Kathryn Amenta | Blog

Vacation without (Financial) Stress

Kathryn Amenta — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:22:25 +0000

Vacations are supposed to be the antidote for our stressful lives—relaxation and fun away from the grindstone. But exotic, pricey vacations that drive up your debt and rob your savings can add—rather than diminish—your stress. . . There’s a trend today for extraordinary, high-ticket vacations. Even “educational” and “goodwill” vacations have become pricey. . . There are many influencers on the money we direct toward vacations: Parents wanting to give their children the vacation they never had as a kid; family or friends planning your group vacation without consulting you first about money. Problem is, it may take you months, even years, to unpack from the financial baggage of that pricey vacation. . . . This year, why not plan a financially stress-free vacation? Vacation in your location: visit local museums, take in local theatre or a ballgame; spend a week in the nearby outback (such as the Russian River, the lost coast or Yosemite in CA). Find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

Big Bucks for Big Events

Kathryn Amenta — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:42:23 +0000

Recent news stories again extol the big cash parents are shelling out for graduations, proms, bar & bat mitzvahs. Suddenly, it’s the norm to throw lavish events that put you in hock for years. Even the simple prom is becoming as pricey as a wedding. Crazy in normal times, but “hello” we are in a recession. . . . Yes, we do want to stage fun and meaningful events that honor our families. But parents (and grandparents) you need to do so without driving up your own debt, depleting your savings and diminishing the cash for your own needs. The good news about this economic downturn is that it’s teaching us to save more, spend and debt less. Apply this sensibility to your event. Think of the great satisfaction in staging the big event within your means. It’s an opportunity to be truthful with yourself about what you can afford.

Invest in Your Security

Kathryn Amenta — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:23:11 +0000

You can’t control the worldwide economic instability affecting all our lives. You can sleep better at night if you invest in your own financial security. Regularly direct money into your savings. Create a savings pot for planned expenses like vacations, car maintenance or taxes. Create a separate savings pot for emergencies. You never know when the unforeseen can happen. If you face sudden upheaval—a job loss, illness, income cut—you’ll need cash to fall back on. In today’s world, savings = security.

What’s gnawing at your gut?

Kathryn Amenta — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:21:30 +0000

What are the money issues robbing your sleep and gnawing at your gut? Feeling anxious about your job longevity? Hopeless about your future? You are not alone. Worldwide, people feel caught in the clutches of financial instability. Everyone has a personal story about how they’re affected and how they’re coping. What’s your story? What keeps you staring at the ceiling all night? Please, please share your experience.

Love Yourself

Kathryn Amenta — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 02:24:39 +0000

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to do an act of love for yourself? Taking good care of your money life is an excellent expression of self-love. Think about how you make spending and saving decisions. Do you easily swoon to purchases that bring you quickie gratification? It can feel good momentarily to buy something for yourself. But there is a deeper, longer lasting goodness that comes from having your life supports in place, like adequate heath insurance or a savings safety net. Self-love also comes from keeping true to your financial goals, like saving for a more reliable car or retirement. Having clarity about what you truly need to care for yourself gives you a touchstone for making all spending and saving decisions. Think of how fantastic it feels to know you really love yourself.

The Value of Love

Kathryn Amenta — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:17:41 +0000

How much should you spend to show you love your Valentine? Perhaps flowers and candy, dinner and drinks in a 5-star restaurant or a pricey piece of jewelry. Does Cupid’s arrow need to be tied to the green or plastic in your wallet? Now, it really is okay to celebrate Valentine’s Day if it makes you feel good. But don’t get blinded into believing you only get one day in February to say “I love you.” And don’t rob your finances to pay for a pricey date-night or armful of flowers. Consider alternatives to using money to express your feelings. Demonstrate your love through an act of kindness. Do something unexpected that brings ease to your Valentine’s hectic life. Let your love flow from a deep place within yourself beyond money, and make every day Valentine’s Day. Here’s a Valentine’s tip: plan your date-night a week later when dining and dancing prices go back to normal.

