

[B]

Amazing. Tuesday was a travel day. It was an on the road day.

[C]

It's Tuesday the 16th. And just wrapped up work for the day and figured I would leave you a message. Today was another travel day for me. So I have some expenditures that are definitely out of the norm and actually they're even out of the norm for a travel day for me. I ended up having to leave my house a little earlier than I anticipated because my cleaning lady showed up and because I am just recovering from a leak and the renovation, I have not cleaned everything out of my garage yet, so. So it is not usable. So she had to park in the driveway where I was parked. So anyway, I had to leave a little early. So I actually went to the Sky Club, which I normally or recently have not been doing just because I've been underwhelmed by them lately. So I did some work and ate there and then the pickings were pretty minimal. So I decided to grab a water and a protein drink at Hudson News. So I did that and then I got on my flight, which was a little bit delayed. So by the time I got to the hotel, I was hungry. But it wasn't dinner time yet. But it was later than lunch. So I ended up just grabbing some popcorn at the hotel and then finished up work and decided to go to a very, very early dinner. Today I spent $95 for the cleaning lady. I have a monthly donation to the East Atlanta Kids Club. I'm A board member. And as part of our responsibilities on the board, we are required to do a give get. And so every month I donate $125. So I am currently paying off a HELOC. And that is. That was due today as well. So I just put $100 toward that. So anyway, that is what I did today in terms of money. So I again, will be traveling tomorrow. So I will update you on that. And then I'm very excited because I will be home, I think, for about 10 days or maybe even a little bit longer.

[B]

He said you made a monthly donation to the East Atlanta Kids Club and that you're also on the board there. And clearly you made a charitable gift the day before as well, to your friend's race. How do you decide where to give, and why is that organization particularly important to you?

[C]

Yeah, it's been hard to figure out where to give because I love to give, but I can't always support the budget of giving. The East Atlanta Kids Club is really important to me because it serves people in our community, and I think it fosters just growth amongst community members. I became a board member about 3 years ago, and this year I'm the vice chair and then the chair of the development committee. And I just love the mission. We serve people who otherwise might not have a place to go. We give these kids a safe space. We teach them skills that they can translate into the real world. We give homework help. We provide mentorship. There's counseling services if people need it. And everything that we do is based on giving by others. So that's why it's important to me to be able to give, to support the mission and just foster the growth of our young community members and future leaders. I got involved with them, I think, during the pandemic, and the first thing that I did with them was actually adopted a family at Christmas, because I had been adopting somebody through the postal service, the gift giving that they do, and I wasn't able to get a family for some reason. Every time I clicked, they were gone. So I thought, well, I have families in need in my community. So I reached out to the executive director and worked with him, getting a family and getting gifts for them. And then when I gave it to him, I said, hey, if you need anybody on your board, I'm really interested. And he said, actually, we do. So the timing just worked out. Yeah.

[B]

Do you set yourself a giving budget for the year? Is that. Do you do it by the month? How do you figure out what fits for you?

[C]

Yeah, I do A every month I put a certain amount of money into a savings account and that is my gift giving for that month. So the two organizations that I really like to give to are the East Atlanta Kids Club. And then every year I make a donation to the rescue where I got my dog. And usually I do that on his Gotcha Gotcha day anniversary in August. So I do that. And then I also give smaller monthly to Planned Parenthood in a local community food bank, the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Just that I just started this year just because of everything going on. I know people need food and healthcare and so those were the areas. They're small donations, but I have friends in development who've told me it's really helpful to have to know that monthly we'll be getting something, even if it's small, 100%.

[B]

Can I just make a recommendation? Yes, you should open a daf. Do you know what a DAF is?

[C]

Yes, I've heard of it, but I don't really know how they function and all of that.

[B]

So a DAF is a donor advised fund. And basically if you're putting aside money regularly to give, you would contribute money to this account. But the money gets invested, so it can grow. Sometimes it goes down, but mostly it goes up like the markets. And it just enables you to give away more because the money is invested. And then you make grants right out of your account. So you would be able to give to the East Atlanta Kids Club regularly to pill in parenthood, to the shelter, whatever you wanted just through this account. But I have one, I've had it for, gosh, over a decade now. Mine is at Fidelity, but a lot of institutions have them. The folks at GoFundMe, for example, just started a DAF program. And I just love it. It makes me feel like a philanthropist, honestly, because they call it granting rather than G. And I like that. The money has grown and enabled me to sort of double the amount of money that I've given away.

[C]

Yeah. So if I opened that would then the money just go directly from that each month to these organizations?

