wealth

Entering My Opulent Era

This is slightly related to the subject of this blog so I figured I’d share.

Today is my birthday. I’m writing this ahead of time, since I’ll be overseas and practicing what I preach.

I’ve mentioned before how I’ve grown weary of the practical (boring) advice that is often offered by financial gurus. I am DONE with promoting austerity as the path to wealth, and I will no longer deny myself pleasure that adds depth and color to my existence. I believe it is possible to live luxuriously while also being wise with money. In fact, I’d argue that (for me) the only reason to be responsible with money is to enjoy the luxuries that money can buy. I may forgo ordering takeout to save up for a pair of Ralph and Russo shoes, or I may decide to stay home and read a book instead of blowing my quarterly massage budget on a night out with friends. Whatever the case is, I may opt for the responsible, “boring” choice, but only if it puts me in line for the luxury I really desire.

I have no interest in denying myself every pleasure, just so I can see a certain amount in my bank account. Yes, I believe in saving for rainy days and old age, but I also believe in leaving room for fun NOW! I don’t want a life where I’m not having fun: I want a life that is juicy, exquisite, and delightful from beginning to the very end. That is why I’m declaring this my Opulent Era. I require opulence in everything I do: my meals, my home, my hobbies, my travel, everything. If opulence means sacrificing the less interesting things, I’m happy to do it. I’m no longer interested in living a dull life JUST so I can have more money in an account. I want to LIVE (still responsibly, but not miserly!)

I’m committing to incorporating more opulence into my daily life. If that interests you, then stay tuned, because I’ll be sharing more of those opulent experiences here. I look forward to taking you all on this opulent adventure with me!

Posing at the Edinburgh Airport

Why Your Business is a Temple: The Sacred Systems that Scale Elegantly

The deeper truth of what you’re building

Most people think of their business as a machine: something to be optimized, automated, squeezed for efficiency and profit margins. They don’t think of their business as anything outside of a mechanism to accomplish a financial goal.

In the Sanctum, we see it differently.

Your business is a temple. It’s where your deepest gifts meet the world. It’s also where your ancestors’ sacrifices find new form. Their tears, their strides, their efforts – all of these energetic investments culminate into something new and powerful in your temple.

Your business is where your future lineage will one day trace their security and opportunity back to: all of the choices you’re making right now are part of your dazzling origin story.

This is why your systems — the structures that hold your offers, your money, your client relationships — must be more than transactional.

They must be sacred.

The Power of Spiritual & Strategic Infrastructure

True wealth isn’t just about how much money flows through your accounts. Money is just an indicator – a mirror – of previous decisions. However, true wealth is about how your business holds that money, circulates it, protects it, and grows it — without fracturing your nervous system in the process.

Here’s how we approach it in the Aureum Sanctum:

Systems that free time

Your time is your most precious non-renewable resource.

A sacred business honors it by building systems that operate gracefully even when you step away.

Seamless onboarding flows? These ensure that each new client feels cherished and initiated, without you scrambling behind the scenes. Automated payment structures? These trigger beautiful confirmations, not clunky invoices. Evergreen offers or passive products? These allow you to make money while you rest, travel, or simply luxuriate in your life.

Your business doesn’t require micromanagement. Trust the systems that you put in place.

Systems that regulate wealth

The goal is wealth without structure leaks.

Just like water that seeps through cracked jars, or the harvest that rots in the field, a business without proper storage in place will have spoilage and spillage.

Sacred financial systems are like consecrated vessels: Trusts that hold assets beyond your lifetime. Thoughtful tax architectures that transform liabilities into legacies. Elegant dashboards that show you your numbers at a glance, so you steward them with calm clarity.

When your money knows exactly where to go, it multiplies with grace — not chaos.

Systems that honor your nervous system

What good is scaling if your body is in a perpetual state of contraction?

