Almstrom Financial Coaching, LLC

08/11/2026

"I didn't think I make enough money for this to work for me."

That's what my client Megan told me the day we started working together. Two kids, a full-time job, and a credit card balance that had quietly crept up to almost $10k over a few rough years.

She wasn't overspending on anything wild, just life: Groceries, gas, a car repair here, a kid's field trip there.

And guess what? We didn't overhaul her entire life or tell her to stop living. We created a plan that worked for HER:
✅ She knew exactly where every dollar was going before the month started
✅ She had breathing room for the "life happens" expenses that used to land straight on the card
✅ We broke her debt down into a payoff order that actually made sense for her

Six months later, that balance is under $4,000 and dropping every month…without her income changing at all.

That's the power of a plan built for your actual life, not someone else's Instagram version of "getting serious about money."

This is exactly what we do inside the Done With Debt Bootcamp.
Ready to be the next Megan?

➡️Join here: https://www.katyalmstrom.com/bootcamp 💛

In just 30 days, you'll have a guilt-free spending plan, a personalized debt payoff strategy, and the confidence to finally take control of your money—without extreme budgeting or giving up your life.

08/06/2026

Nobody taught me about money growing up. It wasn’t because my parents didn't care, though. They just had limited knowledge of money management.

What many of us learn growing up, without anyone ever saying it out loud, might sound like this:
👉 Money is stressful, so we don't talk about it
👉 Credit cards are how you handle things when you're short
👉 You figure it out as you go

That's exactly what I did for years. Until "figuring it out as I go" turned into maxed-out credit cards and a knot in my stomach that never really went away every time I went to buy something.

If this feels relatable, just sit with this for one second: whatever you learned about money (or didn't learn) wasn't your fault. You inherited a set of habits and beliefs the same way you inherited your grandmother's eye color. You didn't choose them, they were just there.

But here's the good news: unlike your eye color, you can actually change this one. In fact, it’s your responsibility to, and that can be an empowering feeling should you choose it to be!

You get to decide what money means for you now. You get to build new habits, ask better questions, and pass something different down if you have kids of your own.

You are not stuck being however you were raised to be with money, you just get to be the one who finally breaks the pattern.

What's one money belief you grew up with that you're actively trying to unlearn? Share with me in the comments!

08/05/2026

You know those surprise expenses that aren't actually surprises?

Your car isn't going to break down "out of nowhere."
Your kid isn't going to need new shoes "out of nowhere."
The holidays aren't going to sneak up on you "out of nowhere."

These things happen every single year. So why do we keep treating them like plot twists?

Here's the truth: the reason your credit card balance creeps back up every few months isn't because you're bad at sticking to a plan. It's because your plan never accounted for real life in the first place.

A sustainable debt-free plan doesn't just say "pay off the card." It factors in what's coming, when it’s coming, and how you’re going to have the cash ready so you’re not reaching for the credit card when it does.

If you're ready to stop being "surprised" every single month, my free guide 9 Ways to Break Up With Your Credit Cards will help you get there!

Grab your copy here →

After working with hundreds of women over 5+ years to create healthier relationships with money, healthier businesses and healthier bank accounts, I've been able to distill down the most important actions we can all come back to again and again on our financial journey.

08/04/2026

Credit card points might not be making you the winner you think they are…

I’ve heard it all before: "but I'm earning cash back!" "But the points pay for our flights!" "But I always pay it off, so it doesn't matter!"

And I get it! I used to think the same thing. But the real numbers don’t always “math” the way you might think they do.

The average credit card rewards rate is somewhere around 1-2%. Compare that to the average credit card interest rate right now, which is well over 20%.

So if you're carrying any balance at all (even a small one) the interest you're paying is wiping out the rewards you're earning many times over.

And even if you DO pay it off in full every month...research consistently shows people spend more when they're swiping a card than when they're using cash or debit. The "reward" of points can end up costing more in extra spending than it ever earns back.