Get it off your chest

Kathryn Amenta — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:02:47 +0000

Worldwide economic woes continue to be front and center in the news. And now, they’re dominating the primary campaign rhetoric. But is anyone with a microphone really listening to YOU? Is anyone really listening to how you’re wrestling with the uncertainties staring wide-eyed every time you do your monthly bills, fill your gas tank or shop for groceries?

Just because THEY are not listening doesn’t mean your story is not worth telling. The story of your financial concerns, your fears and joys—and most importantly how you are coping—is important to others. In fact by sharing with each other, we can learn and grow and experience that connection that is at the core of being human.

So, please don’t hold your cards so close to your chest. In the comfort of this blog, share your story about how the downturn is affecting you. This is your microphone for sharing the thoughts and issues keeping you awake at night, and the stories of how you’re coping. When enough of us use the online airwaves—THEY cannot avoid listening to us. When our individual voices become part of a collective, over time it can become part of what THEY say. That’s the power of online dialog.

So tell me what’s on your mind. Get your financial concerns off your chest.

What keeps your mind racing at night?

Kathryn Amenta — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:42:01 +0000

No one’s immune to our worldwide economic woes. We’re tightening our belts, making better money decisions and adjusting our lives. But the horizon doesn’t look so sunny. So how do we cope? How do we continue to find meaning and happiness in our lives with so much uncertainty?

I truly believe that barricading ourselves from the outer world causes isolation and fear, and keeps us from taking action. On the other hand, dialog and sharing with others are positive coping mechanisms. By connecting with others, we can grow and learn from each. And experience the openness that lets us take actions for managing our lives successfully.

What financial concerns keep your mind racing at night? How are you coping? I’d really, really like to hear from you.

Maybe my story can help jumpstart your response: I am very concerned with keeping my family’s wants in sync with our cash flow plan. It can be a big push-pull to get everyone’s buy-in to the changes we must make. There can be a lot of grief and discord about giving up what we’ve had in the past. No matter how financial savvy we’ve been, this downturn is testing the metal of core beliefs.

So what’s your story? What are your concerns? I invite you to share in this open forum—day or night.

Ring in the New Year with Money Self-Esteem

Kathryn Amenta — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:32:19 +0000

In the midst of the holiday frenzy and after holiday sales, don’t forget to keep your spending on track. You can still download my free Holiday Cash Flow Plan at kathrynamenta.com/tools.html. Use this practical tool to make an advance shopping list and take it with you every time you go to any store (even for that last minute wrapping paper). Don’t shop off the list. Here’s some helpful self-talk to also take shopping:

I trust myself to make mindful purchasing decisions
I feel good about the purchasing decisions I make.
I don’t jeopardize my family finances by shopping without thinking.
I stay within the budget I created for the holidays.

Get your 2012 spending plan in gear now. Call 415.333.6972 for an appointment. Here’s to the best holiday season ever!

My Gift to You

Kathryn Amenta — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:19:15 +0000

It seems to happen every holiday season. Only this year more extreme. Step into a brightly decorated store and your plan to spend on budget gets over-dazzled by the too-good-to-pass up stuff on sale. So here’s my gift to you this holiday season. An easy and useful tool for keeping your holiday shopping on track.

Download my free Holiday Cash Flow Plan at kathrynamenta.com/tools.html and make a conscious shopping list for all your holiday purchases. From the gifts for friends and family to the celebrations, decorations, donations and travel. Take these lists with you when you shop and let them be your guide. Fill in the actual costs after the purchases. I save my lists for the next year as a starting point for my planning.

Don’t go shopping without advance planning and without a list in hand. If you can do that for the grocery store, you can do it for holiday shopping. It’s the best remedy for holiday spending anxiety and keeps your money on track. Happy holidays one and all!