Systems that support your calm can look like:

Calendars that include Sabbath days and silk afternoons — not just back-to-back calls. Automated reminders that replace mental clutter. Ritualized CEO days where you review metrics over tea and candles, so your wealth is tracked in a way that soothes your soul, not spikes your cortisol.

The right systems don’t just make you efficient: they make you feel profoundly safe.

Your temple deserves more than duct tape

Too many entrepreneurs slap together duct-tape solutions and wonder why their empire feels shaky. Temporary solutions rarely generate permanent positive results.

Your business deserves the same reverence you’d give to constructing a cathedral:

Solid foundations, intricate artistry, and space for spirit to move through.

So yes, let’s build the automations and hire the right team.

Let’s set up smart tax entities and invest in beauty-infused client portals.

Let’s do it not just for profit, but as an act of profound devotion to your future — and everyone who will walk these halls after you.

Create Your Business Temple

If you’re ready to treat your business as a temple that blesses you as much as it blesses the world — consider having a conversation with me. My door is open, and I’m excited to serve you as you create the business of your wildest dreams.

Scaling should feel sacred. Your business should feel like a beautiful sanctuary. Your nervous system deserves to thrive right alongside your bank accounts. Let’s build your beautiful vision – together.

Luxury as Legacy: Reframing Wealth Beyond Status Symbols

 Redefining what luxury truly means

Luxury has become one of those diluted words — tossed casually over images of handbags, yachts, and champagne flutes.

It’s mostly showing up as a marketing tactic, or a status chase.

And while there’s nothing wrong with savoring fine objects (the Aureum Sanctum itself revels in silk and satin, rich mahogany wood, delicate ceramics and bespoke fragrances), true luxury isn’t just about outward symbols.

True luxury is about spaciousness, sovereignty, and the security of knowing your lineage is protected long after you’re gone.

It’s the soft exhale that comes when your life is structured beautifully enough to allow you to slow down, because hustling isn’t luxurious.

It’s the profound calm in your nervous system when you know your family will be cared for — whether through trusts, investments, or an elegantly designed business that endures.

Luxury as Spaciousness

Imagine waking up on a Tuesday and deciding to wander around a sun-dappled museum instead of checking Slack.

Imagine writing poetry at 2 PM because your automated wealth systems hum in the background.

Luxury is the spaciousness to honor your natural rhythms.

To create, rest, and simply be.

In the Sanctum, we see time freedom as the ultimate opulence.

Because what’s the point of more money if your days still belong to someone else?

Luxury as Sovereignty

Most people conflate luxury with lavish consumption.

But for the feminine CEO, luxury is about self-directed power — the capacity to make decisions without fear or dependence.

It’s having the clarity to say yes or no to opportunities from a place of full agency.

It’s setting prices, scaling systems, and structuring taxes proactively — because you understand the intricate laws and patterns that uphold your wealth.

When your finances are architected with elegance, your business becomes an extension of your sovereignty.

It’s a modern throne, designed to honor your intuition, your body, and your genius.

Luxury as Legacy

Perhaps the most overlooked facet of luxury is this:

Luxury is ensuring your family’s security doesn’t end with your lifetime.

It’s not just the trust fund or the insurance policy (though those matter).

It’s the intentional shaping of your story so it becomes the fertile soil your descendants grow from.

It’s the legal structures that protect your heirs from avoidable tax erosion.

It’s the investments that yield fruit decades from now.

It’s the intellectual property — the books, the frameworks, the brand — that your children or protégés inherit.

Luxury is not ephemeral when approached this way.

It becomes a quiet empire that lives on in every opportunity your lineage experiences because of what you built.

The New Model of Luxury

So no, we don’t dismiss the aesthetic pleasures.

Silk robes, heirloom-quality jewelry, and private dinners in candlelit courtyards are delicious expressions of wealth.

But in the Sanctum, we frame them as byproducts — not the root.

The root is spaciousness, sovereignty, and legacy.

Because luxury isn’t ultimately about showing the world how much you have.

