Last week on instagram I posted about an article that has really stuck in my head. The basic premise is that the best food related things you can do for the environment are eating less mess (especially beef) and throwing out less food. I don’t eat a lot of beef so ✅  ✅  ✅  for that, but I have recently noticed that we’re throwing out more food than we used to. In the past (i.e. pre-baby and pre-pandemic) my husband and I would always “shop in our kitchen” before going to the store. We meal planned and we prepped things ahead of time. It felt very organized and, to be honest, pretty easy. I remember doing a video walking through my process with the Verdi instagram community and having so many people reach out telling me that it was simpler than they thought.

And yet, here I am, two years later throwing away some terrifying looking carrots that I unearthed from the back of my fridge crisper drawer. If it was so easy I wouldn’t be doing that, right? 

It turns out that things are easier when they are at the top of your priority list (duh). When my husband and I were rarely throwing out food we were also spending a lot of time focused on meals. My husband was cooking a lot and I was regularly training for marathons and therefore focused on getting as much good, healthy food back in my body after runs as soon as was physically possible. 

Now, my husband’s work schedule has changed and he’s cooking less. I’m enjoying short runs, but have no interest in running for 4 hours at a time anymore and we both are focused on spending time with our daughter. Food prep has decidedly moved down the priority list. 

That being said, I still want to waste less food than we do. Part of that desire is based on environmental reasons, but part of it is also financial. Every time I throw moldy food in the trash (or in the compost bin) I see dollars being tossed in with it. Throwing out food is throwing out money, plain and simple. 

Here’s what I’m trying:

• I will make detailed grocery lists and will only let myself go “off list” a little bit (I mean, I’m not going to stop myself from trying those new almond butter covered almonds at Trader Joe’s if I want!)

• Related, but not the same, I will never go shopping without a grocery list. That is asking for trouble 

• I will also stop talking on the phone at the store. That seems to cause me to go into a black hole and emerge from Sprouts with ice cream, yogurt covered raisins, and fancy olives, but zero vegetables or really zero ingredients for any meal other than dessert and/or cocktails. 

• Before making a list I’m going to review what is in my fridge and cabinet and make a note of what needs to be eaten pronto

• I will loosely plan meals (as in I’m buying things for a couple options, but not deciding what day I’ll do what) based on that “about to go bad” list

I’d love to hear your thoughts, advice, or encouragement! Do you already have a good system in place that keeps you from throwing away food? Do you worry about the money that gets wasted or the environmental impact? Just hit reply to this email to let me know! 

XOXO

Last week I shared a post on why acting on your economic privilege matters. Today we are going to dive into the how. How should you act on your privilege? What action steps can you take? 

Before we start I want to make clear that every single one of us is going to have a different answer to these questions -- and that’s a good thing! We are all different, have different life circumstances and different values and therefore have different goals. The important thing here is that if we all act, we will be able to make real change in the world around us. 

Step 1:

The first step to creating your individualized action plan is to determine what kind of actions work best for you. Answer the questions below to start narrowing in on a path: 

• Do you have a platform that can be used to share information and action opportunities with others? 

• Do you have wiggle room in your budget (or can you make some that is aligned with your values) to be able to give money to organizations and/or people? 

• Do you have time that you can donate to organizations or causes? 

• Do you have connections to resources that could help others?

• Do you have specific skills that can help others? 

Step 2:

Once you know what type of actions work for you, then you need to determine what values are most important to you. This can be done with a simple brainstorm. Try to narrow down to 1-5 core values that are most important to you. Here’s a list of potential answers just to help you get going:

Climate change, affordable childcare, racial reparations, affordable housing, voting, health and wellness, access to education…

Step 3: 

After you’ve narrowed down to a list of specific values and a list of specific types of actions you want to take, all you need to do is combine them! Note: that is often way easier said than done. I recommend taking at least 30 minutes to map out the specifics (i.e. I will donate to X organization, I will share Y resources with Z group of people). 

Step 4: 

This can be the toughest one: follow through. Schedule time on your calendar so that you actually take the time to do the work you need to do. Set reminders on your phone so that you don’t forget. 

Recognizing, understanding, and acting on your economic privilege is not something that you can do once and be finished with. In order to create more economic justice in the world around us, this will need to be a continuous process. I’ve shared a framework to help get you started, but please note that this is just one of many paths you can take. For some of you it may not feel like enough right now and that’s great - go further! For others of you it may feel like a bit too much and that just means you need to take more time to reflect and work through those feelings. That’s okay!  

