Christmas used to feel magical. You remember the thrill of waking up on Christmas morning as a kid. The magic of tinsel and lights on your neighbors’ houses. The simple joy of baking cookies. The warmth of gathering with family and friends. Now Christmas fills you with dread. You… Read More

The knot in your stomach tightens as you pull another bill from the mailbox—a bill you fear you won’t be able to pay. The pain in your jaw aches as you plug the numbers into your budgeting spreadsheet—and, yet again, you come up short. The rocks in your… Read More

I’m sick of thinking about money, the comedian said. The sentence came from my computer screen—I was half-listening to a stand-up special playing in the background while cleaning. But this sentence made my ears perk up. The comedian’s words sounded familiar: I had thought those exact words just five… Read More

Money has a cruel way of disappearing when you need it most. You spend weeks, months, years saving up for that new car or house or vacation. But then—just as your goal is in sight—the refrigerator breaks, there’s an unplanned hospital stay, you lose your job, you get… Read More

You’re a planner. You plan for vacation, your kids’ education, and that much-needed new home appliance. You didn’t plan on your loved one getting sick. At first you said, We can do this. You pinched pennies, tapped into savings, got by. But as the illness… Read More

You pull into the driveway, turn off the car engine, and place your head on the steering wheel. You don’t want to go inside. Because you know that, once you step through the front door, you’ll be hit with reminders of all the things that need to get done that… Read More

“Remember, students: a penny saved is a penny earned.” My high school teacher’s voice rattled in my brain as I stood in the check-out line. It was my first year in college, and I hadn’t quite yet learned how to save. So yet again, I had overestimated how much money I… Read More

You run your card through the machine a second time, a third time, a fourth. But each time, you see the same words pop up on the screen, screaming at you as the machine angrily beeps: DECLINED.  Frantically, you search through your bag for cash, loose change, anything. Nothing. You… Read More

“Past Due” You see the red letters and resist the urge to throw the envelope in the trash or on the floor or under a pile of books—anywhere just so you don’t have to see it. But you know what you have to do. Jaw clenched, you slowly break the… Read More

You pull into the driveway, turn off the engine, and rest your head on the steering wheel. A part of you feels unable to gather the energy to open the car door, but after a few moments, you do. You gather your bags and will yourself to lumber toward the… Read More