It’s about constructing a life (and a financial ecosystem) so artful and secure that your soul feels deeply nourished — and your lineage is quietly, powerfully blessed.

Are You Ready to Embrace Luxury?

If you’re ready to explore luxury not as hollow flex, but as a devotion to your own spaciousness and your family’s future, my door is open.

Because when wealth is approached as ritual, every decision becomes an act of love — for yourself, for those who came before, and for everyone who will come after

Why I’m Diving Deeper into Tax Law Right Now

Sometimes legacy work calls you into new terrain.

Or, more accurately, into old terrain with fresh urgency.

I’ve described myself as a tax alchemist, someone who reads and interprets codes and designs wealth strategies that are sacred and sophisticated.

But in light of recent developments, I’ll be turning even more of my attention to the evolving world of tax law — and I want to bring you along for the journey.

The landscape is shifting

A newly passed comprehensive bill — the “One Big Beautiful Bill” — has introduced sweeping changes that will ripple through tax planning, compliance, and wealth structuring for years to come.

Simultaneously, a recent Supreme Court decision regarding the IRS, the tax court, and collections due process has redefined certain guardrails that taxpayers have long relied on.

Translation?

The frameworks that protect your wealth, your legacy plans, and even your day-to-day financial serenity are all being re-negotiated in real time.

What this means for you

Most people only discover these shifts when it’s too late — when they’re hit with unexpected liabilities, audits, or discover that their previously sound strategies no longer hold.

But in the Aureum Sanctum, we approach this differently.

We stay ahead by weaving regulatory changes into our rituals of wealth stewardship before they become crises.

This is why I’ll be dedicating more of my offline time to unpacking these new legal currents — what they mean, how they might impact your trusts or business entities, and how we can continue to shape them into elegant, protective structures for your family’s future. And, as I uncover crucial details, I’ll bring these insights back to the Sanctum.

The Aureum Sanctum approach: calm, clear, strategic

If the idea of diving into dense tax law makes you anxious, take a breath.

We approach this the same way we approach everything here: with calmness, clarity, discernment, foresight, and the steady reminder that wealth design is both art and architecture.

Together, we’ll navigate these changes without panic — only with precision and the quiet confidence of knowing your financial house rests on solid, beautifully crafted foundations.

What’s next

So expect to see more updates in the coming weeks and months:

  • Thoughtful explorations of the new bill’s most impactful provisions
  • Insights on the Supreme Court’s most recent collection due process decision and what it might mean for audits and collections
  • And practical, graceful guidance on how to pivot your tax and legacy planning strategies in light of it all.

Because at the end of the day, my mission remains unchanged:

To help you build wealth that is elegant, enduring, and exquisitely aligned with the life you’re here to live — no matter what the laws of the land decide to rearrange.

Can’t Be Disciplined? Try Being Devoted.

In exploring paths to prosperity, I’ve been diving deeper into the habits and practices that can contribute to sustainable riches and a delicious life. With the advent of AI and other automation tools and technology, there are more paths to wealth than ever before!

Of course, in the path to wealth, there are as many hinderances as there are opportunities. Knowledge gaps, lack of time, inadequate resources, and a number of other stumbling blocks present significant challenges to people attempting to reach their financial goals. But, even in the absence of barriers, some people still struggle with reaching their financial goals. What gives?

I suspect that the main issue that some people have is that they struggle with being “disciplined”. They aren’t able to commit to hard (or easy) actions on a regular, consistent basis. This is similar to the aversion some people have to the term “budget” (which I’ve discussed in a previous post). They find themselves easily discouraged when they are inconvenienced or misdirected from their path. Also, “discipline” as a concept may feel uncomfortable. It may trigger emotions like inferiority, shame, frustration, or inadequacy, especially in cases where the figures from their childhoods that embodied “discipline” were harsh, critical or not particularly nurturing (insert caregiver trauma here).

