145: Move over SMART Goals, It's Time for FUN Goals

Lifestyle creep or inflation-when you spend more money as you start earning more-often gets a bad rap. But understanding why spending your money doesn’t feel as good as you thought can be a great first step in making sure that you’re using your money the way that feels best. In this episode, a financial therapist will walk you through four tips to help make that new paycheck feel good–so you can have your cake and eat it, too.

“Should I buy or rent?” It’s a question that comes up a lot, but outside of the finances, how do you know if it makes sense? In this “Ask Mind Money Balance” episode, financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin answers a flight attendant from Atlanta’s question about this exact topic. There are some unique considerations, such as assessing values, determining the why behind short-term renting, and benchmarks to have saved. If you’ve ever wondered whether you should buy or rent, tune in to navigate the emotional and practical steps to achieve your housing goals! Watch the corresponding video here: https://youtu.be/GjA1mrCWhhk?si=DT6eYlV3pi10gX0j

Self-trust is having confidence and belief in one's own abilities. When it comes to money, having low self-trust can make it hard to make and stick to financial choices. In this video, a licensed social worker and certified financial therapist shares five common signs of low financial self-trust. She also covers six ways to build resilience and increase self-trust, including creating small time-based challenges and celebrating money wins so you can start making financial decisions you feel good about.

An article written by personal finance expert Charlotte Cowles recently went viral when she shared she was victimized and scammed out of a large sum of money. The response online was largely rooted in nasty, victim-blaming. We don’t do that here at Mind Money Balance. Financial scams impact people of all ages, with younger adults 18-29 actually reporting the highest number of financial scams. Rather than trying to train yourself for money scammers' latest “red flag,” learn how to regulate your nervous system and keep yourself safe from this video from financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin. If you’re tuning in after becoming a victim or trying to support a loved one who was victimized, listen until the end, when Lindsay shares some tips on finding support.

Since the dawn of time (ok, ok, since 1981) SMART goals have been the dominant framework for setting and achieving goals, including financial ones. But disability advocate Emily Ladau was onto something when she said that SMART goals were out, and FUN goals were in. As a shame free financial therapist and financial wellness expert, I’m a huge fan of FUN goals! Tune in to hear how Flexible, Uplifting, and Number-Based goals can help you achieve your money goals and feel good while doing it!

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected and influence one another. As a social worker and financial therapist, I’ll share how you can understand more about this type of therapy and what you might gain from CBT. As always, I’m here to point out where things go awry, and I’ll talk about some of the “cons” of this intervention (hint: you can’t think your way to wealth). Curious? Make sure to tune in!

It’s Black History Month, and Mind Money Balance is celebrating by highlighting and amplifying 13 Black personal finance pros you need to know. From journalists to authors, YouTubers to podcasters, and energy healers to social workers, this list highlights folks who have taught me things about money, new ways to approach personal finance tactics and instill motivation, too.

I'm taking you behind the scenes and sharing insights into my personal and professional journey, including how I found myself repeating a mistake by outsourcing my self-trust when it came to trying to achieve my goals in 2023. I share lessons I’ve learned, including how I approach my marketing from a sustainability standpoint, why social media platforms can be complimentary but aren’t my main focus, and what happened when I looked at YouTube with too much anxiety. I turned to folks in my community for feedback and reassurance about the power of safe and healthy authenticity, including sharing more about my financial privileges. And? I share that my story isn’t a rags-to-riches one; statistically speaking, it’s probably not yours. PLUS, I share some exciting changes that have to do with new and refreshed offerings at Mind Money Balance.  Head to www.mindmoneybalance.com/speaking if you’re interested in bringing a financial wellness expert to help your team, employees, or peers understand the emotional side of money.

Motivational interviewing isn't a pep talk or hyping yourself up to answer questions – it's a profound exploration of your desires. While I absolutely believe that we can and should be our own hype people, Motivational interviewing is about tapping into the deep well of insight within you, so you can figure out your unique motivation to make change. And–how you can make meaningful changes with your money, so you can achieve your financial desires.

"Loud Budgeting" is a social media trend that I can get behind as a financial therapist. Why? Because it's just another way to say "having financial boundaries." Learn how to set and communicate financial boundaries, what third spaces have to do with it, and how to deal with naysayers who try to push your limits.  Read or watch the corresponding video here www.mindmoneybalance.com/blogandvideos/loud-budgeting-is-financial-boundaries