Good morning, HTM family. 🤗

We’ve all got 100 important decisions to make today…

But, if you “second guess” yourself with each decision, that’s actually like making 200 decisions, because each one takes 2x the brain power.

And if you’re the type of person who “second guesses their second guess”, then you’re really making 300 decisions...

And for those of you who contemplate things 100 times before making 1 single decision (me, sometimes! 🙋‍♂️), you’re looking at 10,000 little choices that will exhaust your brain so badly and wind you up into a knot so tight that reaching 5pm will feel like running a marathon!

Do yourself a favor today: Think less. Get it done.

Life is easier when you stop wrestling with yourself and start taking action. Try it. 😉

OK let’s get to the money stuff… 👇👇👇

TO DO

Save $27. Repeat. 💰

Did you know saving $27 per day —> adds up to $10,000 in a year!?!?

Seriously. Tiny amounts add up.

Even just saving $6 a day is $2,200 after a year.

This week: Don’t overlook those small daily saving opportunities… Bringing lunch instead of buying, biking instead of driving, forgoing that new outfit or online splurge, selling old items online, etc.

Save all those dollars instead. Your older (and richer) self will thank you!

KIDS

Everyday Learning Opportunities 💸

If you’re not teaching your kids how money works, someone else is...

That’s a scary thought!!!!

Who will they learn from? —> Probably TikTok influencers, co-workers from their first hourly job, friends in high school, advice from their Uber driver, random comments from Taylor Swift, or worse.

Trust me — it’s better that YOU teach them good financial habits. Teach them early and teach them often.

The good news is that exposing your kids to real-life money realities isn’t that hard. In fact, some of the best financial lessons come from involving them in everyday activities/decisions you’re already making!

Here are some practical everyday opportunities to help mold your children’s money mindset:

• Grocery shopping: Take your kids to the store and talk to them about what you’re buying, why, how to compare prices, look for sales, and discuss your grocery budget. (bonus points if you make them cook with you!)

• Budgeting for a family outing: Involve your kids in planning and budgeting for a day trip or vacation. Or even their own birthday party! Give them a budget and teach them how to allocate resources. Adult life is full of compromises and sacrifices with limited amounts of money.

• Bank trips (or online banking): Every time you take out cash, pay a bill, make a loan payment, pay a credit card, Venmo someone, check your credit score online, or deposit a mobile check… these are all learning opportunities!! Your kid might not understand it completely, but they get the gist. Expose them as early as possible. They shouldn’t be afraid of banks, fintech apps, and money lingo.

• Comparison shopping: When contemplating larger purchases, involve your kids in researching and comparing prices. Online, in person, weighing pros and cons, making compromises, and delaying gratification. If they don’t see the financial decision-making behind the scenes, they don’t understand the true cost and process of the big things your family buys.

• Getting gas: Point to the sticker price. Explain what’s a good deal and what’s not. Have them yell out when they find good deals driving around. Hunt for discounts on gas together.

• Gift shopping for friends: Every time you buy a gift for someone or make a donation, tell the kids what you’re doing and encourage them to participate. (bonus points if you encourage them to donate some of their allowance money). Help them understand how to be generous with friends within a budget.

• Selling stuff online: Get your kids to take the photos and help write the listing. Show them how to post stuff. Give them a tiny portion of the profits. You can even help them declutter and list their own stuff too!

• Games: Use games like Monopoly or Payday to teach money management skills. It’s a mix of family fun time and money education.

• Tax filing: Make your kids file your return for you. KIDDING — That will crush their spirits and bore them. But on a serious note, telling them that they don’t get to keep everything they earn in life is a great discussion. When you’re out buying stuff, show them that the sticker price doesn’t include tax or tip. The final overall price is always higher!

Long story short: The more you expose your kid to savvy money decisions, the more money-savvy they become. Everything is a learning opportunity.

If you hide, avoid, or sweep money matters under the rug… kids will develop their own understanding of money using outside influences. Who knows where that leads? 🤷‍♂️

Related stuff:

• 👨‍💻 HTM Blog: How to give your kids a financial head start (without giving them a penny)

• 📝 Podcast Ep 427: Raising Financially Savvy Kids w/ Liz Frazier

TOGETHER WITH DAFFY*

Donating Stocks = Paying Less Tax 🙏

Daffy helps you donate stocks 📈, gold 💰, or even crypto 🚀 to the charities you love.

And why would you want to donate stocks vs. giving plain ol’ cash?...

Well, when you donate appreciated assets you’ve held onto for more than a year, there’s a double tax benefit. First, you avoid paying capital gains tax on any appreciated assets you donate. Second, you get to claim the full market value of the stock in the year it was donated as a tax deduction.

Also, today is the last day for your contributions to count towards Daffy’s $30M #GainsforGood Charity Challenge. So if you want to receive a limited-edition Daffy t-shirt and a chance at winning $5,000 for charity, make sure to donate your stock or crypto by 11:59PM PST.