In the spirit of redefining personal finance, perhaps a new term is the best solution. Perhaps, instead of “discipline”, we can try framing this dedication as devotion. Much like religious adherents that love the sacrifice that comes with their service, we can view our consistent actions as an act of devotion to our future selves and the future reality that awaits us if we just stay the course.

When discussing wealth generation strategies, most of the conversations tend to glamorize quick wins over the long game. The myth of “Sudden Wealth” is a pervasive one, and, by focusing on fast money, anything that occurs in the inverse (such as quiet, incremental growth) is seen as boring, difficult and unsatisfying. Including the topic of “discipline” in these conversations just further highlights the disdain many people have towards consistent work. However, when reframed as devotion, the conversation takes on a very different energy. The quiet power that comes from incremental devotion isn’t boring, it’s mysterious; it isn’t difficult, it’s an exhilarating experiment. Incremental devotion isn’t unsatisfying: it’s a fire that grows from a flicker to an inferno. Like compound interest that grows over time, incremental steps rooted in devotion to our future selves are small at the beginning but become monumental over time. The route of incremental devotion eliminates the need for intensity, since consistency and time do most of the heavy lifting.

Speaking of the “boring” and unappealing nature of discipline . . . Discipline tends to be associated with rigidity, and most people are averse to anything too rigid. On the other hand, devotion can be fluid and even sensual: it’s easy to take a necessary task and add elements of beautiful rituals to it. One of my favorite ways to make my devotion feel more like a ritual is to set up my desk before working on anything related to business. I usually light a gorgeous scented candle, put on a piece of jewelry or an article of clothing that symbolizes what I’m working on (as I type this, I’m wearing a soft red top that always makes me feel divine and polished), and put on some music that matches the mood I want to invoke (rainforest sounds, gentle chimes, success subliminals, and classical music are great places to start). The most important part of connecting rituals to devotion is to treat the task as something sacred and nonnegotiable, which are terms that can also be used to describe (you guessed it) discipline.

At the heart of devotion is a positive feeling of self worth. Even the most perfect plans and the most disciplined person will abandon their work if their don’t believe they are truly worthy of the goal they desire. Staying devoted is easier to do when you feel worthy of the wealth, ease and abundance you’re creating. Daily affirmations, mirror work, journaling, and other self concept practices can help with identity shifting. From that newly shifted space, it is much easier to stay devoted and cultivate consistent practices that will create the life you desire.

When I began this conversation, I stated how there are more opportunities to build wealth than ever before. However, along with opportunity comes another issue. The same internet that provides wealth-building access also floods us with distractions, comparison traps, and “shiny object syndrome.” And, unfortunately, discipline “punishes” us for falling into distraction, instead of gently refocusing us and encouraging us. Devotion requires discernment — staying loyal to your path and not being seduced by every new tactic, course, or platform. While discernment may take some time and experience to develop, devotion doesn’t have the harshness of a stern disciplinarian: it warmly invites us to return to our goals sooner rather than later.

Following the path of devotion has been a sweeter experience than the road of discipline. I invite you all to try devotion instead of discipline, and let me know how it works for you. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

The Rituals of Regulation: The Foundation of Sustainable Success

We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with advice about hustling harder and pushing through limitations. This “grind until you collapse” mindset has created more burnout than success, and many people struggle to reconcile their desire for better finances and their physical limitations. Fortunately, the key to sustainable success isn’t working harder, but aligning your work with your body’s natural design.

Instead of prioritizing your hustle, prioritize your physiological state. After all, it’s the foundation upon which all of your sustainable achievements must be built.

Why Your Nervous System Matters More Than Your To-Do List

Have you noticed that when your body feels safe, your brain becomes more creative, strategic, and open to abundance? Conversely, when your nervous system is chronically dysregulated (stuck in fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses), you remain locked in scarcity and reaction-mode regardless of how many strategies you try. This reality creates a painful paradox: the more desperately you push for success, the more your nervous system perceives danger, and the less access you have to the very gifts and talents needed for sustainable wealth creation.