[B]

Yes. So you make the contribution into the daf. You get a tax deduction if you're itemizing these days for making that charitable contribution. And then when you tell the financial institution to give the money to the organizations that you want to support, you don't get a tax deduction at that point because you've already taken it.

[C]

Oh, interesting. Yeah, I'll look into that. Thank you.

[B]

Sure. You have said you're in the process of paying off a heloc. Tell me a little bit about that. And did you make a payment during the week?

[C]

Yeah. So because I am single, one of the things that my financial advisor and I have talked about is how it's really good to have kind of a safeguarding in case anything happens. And so to have some money that is, is available for me in a good amount if I needed it. And so I've always had one open and kind of as a just in case. And this is the first time I've had to dip into it. I had a leak in May of this year and ended up causing some damage and I have great insurance that covered pretty much everything. But while the people were here working, I thought now is the time to do some updates and upgrades if I want them. So I, I did some upgrades and I got very lucky. I think I ended up paying only about $8,000 extra to get an entirely new bathroom, all hardwood floors and a bunch of nice things that I've been looking forward to. And so what I did is I took the money for that from Mayhey Lock just because I wasn't totally sure how much money it would be. And I also realized that I have some credit cards that I have balance transfer offers on and so I will be able to, I think I figured it out that I'll be able to transfer that to a zero interest credit card and that way I'm not paying the 6 or 7%, whatever it is now. So I'll actually, that is on my list of things to do this week is to transfer the funds to cover it and start my zero interest journey.

[B]

I, I agree with your financial advisor. I think having a HELOC if you're a homeowner is a wonderful back pocket emergency cushion, especially in a job market like this one. I mean, we know it's taking people a lot longer to get jobs these days and it can be a really nice way to tide yourself over if you, especially if you feel like you don't have substantial emergency funds. So. And that's the right use of it too. We use a HELOC to take care of our homes. Like that's what it's made for. So I'm glad you got a new bathroom out of it on Wednesday. You said you were annoyed by a bait and switch deal on a Lowe's credit card that you're paying off. What happened there?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So last year, so in 2024, my washing machine, dishwasher and microwave all went out at the same time. Thankfully it was around Memorial Day. So there were a lot of sales, and my parents were actually visiting, and so we went to Lowe's to look, and they. I. I knew I needed to buy all three of them. You know, it wasn't really a question of if. If I needed to, I. I had to. And my dad was like, well, I have the Lowe's card. I get, you know, for 12 months financing if you want to use that. And the woman said, actually, we have a deal. If you open a Lowe's card right now, it's 18 months financing, and then you. You get six extra months out of it, basically, to pay it off. So I opened the card and then immediately set up my payment so that I paid off. I think it was like $100 a month or something to meet the 18 months. Well, I never really checked it, which was my mistake. But I looked this summer for some reason, I think. Cause I was buying a bathtub for my new bathroom. And I saw that I had been charged a great deal of interest because my promotion ended in May. And I called them, and I was like. But I was told it was 18 months. That's the only reason I opened the card. All the signs said it. And the representative said, no, there was nothing for 18 months available at that time. And so I need to do a little more digging and go and speak with somebody at the store. But honestly, I've been real annoyed about it, so I needed to calm down a little bit first before I go in and talk to somebody.

[B]

Yeah, you should definitely follow up on that, because that sounds terrible.

[C]

Yeah. Well, and it was a hefty. I actually think the interest was more than two of the pieces that I purchased together, so I'm not surprised.

[B]

I mean, when those deals expire, they hit you with a full interest charge from the very beginning.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So if you have trouble with that, come back around and we can try to help you.

[C]

Okay, thank you. I appreciate that.

[B]

We're going to take a quick break, but when we come back, we're going to dive into the rest of Kristen's week, including a wine stroll, a yard sale, and how she's making her home feel more like home. Is your wireless bill still way too high? If so, it might be time to rethink what you're really paying for and what you're not. At Mint Mobile, their favorite word is no. No contracts, no monthly bills, no overages, no hidden fees, no bs. Mynt is changing the game with premium wireless starting at just $15 a month. Every plan includes unlimited talk and text and high speed data all delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. You can even keep your own phone and number, so switching is seamless. Just better service, fewer headaches and a lot more savings. Ready to say yes to saying no? Make the switch [e-mail] hermoney that's mintmobile.com hermoney upfront payment of $45 required, equivalent to $15 a month limited time new customer offer for first three months only. Speeds may slow above 35 gigabytes on unlimited plan taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. You've heard this story before. When I first moved to New York after college, I was so deep in credit card debt just trying to stay afloat. Every overdraft fee, every late payment. It all made getting ahead feel so out of reach. My younger self would have seriously benefited from Chime. That's because with Chime, when you set up direct deposit, you can get paid two days early. You can access fee free overdraft up to $200 and skip the monthly maintenance fees altogether. Chime also gives you access to over 47,000 fee free ATMs. That's more than the top three national banks combined. And you get real time alerts that help you stay on top of your balance and your spending. Work on your financial goals through CHIME today. Open an account in 2 [e-mail] hermoney that's chime.com hermoney Chime feels like progress.

