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Happy Tuesday, happy people!

In the beginning there’s:
- discomfort
- hard work
- making sacrifices
- setbacks

But later on there’s:
- financial security
- peace of mind
- flourishing wealth
- financial freedom!

If you give up during the first list…

You don’t get to experience the second list.

Keep going! Every small step is progress. 💪🔥

TO DO

Try the “Daily Money Minute” ⏱️

Here’s a super easy hack to stay on top of your finances, via Alexa von Tobel.

The Daily Money Minute: Just take just one minute, every day, to check your bank account, review transactions, or peek at your budget. That’s it!

This tiny habit keeps you aware, helps you catch mistakes, and makes managing your finances feel way more manageable. No spreadsheets, no overthinking — just a quick daily check-in.

Try it for a week and see how powerful one minute can be! 💪

LIFESTYLE

The True Cost of Clutter 😩

Most of us recognize the financial cost of clutter.

Maybe you bought something for $40 that you barely use, or those shoes that sit in the back of your closet that you never wear. No harm in keeping them around because the money is already sunk, right?

Well, the truth is, the ongoing cost of clutter goes far beyond money — All your possessions take a toll on your time, space, and mental energy too.

Time Cost:
Cleaning, organizing, and searching for lost items can add up to hours each week. If your time is worth $50 an hour and you spend six hours a week managing and moving your clutter around, that’s 300+ hours (worth $15,000 a year) spent on things that don’t add value to your life.

Space Cost:
Clutter has a sneaky way of making your house feel too small, tricking you into thinking you need more space. Don’t even get me started on storage units — Americans spend over $39 billion a year on those suckers 🤮. Instead of renting storage or wishing for a bigger house, try downsizing your stuff instead!

Energy (Mental & Emotional):
A messy environment increases stress and causes decision fatigue, draining your mental energy. Constantly deciding what to keep, where to store things, and how to organize creates unnecessary anxiety and stress.

A few quick decluttering tips to try:

✅ The One-Year Rule – If you haven’t used it in a year, you probably don’t need it!
✅ The 5-Minute Declutter – Set a timer and clear one small space at a time. 5 minutes each day will work wonders for your home!
✅ One In, One Out – Every time you buy something new, get rid of something old.
✅ Declutter by Category – Clothes, books, kitchen gadgets — just tackle one type at a time instead of trying to organize your entire life overnight.
✅ Digitize When Possible – Scan papers, store photos online, go paperless with bills.
✅ Don’t Let Freebies Clutter Your Life – Just because it’s free doesn’t mean you need to bring it home!
✅ Give Items a Second Life – Sell, donate, or gift things instead of letting them pile up.

Read the full post:  The True Cost of Clutter (It’s More Than Just Wasted Money)

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Click here and take the first step today.

BUDGET

Doom Spending? Try Doom SAVING 💸

We’re all in favor of bulk-buying sale items that you 100% know you’ll need in the future.

Like stocking up on toilet paper when it’s half off… Smart!

But this whole “doom spending” rush to buy non-essential stuff that you might need later — just because prices could go up?… This typically leads to spending regrets.

A recent Creditcards.com survey shows that 1 in 5 Americans are “doom spending” because of tariff and inflation worries. Here are the major purchases they’re making. 👇

We’re not saying all these purchases are bad for everyone.

We just want to encourage you to double-check that you’re not fear-based spending on things that you don’t necessarily need or hadn’t planned on buying.

And we especially don’t want you to be taking on debt to buy stuff.

A couple of thoughts/reminders:

1️⃣ Focus on saving more, not spending more – If prices are going to rise at a faster. clip, now is the time to contract your overall budget, not drain your cash reserves. The bigger your war chest, the better positioned you’ll be when real changes, opportunities, or actual emergencies come up.

2️⃣ Stock up on assets, not clutter – If you really want to get ahead of rising costs, buy more investments! Stocks, index funds, or even just boosting your emergency savings will serve you far better than panic-buying a new fridge.

3️⃣ Short-term spikes ≠ permanent doom – Yes, prices fluctuate. But over time, things stabilize and life goes on. We’re almost always either in a period of economic uncertainty or just around the corner from one. The best defense is having a growth mindset and a long-term outlook — As Morgan Housel says “save like a pessimist and invest like an optimist“.

So next time you feel the urge to doom spend, take a breath. The smartest way to prepare for the future isn’t buying more stuff, it’s building more wealth.

The only thing you should be “panic buying” —> is more shares of your favorite index fund. 😉

Related stuff:

• 👨‍💻 Simplicity Habit: 5 Helpful Strategies to Avoid Doom Spending and Save More Money

ICYMI

Newsy news news…

Student Loans 👩‍🎓
There’s talk of federal aid getting moved under another department (if the Dept of Education gets dismantled by DOGE). If you currently have Federal student loans, it might be a good idea to log into studentaid.gov and take screenshots and records of your balances, payment progress etc. just in case data isn’t transferred accurately. 😬

Trader Joes FTW 🙌
A new national survey reveals the best and worst grocery chains across the US. Trader Joe’s (which is owned by ALDI) and Costco are favorites almost everywhere. Walmart, Kroger and Safeway are among the least faves :(

Best Used Cars 🚘
Latests study via iSeeCars: Most Reliable Used Cars for the Money for 2025. These are all ~5 and ~10 year old models that have the longest remaining lifespan, with the lowest average cost to maintain.

Screen Life 📺
Apparently 63% of Americans watch TV during dinner. Call me old-school, but I prefer chatting with people > screens. How about you?

Benefits Hacking 🩻
Via Jesse at The Best Interest — Some wealthy Americans can legally qualify for low-income benefits. Is this savvy financial planning or an ethical gray area?

What Now? 🤔
Feeling lost and unmotivated? Read this, by Darius Foroux. “The real game is about learning, adjusting, and staying in motion. You don’t need to be perfect today. You just need to keep moving.“

Option Rot 🤷‍♂️
If you’re one of those people who likes to “keep your options open”, here’s a little helpful fodder: Option Rot. “While others allow their options to rot on the vine, the focused few pluck that fruit at its ripest.”

COMMUNITY

Boosting Your Kids’ Credit Score 💳

Posted in the HTM Facebook Group👇👇👇

Sounds like this strategy works well! Here’s a list of banks and their age requirements for authorized users.

Have a great rest of the week and keep up the good work! All your efforts will pay off eventually — just keep going. 🙏😉

Best friends out 🍻