I personally know how this works. When I was dealing with the worst of my chronic pain experiences, I was so reactive and stuck: I couldn’t think straight or plan well. I didn’t see progress in any areas of my life until I got my nervous system in check. There was no amount of “pushing through” that could make up for the dysregulation I was experiencing.

Traditional success models ignore this fundamental truth, because these models assume that energy is consistently available, output should be linear, and success only exists when constant growth is achieved. These assumptions directly contradict human biology and natural cycles, which both dictate that periods of ebb and flow, expansion and contraction, and highs and lows are equally crucial in the creation process.

The Four Survival Responses in Your Work and Your Life

Understanding how survival responses manifest in your work and your life is the first step toward creating sustainable success. These patterns can show up as:

Fight: Overworking, forcing outcomes, perfectionism, controlling tendencies, defensive responses to feedback

Flight: Procrastination, distraction, starting new projects before completing others, excessive planning without action, avoidance of financial numbers

Freeze: Decision paralysis, undercharging, invisibility, creative blocks, inability to launch

Fawn: People-pleasing offers, boundary violations, saying yes when you mean no, overdelivering, ignoring your own needs

Which of these patterns feels most familiar to you? Recognizing your default survival response provides valuable insight into where nervous system regulation will create the most significant shifts.

For me, vacillating between fight and freeze was the norm, and when I was exhausted, I would plunge into flight mode, hoping that a new project (distraction) was the answer. Of course, I didn’t see results until I healed myself enough to get out of these modes.

Creating Your Personal Baseline

Your “baseline” is your minimum viable state of regulation—the foundational level of nervous system calm needed to function effectively and make aligned decisions. Creating a practice that can consistently regulate the nervous system can do wonders for improving your decision making and enhance your levels of creativity.

A simple but powerful practice for establishing this baseline is creating a Calm Morning Anchor: a short 10–30 minute morning practice to reset your system before engaging with the world.

Effective morning anchors might include:

  • Gentle stretching or somatic shaking to release overnight tension
  • Breathwork (Box Breathing or 4-7-8) to directly communicate with your autonomic nervous system
  • A tea or warm water ritual in silence that creates multi-sensory presence
  • Listening to soothing music or ambient sounds that entrain your nervous system to coherent patterns
  • Light journaling to externalize thought patterns before they create internal agitation

The specific practice matters less than its consistency and its effectiveness in creating a physiological state of safety from which you can engage with your day. The practice that works best is the one that you use regularly and that helps you feel safe and calm. My personal practice includes a quick yoga session before I get out of bed, meditating in the shower, drinking warm tea before working, and journaling. Some days I do all four of these practices, and on other days, I do one or two. It all depends on what I feel I need.

Your Daily Regulation Toolkit

Even with the most carefully designed morning practice, it’s inevitable that life will have moments of dysregulation throughout your day. Having a personalized toolkit of regulation strategies allows you to respond thoughtfully to these moments rather than spiraling into prolonged stress states. Making beautiful rituals out of your regulation tools takes those dysregulation moments from stressful to blissful.

Some powerful regulation tools include physical regulation (like cold exposure and modified butterfly hugs), breath regulation (extended exhaling and box breathing could work), cognitive regulation (sensory grounding is a favorite one of mine, as is compassionate self talk). The most effective toolkits include options that can be implemented in different environments, require varying amounts of time, and address different levels of dysregulation.

From Regulation to Riches

Understanding the direct connection between your nervous system state and your capacity to create sustainable wealth provides powerful motivation for prioritizing regulation practices.

When your nervous system operates primarily in survival mode, several mechanisms restrict your financial potential. Those mechanisms can look like scarcity thinking, risk aversion, undercharging, visibility resistance and decision fatigue. When the nervous system is dysregulated, abundance can feel dangerous or unrealistic, opportunities can be missed, market value disregarded, and there is no energy left to make the decisions that matter most.