[C]

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[B]

2023 Chime checking account required we are back. We're talking with Kristin about the week in her wallet.

[C]

I spent 640 on my mortgage. I pay twice a month so I end up making 13 payments a year. 13 full payments. I I pay 26 times instead of just paying monthly. And I started this when I first bought my place because of the way I got paid where I was working at the time and I realized that it actually helps me make one additional payment a year. So I have just stuck with it throughout the years to help pay things off a little faster if possible. And I also picked up my dog for the dog sitter so he had been there since Sunday. Because of my travel times I wasn't able to get him until Thursday morning. So I paid 120 for that. One of my friends watches him. I have two dog sitters, so I kind of switch back and forth. I try to keep it so that I have options available if needed, but my friend gives me a friend's discount. And then on the way home from picking him up, I stopped at the grocery store because I didn't have stuff for lunch. And then I wanted to get a few things to add to dinner. And I think I got some lemon juice for my water, so that came to $31. And then because I hadn't been using my garage door a lot while I was getting my renovations, it got off balance somehow. So on Saturday, after I returned home from a board event, the garage door wouldn't shut, and I wasn't able to get anybody out to fix it that day. So basically, they came yesterday to take care of it so that it now closes and works properly. And that was $268. So not a super exciting expense day. But a lot of it was items that just had to be done on Thursday.

[B]

This was interesting. You talked about paying your mortgage twice a month rather than once a month. Why are you doing that? Are you trying to pay it off faster?

[C]

No, it's actually. When I first bought my place, the way I was getting paid was I would get paid every two weeks, so I wasn't making a lot of money at all. So it was easier for me to cut my payments in half. And so I would pay one. Basically every time I got paid, I made a payment to my mortgage. And I've just. I got used to it because I did it for so long that I just do that now. And it's just kind of the way that my mind works, I guess, at this point, about how to pay it. But there is the added benefit of, you know, being able to pay things off earlier.

[B]

You know, it's a really important budgeting point, I think I was talking to my daughter about this. She just switched jobs, and her paycheck cycle got changed, and it didn't line up with her car payment. And I was explaining, you don't have to pay it on the day they say that you have to pay it. You have to pay it before it's due, but you can pay it when it's convenient for you. You can also call your creditors and ask them to change your payment cycle. You know, people don't really understand that you have some control there. They'll move the dates around to make it easier for you. To give them their money. There is some flexibility there. Are you in doing this, making an extra payment a year?

[C]

Yeah, I made 26 payments. So if, I guess if you convert it to months, it's a. I pay 13 months in a 12 month time period. So I guess I make one extra month full monthly payment a year and.

[B]

That'Ll cut a 30 year mortgage to a 24 year mortgage, which is really nice. You'll get out six years, six years early if you stay. On Saturday you had a yard sale.

[C]

And doing my recap for day six, which is Saturday, September 20th, and I got up bright and early because I was doing a yard sale with some friends. We ended up doing pretty well. I made $150 and promptly spent $100 on a wristband to a music festival. So I guess easy come, easy go. And then I immediately drove after the yard sale to Value Village, which is a thrift store, to donate all of the items that I was unable to sell at the yard sale because I did not want to bring them home with me. I do not need them continuing to clutter up my house. After that, I went home and a book that I ordered arrived. So I read that for a little bit and then met up with some friends to go to a fundraising event for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. And it was called Empty Bowls. And it was really cool. It was a bunch of potters made bowls. And with your ticket you got. Got a bowl or two small bowls. And then there were different chefs there who had made different kinds of soup. So you got to sample. I think it was four or five different restaurants and their soup. And then you could also purchase additional bowls if you wanted. And toward the end of the event, they discounted the price. So the, the bowls went from $40 and I think $20 down to $20, $10. So I ended up getting a couple extra bowls so that I have some gifts for the holidays. I like to kind of shop for the holidays throughout the year and I try to buy as many local or locally made gifts as possible. So I felt like this was kind of a win win, because not only was I buying something from a local potter, but I was also supporting the community food bank while I was doing it. And then after that I grabbed some drinks with friends. So the total that I spent was $21 on wine at the event for my friends and I. And then I spent $50 on bowls. So that was $71 there. So that is my spend today. I will talk to you soon.

