Today I want to talk about a few budgeting tactics that are really popular — like, Pinterest-and-TikTok-famous popular — that I actually don't recommend to my clients.

Values-aligned spending means directing your time, money, and attention toward what you actually care about — not toward what a budgeting app labels a "smart" purchase. In a community like Madison, Alabama, that might mean choosing the local shop on Main Street over an app, texting a friend instead of scrolling past them, or spending an hour walking downtown instead of running an errand. The return isn't a bigger bank balance. It's a life — and a hometown — that feels like yours.

Things I’m currently decluttering:

- fear of failure as business owner

- shame for not working as much as I think I should

- imposter syndrome telling me that no one wants my advice

- doubt in myself as an expert

- perfectionism getting in the way of me sharing anything I create

- immediately seeking screens when I’m faced with anything slightly difficult

- the belief that I should be able to do it all by myself

I will never shame you if getting take out coffee is the only light in your life and you don’t want to give it up to save a few bucks everything month.

If there is one thing I could gift you (besides an amazing uplifting community that brings you meals, cleans your house, and watches your children when you need them), it’s the gift of knowing that when things are not going your way, it will get better. And one of the fastest ways I turn around my day is by making a to-do list and a gratitude list.

Hey y’all! I’m Lauren; I’m the woman behind The Minimalist Wallet.

As a life-long environmentalist, practitioner of minimalism, and former owner of $26k in student loans and no degree, I knew I couldn’t be part of system that continued to reward the privileged with zero regard for how the rest of the population and our environment are affected.

TMW is here to:

1. Provide you education in how your financial decisions ripple out into the world around and how you can affect change with your dollars via online class offerings,

2. Support you in your journey towards living intentionally, sustainably, and ethical via 1:1 coaching,

3. And give you the tools you need to make aligned spending choices via printable and PDFs.

You’ve made it to the final stretch. The last week before Christmas. The halls are decked, the stockings hung, the kitchen refrigerator (and garage refrigerator) are packed full of yummy foods. But then that nagging feeling creeps in. Maybe you have already placed a few wrapped gifts under the tree. But is it enough? Are the kids going to bound out of bed on Christmas morning, running full speed towards the tree, and wowed by the abundant gifts under the tree. Have you done enough?

If you dread get dressed in the morning, if you never feel good about what you are wearing, if you’re tired of wasting money on clothing you only wear a few times, and if you’re ready to no longer be a part of fashion cycle that creates tremendous waste and gorgeous economic & social disparities, it’s time to get a capsule wardrobe.