On the other hand, a regulated nervous system creates the ideal conditions for sustainable wealth. Regulation opens the way for expansive thinking, intuitive wisdom and confident boundaries. Additionally, a safe and secure nervous system allows for authentic visibility: the kind of presence that is an expression for service, and feels no threats to survival.

The Integration Challenge

If you need support to embrace a regulated nervous system, please comment “Safe” so that you can be notified when I release my FREE 7-day challenge for rewiring your nervous system for success. These are the same strategies I used to help my frazzled nervous system go from struggling to secure. If I can do it – while in the throes of a chronic illness – you can, too.

A Revolutionary Approach to Success

By prioritizing nervous system regulation, you’re not just improving how you feel—you’re fundamentally transforming your relationship with work, wealth, and your own inherent value. You’re creating the physiological conditions where abundance can flow without resistance.

This approach might seem radical in a culture that glorifies pushing yourself beyond your limits. But what could be more practical than working with—rather than against—your body’s fundamental design? If pushing yourself too hard creates burnout, how much better would it be to create an environment where you have more energy and more money?

Your nervous system isn’t just another aspect of self-care—it’s the essential foundation upon which all sustainable success must be built. By mastering regulation first, you create the internal conditions where ideas flow effortlessly, decision fatigue diminishes, and opportunities seem to find you rather than you chasing them.

What would become possible in your life if you put your nervous system first? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

It’s Been Seven Months. Here’s What I’ve Been Doing

Hello friends! It’s been a while since my last post, for good reason. I will occasionally withdraw from blogging, so I have time to implement some theories and to get data to share with you all when I return. It’s been my system for a while, mainly because writing a bunch of fluff – just for the appearance of continuity – never appealed to me. I’d rather offer something substantial a few times out of the year, than to share flimsy articles weekly.

So, here’s what I’ve been doing: I created a few more digital products, and I experimented with a few selling platforms. I didn’t want to recommend certain selling strategies without testing them myself. I always do just enough to see what works, and I only go further if I know it’s worth it. Most of them time, it isn’t worth it! But at least I can speak from a point of experience and not just theory. Of course, it takes time to do gather these experiences so that I can report the results back to you all.

Another thing I’ve done is witness the monetization “arc” of several AI websites. Quite a few of the websites I’ve previously recommended are now behind paywalls, and, while I can understand why the developers did that, eliminating limited freebie versions are why many users are turning away. This is always why I think ChatGPT (and other platforms that offer some access at no cost ) will remain dominant: even if the free version isn’t the best, it’s better than no access at all. Besides, with the proliferation of AI capabilities being built into apps and programs we already use regularly, the accessibility of this technology will continue to grow, many times at no direct out-of-pocket cost to the end user.

I joined a business mentorship group, and I found a tribe of entrepreneurs that are regularly structuring and executing 7- and 8- figure projects. It’s been exciting to be in this hub, and I’m thrilled to offer some incredible products, programs and tips to you all in the future, based on the millionaire habits that I’m picking up from my peers.

I’ve taken a LOT of tax training, mainly for the purpose of learning new ways to interact with wealth. It’s fine to learn the basics, but once you’ve mastered those, you have to dive into deeper material. One of the subjects that I’ve spent more time exploring is estate and trust law (and how the tax law applies to these areas). Learning about estates and trusts has been exhilarating, and I’m excited to start practicing some new things with what I’ve learned.

Finally, the past seven months have been focused on synthesizing and integrating what I’ve taken in so far. One of the biggest traps that snare aspiring wealth builders is staying stuck in “learning” mode. Yes, learn as much as you can, but also begin implementing what you’ve learned. The inability to implement what has been learned is often rooted in insecurity: many of us learn what we can then we get afraid of doing something with it. “What will people say about me if they see me doing ABC?” “What happens if I fail at XYZ?” These questions come from feeling uneasy about doing new things and breaking away from the crowd. I’ll explore this idea more in a future post, but please know that, along with learning new stuff, work on your mindset and start integrating what you’re learning, so you can get the results you desire. Affirm your abilities, take a small step every day, and watch your life start changing in no time.