[B]

What fun you made $150. And you said you promptly turned around and spent it on a music festival, which is great. So tell us a little bit about this. I mean, I. I'd love to hear about both the sale itself and why you decided to do it, because I know from experience a yard sale is a lot of work, but also it feels like you're very in tune with the things that you value. You took the money, you spent it on something you love.

[C]

Yeah. So I think having the leak at my house, I had to move out of a lot of rooms. And I realized I have a lot of stuff that I just don't need, but it doesn't necessarily need to go into the dumpster. And it's nice stuff that maybe other people could use. And so I had a yard sale with some friends who are neighbors. And it was also a really nice morning just to meet people in the neighborhood and get to know my friends a little bit better. It's. You learn a lot about people when you see all of their stuff displayed. So we did that, I think. Another thing, this summer when I was having renovations done, I stayed in a one bedroom apartment, and I really liked it. I was like, there's no clutter, there's no stuff around and I could get used to. It's much easier to keep things clean and organized. And so I thought I should really go through and get rid of stuff that I'm not using and maybe make a little money out of it for myself. So that was kind of the impetus behind that, was the moving out and then not wanting to move it all back in and then just kind of building community, but then spending it. There was a big music festival in town, and I haven't been to a music festival in probably years, probably since before the pandemic. And one of my friends mentioned that she was interested. And while we were at the yard sale, somebody said, oh, I have somebody that's trying to get rid of these tickets. So we got them and rode our e bikes down to the park and parked it there and then rode them back. And it was a great, great fun for the evening.

[B]

Amazing. It sounds like you are very intentional about having an active social life and being part of your community.

[C]

I am. And I think especially because I travel so much when I'm not traveling, it's really important to me to spend the time with people I like and doing things that I'm interested in doing, but that also make me feel good about myself and make me happy.

[B]

Your total spend for the week was $3,000, a little over $3,000. And just to be clear, this includes the HELOC mortgage, credit card payoff, some subscriptions, some recurring costs. There's a lot in there. I don't want people to think you spent $3,000 this week on dinner. Did the numbers surprise you at all? What did you learn in doing this?

[C]

Yeah, actually it did, because I just wasn't expecting that, that I spent that much. I think that that that is one of those weeks where a lot of my bills hit too. So it just happened to be that week. But yeah, I spend a lot of money. It made me think I need to slow it down. But it is funny because a lot of it is not on food, which is usually a big part of social life, is going out and having food. And that week, it just didn't happen to be that. But that is something I've been working on, is trying to be more. More intentional with my food spending and just kind of spending in general, especially after the summer. But yeah, I was a little surprised at how much it was.

[B]

It does sound to me like you spend pretty joyfully. When you took our money type quiz, you were 85% connoisseur and 83% nurturer based on both your spending and the fact that you love giving so much. That totally tracks to me. Did it track to you?

[C]

Yes. I'm not surprised at all because I. I do love to do fun things, but also to give. And so it made a lot of sense to me.

[B]

If you're listening and you haven't taken our money type quiz, I find it really eye opening. A lot of the women who've taken it have said to me they feel really seen. You can find it at hermoney.com or at moneytype Me, and it's something that we ask people to do as part of the a week in her wallet process. For other women who are trying to be more intentional but also like, you have a lot on their plates, what advice would you give to them?

[C]

I think in terms of the being intentional just to really try to focus on the things that bring you joy and that make you happy. You know, we work really, really hard and a lot of hours, so we should enjoy it. And I think finding the things that really, you know, or maybe even spark creativity in you, if you spend on things like that, it just makes life a lot nicer. And I think one of the things that I've learned over time, especially with giving, is I used to just give, give, give to anybody who ever asked and then you know, I feel like I'm not being as impactful that way. So I really had to kind of focus on things that were important to me. And also in my role on the board, I have to ask for money too, which is always a little challenging. But I've found that if you're really passionate about something, it can help others feel that passion as well. And maybe their passion isn't the same as mine, but it helps them kind of figure out what works for them. So just finding those things that make you happy make spending money maybe a little easier. Maybe too easy at times.

[B]

Maybe too easy at times. But I think it also means that you put some guardrails up when you understand what's important to you. And that's kind of the point. Kristen, this has been such a pleasure. Thank you so much for doing this with us today.

[C]

Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. It was a lot of fun.

[B]

I'm so glad. And we'll be right back. 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. 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 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 Haley Pascalides and our music is provided by Video Helper. Thanks so much for listening and we'll talk soon. Are you the one keeping everything together in your family? But maybe you're secretly or not so secretly falling apart.

[C]

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[B]

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[C]

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[B]

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[C]

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[C]

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[C]

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