A Money Maker Mindset

My mom always had a pencil, a calculator, and her ledger at her spot at the kitchen table.

Growing up, I thought that's what managing money looked like, being meticulous, getting every dollar right, being disciplined enough to track it all.
I assumed you had to be really smart and really organized to handle money well.

What I understand now: she was just keeping the lights on. And that ledger was how she did it.

That story shaped how I saw money for years, without me even realizing it.

Our money habits don't just come from discipline. They come from meaning. From what we learned money was, safety, worth, belonging, survival.

When you understand your money story, something shifts. You get more choice.

What's a money memory that shaped you? Drop it below.

Do you know what shaped your relationship with money?

In my Financial Wellness Workshop, I use something called the Money Egg, a simple exercise that helps people understand what early experiences, family messages, and childhood moments taught them about money.

Things like:
- Was money talked about openly or kept secret?
- Was it a source of stress or security growing up?
- What did money MEAN, safety, success, control, love?

Those early lessons quietly influence how you spend, save, worry about, or avoid money today.

You're not bad with money. You learned patterns that once made sense.

Understanding them is the first step to changing them.

ADHD tax is real.

And if you've never heard of it, let me explain.

It's the extra money your brain costs you when it lets you down.

Like paying $300 more for skates because you lost track of time and couldn't make it to the cheaper store.

Or the overdraft fee you paid not because you didn't have the money, but because you forgot to transfer it.

Or the late payment interest on a bill that sat on your counter for three weeks.

Not laziness. Not irresponsibility. Your brain.

If any of this sounds familiar, you're not alone. And you are not bad with money.

There are tools and tricks that can actually help. Stay tuned.

A client sat down with me for the first time.

She pulled out a folder. Neat. Organized. Colour-coded tabs.

She'd been saving for 12 years. Contributing to her RRSP every year. Never missed a payment.

She slid it across the table and said: "Am I doing this right?"

We went through it together. The savings were solid. But she was withdrawing from the wrong accounts first. She was going to pay tens of thousands more in tax than she needed to.
Nothing catastrophic. Just... not optimized.

She looked at me and said: "Why didn't anyone tell me this?"

Because nobody asked.

You are allowed to ask. You are allowed to expect answers.

That's not being difficult. That's being responsible with your own future. 💙

What if the answer to "mortgage or invest?" is... both?

A lot of couples stress about this like it's an either/or decision. It's not.

Here's a simple way to think about it:
Extra $1,000/month?
Put $500 on the mortgage (guaranteed return at your rate)
Put $500 in your TFSA (tax-free growth with flexibility)

You reduce debt AND build wealth. At the same time.

There's no universally "right" answer, only what makes sense for YOUR timeline, YOUR comfort level, and YOUR goals.

Want help running the numbers? That's exactly what I do. Link in bio.

The secret?
For stress-free holiday spending start planning EARLY. Not exactly a shocking reveal. But it is where most people fall short.

I know, I know, the holiday season is probably the last thing on your mind.

But here's why planning ahead changes everything:

When I was a young mom, January always felt like a financial hangover. I hadn't budgeted for Christmas and the post-holiday stress was REAL.

Then I discovered the magic of spreading holiday costs throughout the year. Game. Changer.

Here's how to do it:
- Look at what you spent LAST holiday season. Add up: gifts, decorations, travel, entertainment, special meals, everything.
- Adjust for this year. What would you change? Add or subtract from your total.
- Divide by the number of months until the next holiday season. This is your monthly savings target.
- Set up automatic transfers. Move that amount to a separate "Holiday Fund" every month.

By next December, you'll have the money sitting there ready, NO stress, NO debt, NO January regrets.

This ONE habit transformed my relationship with holiday spending.

Who's committing to starting a holiday fund THIS month?

History lesson: The market ALWAYS recovers.

2008 Financial Crisis? Recovered.

2020 Pandemic crash? Recovered.

Dot-com bubble? Recovered.

Every recession ever? Recovered.

EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. The market has come back stronger.

I'm not saying downturns don't hurt. They do. Watching your retirement account drop is scary and stressful.

But here's what I AM saying:
If you sell when the market is down, you lock in those losses permanently. You miss the recovery. And history shows that recovery happens faster than most people expect.

The investors who win:
- Stay invested through the volatility
- Keep contributing during the dips (you're buying on sale!)
- Trust their long-term plan
- Don't try to time the market

The investors who lose:
- Panic sell at the bottom
- Try to time when to get back in
- Miss the recovery days
- Make emotional decisions

Your emotions are valid. Your anxiety is real. But reacting emotionally to temporary market drops can seriously damage your long-term wealth.

This is why having a solid plan AND someone to talk you off the ledge during scary times matters.

Feeling anxious about your investments? Let's talk. Link in bio.

Remember: Time IN the market beats timing the market. Always.

Tax season brings up a lot of feelings.

Owing doesn't mean you failed. A refund doesn't mean you got it right. You're simply a person navigating a complex system, and that matters more than any number on a return.

This month's blog is for anyone who finds this time of year a little heavy. Read the full blog post here: https://www.amoneymakermindset.com/blog/theemotionalsideoftaxes

Financial wellness isn't always about hustle and optimization. Sometimes it's about rest.

You don't need to:
- Check your accounts every day
- Optimize every single dollar
- Have the "perfect" budget
- Feel guilty about every purchase
- Compare your progress to everyone else

Financial self-care looks like:
- Checking in weekly instead of obsessively
- Celebrating small wins
- Spending on things that genuinely bring joy
- Taking breaks from money stress
- Being kind to yourself when you mess up

You're allowed to:
- Order takeout sometimes
- Buy the thing that makes you smile
- Not track every penny
- Rest without productive guilt

Financial wellness is about progress, not perfection. It's about finding peace with money, not punishment.

Be as kind to yourself about money as you would be to a good friend.

What's one way you practice financial self-care? Share below!