So, that’s what I’ve been doing the past seven months: learning, testing, observing, practicing, and succeeding. But since I’m a woman of my word – I believe in ACTION alongside learning – it’s time for me to share more about what’s happening behind the scenes, as well as what I want to create in my world. I’ll be posting my August – December goals soon, and sharing with you all how I plan to reach them. Please take some time to think about what you can do during the latter part of the year, and what goals you want to achieve. Let’s make this your best year ever, together!

3 Easy Things You Can Do In October To Invite More Money Into Your Life

Happy October! Can you believe we’re in the last quarter of the year? (I’m still in denial: how is summer over already?) This year is moving quickly but, fortunately, we still have time to set ourselves up for success before we welcome 2024.

While I don’t believe in waiting until tomorrow (or in this case, waiting until 2024) to make drastic changes, I do think that it’s wise to build momentum before committing to major uplevels. And this last quarter of 2023 is perfect for building momentum that will help you start 2024 on a strong note!

Here are three little things you can do now, to build momentum for a prosperous 2024. These changes may not turn your whole world upside down, but little steps can absolutely put you on the path to financial security and abundant living. I’m doing each thing mentioned in this post, and I’d love for you to join me on this journey.

Cancel one subscription or membership – Look carefully at your last 3-6 months of banking and credit card statements, and figure out which subscription, membership, or recurring payment is least important or minimally impactful. That’s the one to cancel, and even better if you can cancel a few of them. It’s always easiest to start with the ones that you’ve been meaning to eliminate but just keep forgetting. Even if it’s a small amount (perhaps $2-3 a month spent on an electronic game, or a few dollars for food delivery), try canceling it, then immediately designating that amount to go to a high yield savings account (HYSA) each month. If it’s a small amount, you probably won’t notice the savings as they build up, but believe me, those savings will grow over time, and you’ll be very glad you stopped spending your money on something that you really didn’t want or need.

A couple of months ago, I canceled a Patreon membership to a content creator who hadn’t generated any Patreon-specific content in more than 4 months. I earmarked that $6 to go to my HYSA. This savings will yield a whopping $72 annually, but it’s not about the amount, per se: the important part of this exercise is the ENERGY I embody when I direct my resources exclusively to things that bring value to me. At the beginning of this month, I canceled a subscription that cost me roughly $80 per month. Yes, the items I received from that subscription had value, but it was one of the least impactful investments I make during any given month. I’ll be canceling a bimonthly service by the middle of this month. Between these two cancellations, I estimate I will save about $135 a month. I will have to pay a cancellation fee for the service I’m eliminating mid-month ($161) but the savings I will enjoy over the next two months will more than make up for the upfront elimination costs.

Vow to go one week (or more!) without takeout or nights out – As a person that adores GrubHub, UberEats, and any other service that takes the thought process out of dinner preparation, this isn’t my favorite way to save money. However, I have a freezer full of food that I can prepare, and there’s no good reason for me to order takeout when I have downtime, adequate supplies, and some energy. So, right before I wrote this post, I started doing some prep: outlining some of the frozen, fresh and canned food I had, and using ChatGPT to whip up some recipes (AI is your friend!)

Perhaps you have someone in your home that handles all of the food decisions, or maybe you don’t order takeout. Look at anything you purchase weekly or monthly, and see if you can skip it. Think of beauty products, junk/snack food, alcoholic beverages when you go out, etc.,. I have some travel planned for the end of the month, so avoiding takeout for the entire month isn’t realistic. That’s why I’m doing my prep now, and committing to one week (maybe two weeks, if I can be disciplined) without food delivery.

Read 1 book that will increase your financial knowledge – This is such a simple thing, but learning more about how to handle your money can do wonders for bringing more money into your world. If you’re not used to reading financial books, don’t go for complicated texts. Try a book that isn’t too long, and serves as a good introduction to basic financial concepts. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Saving on a Shoestring by Barbara O’Neill, or Earn What You Deserve by Jerrold Mundis are all great places to start. You get bonus points if you choose to borrow the book from the library instead of purchasing it!

