Every adventure starts with a simple task that exposes your beliefs. You ready? (Yes, you are.)
Make a Budget
No matter what you want to do with your money, it starts with a budget. A budget is a plan for your money—you tell it where to go, so you stop wondering where it went.
If you’ve never budgeted before, or it’s been a while, jumping in can be challenging.
There’s nothing like having clear directions to follow and step-by-step blanks to fill in to give you the confidence you need to get going on this budgeting journey.
Have the Talk
Ya know, the one where you talk about how you think about money. Underneath your impulse purchases and how much you don't log in to check your transactions, something is looming: your relationship with money.
What beliefs do you carry about money? A budget is a great start to different financial behavior, but uncovering what beliefs you bring to the table will unlock your financial future.
5 Questions to discover your beliefs about money.
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What is the first memory I have about money?
(What happened, and how did it make me feel?) -
What did my parents or caregivers teach me—directly or indirectly—about money?
(Were they savers, spenders, stressed, secretive?) -
Do I believe money is hard or easy to come by? Why?
(Think about your beliefs around effort and worth.) -
Do I believe there’s “never enough” money, “just enough,” or “always more than enough”?
(Explore how this belief affects your spending or saving habits.) -
What’s one belief I have about money that might be holding me back?
(Something that creates guilt, limitation, or conflict.)
Protip: These questions are a starting place and require curiosity. After giving some thought to it, schedule a follow-up conversation with your spouse or a trusted friend.
*Groups are starting in Summer 2025 around this content. You can sign up on June 6th at 10am here.
Need an example? Listen to this interview from Mosaic's "Outta Pocket Podcast". Mike Winger sits down with Zack and Olivia, a Mosaic married couple in their mid-twenties, for financial counseling, and they discover what was underneath their habits by honestly answering these questions.