I'm not telling you rewards cards are evil. I'm telling you to be honest with yourself about which category you're actually in:
Paying off in full every month, spending the same as you would otherwise? The points are probably a nice bonus ✈️

Carrying any kind of balance? The math isn't in your favor, no matter how good the points feel 💳

Where does that leave you? No judgment here ever! Just curious what your thoughts are 👇

07/24/2026

Quick challenge for you: without looking, how many subscriptions do you think you have right now?

Now go actually look 😅

I do this exercise with clients all the time and almost every single one is surprised by the number. Streaming services you forgot you signed up for, an app you tried once, a membership you meant to cancel "eventually." Or that subscription box that seemed like a good idea eight months ago, but all it gave you was more clutter to deal with.

Individually, none of them feel like a big deal. $9.99 here, $14.99 there, but hat's the trick. Subscriptions are designed to be small enough that you never notice them, but consistent enough that they add up to real money every single month.

I've seen clients find an extra $150–$300 a month just from this one exercise. Not from cutting out anything they actually use or love, just from finally seeing what had been quietly running in the background.

Here's how to do your own audit this week:
➡️ Pull up your bank and credit card statements from the last 2 months
➡️ Circle every recurring charge, no matter how small
➡️ Ask of each one: do I use this enough to justify it?
➡️ Cancel what doesn't pass that test, and keep what does guilt-free

This is one of the easiest ways to make sure your money is going toward things you actually value, instead of leaking out through things you forgot existed.

Go check and let me know how many unused or unnecessary subscriptions did you find!

07/22/2026

You don't need more discipline in order to pay off debt (yes, this is coming from a money coach!)

You need a better system.

I hear this all the time from women I talk to about finances: "I just need to be more disciplined with my money. I’m always slipping up and life stuff just pops up out of nowhere and I’m back to swiping my credit card to make it all work.”

But you’ve been disciplined. You've white-knuckled your way through more January "resets" and do-overs after expensive life circumstances than you can count. You've read the books, downloaded the apps, promised yourself this time would be different.

The problem was never your willpower, friend. It’s that nobody ever handed you an actual step-by-step plan built for your real life. Because piecing together a bunch of vague advice to "budget better" and "stop overspending” never got anyone out of debt, and I promise you there’s a better way.

That's the whole reason I built the Done With Debt Bootcamp.
It's not a pep talk or a spreadsheet you'll abandon by week two. It's a clear, doable system that tells you exactly what to focus on and when so you're not relying on willpower to hold the whole thing together.

Ready to trade white-knuckling for an actual plan? 💳❌➡️Join me inside Done With Debt:

In just 30 days, you'll have a guilt-free spending plan, a personalized debt payoff strategy, and the confidence to finally take control of your money—without extreme budgeting or giving up your life.

07/21/2026

There are three words that have quietly wrecked more debt payoff plans than almost anything else:

"I deserve this."

Before the defenses come up, hear me out! I am NOT saying you don't deserve nice things. You do! Rest, joy, fun, a life you actually enjoy living…all of that matters and I'll never tell you to white-knuckle your way through paying off debt with zero enjoyment. That's not sustainable and it's not the way I coach women in their payoff journey.

But somewhere along the way, "I deserve this" quietly turned into the go-to justification for spending we hadn't actually planned for.

Hard day at work? I deserve this.
Everyone else got theirs? I deserve this too.
Feeling behind on my goals? I deserve a little sweet treat.

The problem is that "deserving" became the deciding factor instead of a plan to get yourself out of debt without giving up everything you enjoy.

So maybe we just ask a better question: "Did I already make room for this in my budget?"

If yes, enjoy it guilt-free! That's the whole point of a plan that includes real life. If no, that doesn't mean you don't deserve it, it just means this isn't the moment for it and that's okay.

You can want something and still choose to wait. I’m not about deprivation but I am going to teach you how to make financially informed decisions that will give you more freedom in the long run.

Tell me below, is this “deserving it” mentality something you’ve struggled with?