As always, I’m here for you and your money journey, wherever you may be on that road. 

XOXO

Last week I shared some tools for how to better understand your economic privilege and a few ways to act upon that privilege. At the end of the post I wrote that this week we’d be discussing how to determine what actions make the most sense for you and how to get started on those actions. However, as the week progressed and I worked on that draft it became clear to me that there was a missing link: why you should act on your economic privilege. So, I’m rearranging the posting schedule and moving forward with the why this week.  

The United States has an economic disparity problem. Income inequality is higher than in any other G7 country (Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, UK). The wealth gap between the richest and poorest families has more than doubled since 1989 (read that again please), and, compounding this, the redistribution of wealth through taxes and federal spending does very little to shift the income distribution throughout the population.

This isn’t a political issue - it is a humanitarian one. We can have a range of beliefs on the government’s role and correct economic structure for this country and can still agree that the widening wealth gap is problematic. It is problematic because:

• It causes health disparities that in turn cause inequalities in access and outcomes (i.e. more disease and more death for those lower on the socioeconomic ladder - just check out the stats on COVID-19 if you’re skeptical).

• The current system doesn’t allow for free-will and ownership as it is almost impossible for folks to move up the socioeconomic ladder. This trend goes in direct opposition to one of the core values in the founding and creation of the US: individualism.  

• The wealth gap is intertwined with environmental disparities that cause physical and mental health issues and contribute to global environmental issues as a whole.

• The wealth gap stifles creativity and ingenuity, thus hurting our economy and well-being as a whole. Just think of all the businesses, medical breakthroughs, and inventions that are not being made because folks are unable to get access to capital, time, or other resources to make them reality. 

While there are larger, structural forces that could impact the trends in our economic disparity, I believe that it is too big of a problem to wait for those to be put into place (if they ever will be). Instead, we, as individuals, have the power to use the areas of privilege that we have to improve the lives of those around us, and, I hope, that if you are reading this newsletter you agree with me. 

Next week we’ll revisit specific action steps you can take and the process for how to decide which make the most sense for you, your values and your lifestyle and money goals. 

As always, I’m here for you and your money journey, wherever you may be on that road. 

XOXO

Over the past two and a half weeks I have struggled with how best to help the current civil movement. I feel called to be involved. I feel frustrated and disappointed in my own lack of involvement over the past decade. And yet, I’m not exactly sure how I can be of the most service. A big part of me wants to protest in person, but another, quite loud, inner voice tells me that now is not the right time for me to be using my physical presence in this way. I’m six and a half months pregnant - my body isn’t putting up with much physical exertion anymore and I am incredibly protective of my belly. I knocked into the side of a bookcase the other day and had a bit of a melt down out of fear of hurting her (of course she’s absolutely fine). And there’s a pandemic. While there is no research that shows pregnant women are more susceptible to COVID-19, there is a lot of research that shows that high fevers during pregnancy can be very dangerous. And so, even though my brain and emotions say, “go out, use your physical presence, use your physical voice”, my pregnant during a pandemic brain says, “absolutely not” and, right now, that’s the brain that wins.

I know that my inner struggle and my conclusion shows the privileged place I hold. I get to protect my body and am both grateful and a little embarrassed that I hold that space. 

So here I am. Someone who wants to help, someone who knows my limitations and I’ve been wondering if any of you have been feeling the same way. Maybe you’re not pregnant, but maybe you have a pre-existing condition. Maybe you live with folks who are vulnerable, maybe you get anxious in crowds. Maybe you just don’t feel called to protest physically. I should not and will not tell you what to do, but I will share what I’m doing. 

I’m starting with two things: 1) I am exploring my own place of privilege, my own prejudices and conscious and subconscious beliefs and 2) I am voting with my wallet. 

Last week I shared how I am making adjustments to how I regularly vote with my wallet. This week I want to share a few places that I, or other members of my community, have supported financially. All of these organizations have missions to support racial equality, stop police brutality, dismantle systemic racism and/or improve our justice systems. 

Note: If you are part of or know of another organization that is doing great work and you’d like to share, please reply to this email with their name and contact (website, email, instagram etc). I will share their information in the next newsletter and include them on instagram. Thank you! 