But, perhaps you already read these kinds of books (I know I do!). In that case, an unorthodox self improvement book is a good choice. It will indirectly support your financial mindset, because how you do anything is how you do everything. I’m re-reading “How To Really Be Rich” (a 4-part workshop transcribed into a set of booklets) by Jeannette Maw, as well as reading, for the first time, Filthy Rich Woman by Dr. Portia Fulford (I’ll be reviewing it in an upcoming post). Both of these are basically workbooks that have exercises to improve your money mentality, but since I know I’ll have some additional downtime, I’ll also be reading A Glorious Freedom: Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives by Lisa Congdon. I figure those inspirational stories will feed my soul in innumerable ways.

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These three simple tips can help you build momentum as you invite more money into your life right now, and in the future! What are some things you’re doing to welcome the wealth? I’d love to hear your comments below!

The Goal Is To Labor LESS

To my American friends, I hope you all are enjoying your holiday. Today, for those that aren’t aware, is Labor Day, a national holiday that commemorates the efforts of the American labor force. It’s taken many decades of work, negotiation, and standing up for the rights of workers, but we in America benefit from a body of laws that projects us in many ways. For that, I am thankful.

However, the downside of labor in the US is having to participate in a system that still manages to take more from its labor force than it gives in return. Even the most diligent workers have to deal with unfair treatment in the workplace, a lack of adequate healthcare after leaving the workforce, and very slim chances of achieving comfort in the elder years. It’s a system where the amount of work completed doesn’t usually correlate to rewards: in fact, the current work system usually penalizes the hardest and most efficient workers.

So, what that means for the savviest among us is that we must aim to labor LESS. In the words of the old adage, work smarter, not harder. Part of working smarter means letting our money work for us, instead of us working for money. Our energy can be depleted, and we can experience burn out if we’re trying to leverage the majority of our physical energy to create the lifestyle we desire. We have to learn to utilize our mental energy and strategies to create frameworks that put our money to work on our behalf, so that our initial investment of time, energy and resources can continue replicating itself for many subsequent years.

I’m looking forward to exploring more ways to work less, and sharing those findings with you all. I believe wholeheartedly in working a little upfront, and letting that work continue to pay me for years. I’ve made some great decisions, but I want MORE, and I want you all to experience MORE, too. Look out for more posts about working less in the future!

Wealth Trends – Less Real Estate, More Private Holdings

Hello friends! Several months ago, I shared some information that I got from Altrata (the company that owns Wealth-X) regarding the industries of the super wealthy. Well, I’m back to share some more information from the most recent report published by Altrata, the Billionaire Census 2023. I was interested in all of the information in this most recent report, but I found one of the briefest sections to be particularly interesting.

According to the census, more than 70% of the assets held by billionaires in all ages are public and private holdings. On average, billionaires hold roughly 3% of their assets in the form of real estate and luxury assets. The rest of the figures reveal that most billionaires keep less than a quarter of their assets in cash, increasing from 16% as a younger billionaire to 20%, and maxing out around 25%, as they get older.

(graphic courtesy of Wealth-X, an Altrata company, 2023)

So, what does this mean for us? If you plan to build your wealth through real estate, that’s fine, but your asset portfolio will probably look different as you age and your wealth grows. If you want to build wealth, learn about holdings (here is some basic information), and learn how you can start investing in these assets. I believe that patterns are powerful, and watching the trends can give you a great template for recreating the success of others. You may not be able to see the private investment breakdown of a millionaire or billionaire, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t glean some tips from the data that others have collected. Also, never forget that many investments can happen at lower (more affordable) entry points, so you need not be a wealthy heir to begin your abundance journey.

Have you had a chance to check out the most recent Billionaire Census? Please let me know what you found most interesting in this report!