07/16/2026

Maybe from the outside it looks like you have it all together: good job, roof over your head, kids in activities, vacation photos posted.

Or maybe you're not even trying to make it look like anything. You're just getting through the month, doing your best, not performing for anyone.

Either way, what's actually going on behind the scenes that no one else sees? The quiet math you do in the grocery store line.
The way you avoid checking your credit card app on a Sunday night after a fun-filled weekend with friends and family. That sinking feeling every time an unexpected expense shows up, because you already know exactly which card it's going on.

This isn't about shaming you or telling you you're irresponsible with money. It's actually the opposite. You're a smart, capable woman who has been white-knuckling it through months that don't add up, trying to live your life the best way you know how with what you've got.

You just haven't been taught that there's another way. Sound familiar?

That's exactly what I built the 9 Ways to Break Up With Your Credit Cards guide for.

No, you won't be cutting up your cards in some dramatic fashion. You'll be following doable steps that actually stop the credit card cycle, on your own terms, wherever you're starting from.

Ready to take back control of your credit cards and stop feeling behind every month? Download your copy here:

After working with hundreds of women over 5+ years to create healthier relationships with money, healthier businesses and healthier bank accounts, I've been able to distill down the most important actions we can all come back to again and again on our financial journey.

07/14/2026

Today’s topic: Back-to-school money prep (starting now, not in August panic mode!)

I know, I know, it is WAY too soon to think about backpacks and school supplies. But that's exactly why I'm bringing it up now 😅

Every single year, back-to-school costs sneak up in that "wait, it's already August?" kind of way and the credit card becomes the easiest answer because there was no plan in place.

And is it just me, or do the lists get longer every year? Between new shoes, notebooks, registration fees, sports and activity sign-ups, my bank account cringes to see it all coming.

Yet none of it is really a surprise when you have kids. It happens every year, so let's stop treating it like one.

A few small ways to get ahead of it starting today:
🎒Open (or rename) a savings bucket "Back to School" in your high yield savings account
🎒Set aside even $20–$30 a week between now and then
🎒Write down what you already know is coming (supply lists from last year are a great starting point)
🎒Decide your number before the sales start, so "deals" don't turn into overspending

No perfect, rigid plan, just a head-start. Because the moms who feel calm in August are usually the ones who started in July, and not necessarily because they have bigger budgets.

I’d love to hear any of your tips or tricks for back-to-school planning that you swear by in the comments! 👇

07/13/2026

Ever done the 2 AM, staring-at-the-ceiling math?

“If I move $200 from savings, I can cover the card this month, but then I won't have anything left for phone bill that's due next week, but if I put it on the card instead, the interest is going to…I’ll probably have to skip out on workout classes this week…our grocery bill was so high last month…”

And round and round it goes 😵‍💫

Here's what I want you to know: that exhausting mental math isn’t a reason to beat yourself up (because that helped no one, ever). It’s a sign that you’re overwhelmed by a “system” that isn’t built to support everything you’re carrying financially.

In my experience, many women I talk with weren’t handed an actual financial system growing up. No one sat you down and taught you how to build a plan for your money that accounts for irregular expenses, emergencies, kids' activities, inflation, all of it.

What you likely got instead was vague advice like, "save money every month" or "just don't overspend" which isn't a system. It's advice that doesn’t actually teach you how to manage money, use credit cards, or pay them off. Relatable?

You need a legitimate plan that does that thinking for you and fits YOUR life, rather than trying harder to make flawed tools work that just can’t.

That's exactly what we build together inside the Done With Debt Bootcamp. A real plan for paying off debt, with tangible, doable steps so those 2 AM spirals have nowhere left to go. And we do it in 30 days.

Ready to finally put the calculator down and sleep? Start TODAY ➡️

In just 30 days, you'll have a guilt-free spending plan, a personalized debt payoff strategy, and the confidence to finally take control of your money—without extreme budgeting or giving up your life.