Want to know how much you could save (and give) by donating your appreciated assets? Here’s a cool calculator Daffy made that breaks down the  potential tax savings of donating stocks vs. cash.

This is one of the reasons we recommend folks set up giving accounts with Daffy… More giving options, and more efficient donations!

CAREER

Searching for Meaningful Work 🤷‍♂️

US workers are feeling more and more detached from their day jobs.

A new Gallop survey found only 18% of folks are truly satisfied with their day to day, and over 50% are actively looking for new opportunities.

Here’s the trend over 10 years 👇👇👇

If this is you, and you’re not waking up semi-excited to tackle your work each day, it’s time for a change!

Getting a new job is a great New Year’s resolution. Here are a few thoughts to help…

1. Reflect on what you love. There’s no sense trading one miserable job for another (even if it has a higher salary, the thrill quickly wears off). Ponder about what makes you happy, your lifestyle, what aspects you enjoy at work, and how you can incorporate more of that goodness into your career. It might even mean taking a pay cut to increase flexibility and enjoyment.

2. Do Your Research. Your specific role matters, but so does the company you work for. These days we have awesome tools like Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc. where you can peek into company culture, employee sentiment, management styles, average salaries, etc. before joining a new ship. The more research you do on the front end, the fewer surprises pop up later.

3. Network your butt off. Expanding your circles = expanding your opportunities. Check out our episode with Jordan Harbinger about best practices and tips for better networking (even if you’re an introvert). Better yet, Jordan has a free 6-minute networking course you should take. Even if you’re not actively looking for a job, it’s always a good idea to “dig the well before you’re thirsty”

4. Build your social presence. A solid resume still matters, but you also want to look good online. Ask for peer reviews/recommendations, build out your LinkedIn profile, etc. You can use AI to help with this stuff. Don’t forget that many local libraries offer free resume writing courses, help with cover letters, job hunting advice, and more.

5. Upskill. You might find that you’ll be a better candidate for your dream job if you have xzy experience or skills. Start working on those asap — you can even grow these skills in your current role, often for free. Just ask for some exposure to develop those new skills, or express interest in different projects that will help you build that experience. Upskilling generates opportunity.

6. Stay positive and patient. Beyond a higher salary, a job change is an opportunity to change your everyday way of living. Keep the big picture in mind and don’t get caught up in the frustrating applications/resume stress/hunting rabbit hole. There are companies out there looking for awesome people like you — it might take several no’s before you can find the yes. Patience is key.

One last note: Job satisfaction and home-life satisfaction are reciprocally related. This means improvement in one area —> affects the other.

So another way to be happier at work is to try improving your home and personal life. More hobbies, family time, fitness, travel, etc. can improve your attitude and help you see work in a new light.

Related stuff:

• 💻 LinkedIn: The latest Global Talent Trends report and Most In-Demand Jobs right now (Nov 2024)

• 😌 Mindset: A good read about how your mindset greatly affects your job search!

• 🎧 Podcast Ep 403: Ditching Work You Hate & Landing the Job You Want with Ashley Stahl

ICYMI

Newsy news news... 👀

Verizon 👎
Looks like Verizon just increased their fees again. Booo. And even though it’s only a tiny bit per line, they are already the most expensive cell carrier! Reminder —> US Mobile works on the Verizon network and you can get unlimited plans for $17.50 a month. It’s time to SWITCH already. 📲

HSA Outreach 🎓
HSAs are still underutilized. But the good news is they’re gaining some traction. They’re the only account that offers a triple-tax advantage! Bottom line: If you have $$ in an HSA —> invest it!

CC Debt 😭
The average American household now carries more than $10k in credit card debt. If this is you, commit to making 2025 the year to pay it off. Trying to build wealth while carrying credit card debt is like trying to run a marathon with a backpack full of bricks. Dump the bricks, running is hard enough by itself!

Amazon Boxes 📦
Before you ditch all those delivery boxes, here are 26 ways to reuse cardboard, via PennyHoarder.

Tax Calendar 📆
Via Morningstar, here’s a Tax Fact Sheet and Calendar for 2025 with brackets, important dates, deadlines, etc for next year.

Travel 🏝️
Can Travel Make You Live Longer? (These Scientists Think So) — Great reminder to use your PTO days, get out of your bubble, explore, and put your phone away.

ASK HTM

“Will buy-now-pay-later wreck my finances?” 🤷‍♀️ 

The short answer: Even at a 0% interest rate, we are not fans of using BNLP to pay for small purchases.

Financing a house or car at 0%? Go for it. But splitting your $200 online shopping cart into 4 x $50 payments isn’t a great idea.

That’s because there are more drawbacks than advantages to BNPL. And most people abuse it to buy stuff they can’t afford.

Here’s the longer answer!

Wishing you an awesome week ahead, full of quick decisions and lots of ACTION. 💪

Best friends out! 🍻