• AbideWomen, a women’s prenatal and postnatal health organization in South Dallas

• Donate to a campaign to fund 4 amazing black owned organizations in Compton

• My Friend’s Place, an organization helping youth experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles

• Justice For My Sister

• The Underground Museum in Los Angeles

• Ashe Cultural Arts Center in New Orleans

• Museum of Social Justice in Los Angeles

• National Bail Out

• People’s City Council Freedom Fund

• iFundWomen has a great list of Black Owned Businesses to help fund

• Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment

• Unicorn Riot, an alternative media outlet

• Black Lives Matter - I recommend donating to a local chapter

XOXO

Disclaimer: I’ve really struggled with writing this post. I knew I wanted to talk about voting with your wallet this week, but, in light of the escalating protests that have spread throughout the country, I had a hard time expressing my thoughts in a way that felt useful. 

As a white, middle class woman I am incredibly privileged. So privileged that I’ve been able to stay disengaged with the fight against systemic racism and police brutality in this country. I’m working to change that and one of the ways that I am doing that is by being more focused on how I vote with my wallet, which is the subject of today’s post. As I shared with my instagram community last week, I am committed to doing better and I need your help. That means that if I say something that is steeped in racism or that ignores the greater cause of equality, please call me out. 

-- 

I talk about voting with your wallet all of the time. Voting with your wallet is simply the idea of displaying and adhering to your values by how you spend money. For some people that means donating to specific causes and for others it means supporting certain businesses and organizations over others. For me it means both (and I urge you to include both too), but, if I’m really honest, I’ve done more work on the latter than the former. I want to increase the power of my donations by spending more and spending smarter. I am sharing my plans with you in part to show you a financial coach’s thought process on the matter, but also because I selfishly know I need accountability to do this well and knowing that you know what my plan is will help me follow through. 

I have a constant running list of money goals, some of which are incredibly action oriented a la some of these past gems: 

• Pay off credit card debt (done and done!)

• Save for trip to Japan (done!)

• Surpass $100k revenue goal (done!)

Some of the others are more, as I say, squishy: 

• Feel at peace with all clothing purchases (sometimes, sometimes not)

• Have all income come from work I enjoy and feel aligned with (done!)

• Vote with my wallet by supporting organizations that I love (a work in progress)

I want to spend time today on that last bullet point. Right now I donate money regularly in the following ways: (1) recurring monthly donation to an organization I love; (2) member of a non-profit board and pay my annual give-get; (3) regularly give “randomly” to organizations or causes that I feel strongly about. By randomly I mean truly randomly - there are months when I give to multiple organizations and months when I don’t. The frequency and amount is all over the place. While all of the ways I give are aligned with my values, the third way always feels haphazard and, because of that, I know that I don’t end up giving as much, as often, or in as targeted a way as I would like. 

So here’s how I’m going about changing that: 

My Long-Term Plan

My husband and I would like to work up to donating 10% of our annual income each year. We are nowhere near that goal yet. Right now we are averaging about 2%. I don’t think of that as a failure though. We’re on a financial path that is continuously allowing us more flexibility and freedom to give more. We probably won’t reach this goal in 2020 or 2021 or maybe even 2022, but I know we’ll get there. And, I hope, that once we reach that goal we will move the target out even farther.

My Medium-Term Plan

I love recurring donations. They are easy for me as the donor because I’ll never forget to pay them and they are wonderful for non-profits that are trying to project revenue in uncertain times (note: I have many non-profit clients and this is hugely helpful).  However, I haven’t yet decided on another organization (or handful of organizations) that I would like to commit to giving to every month. My 3 month goal is to have narrowed down to a list of organizations I love whose work I care deeply about and then move over to a system where I have multiple recurring donations each month and give additional money to other organizations when it seems especially timely or when I feel moved to do so. The amount I give per month will be dependent on our household income (i.e. right now I am the only one working, but my husband’s work will likely restart in the next couple of months assuming that no plans change re: film and COVID-19 safety. When that happens our monthly donations will go up). 

My Short-Term Plan: 

Over the next 3 months I am going to set aside an additional $100/month to go to any organization or organizations of my choosing. This will be my time to research organizations to determine which are the best fit for my values and which are able to impact the most change right now; experiment with monthly amounts to determine how much I want to give on a recurring basis after the 3 month period ends; and most importantly, spend more time unpacking my values and deciding how I can be of the most service.

I’ll keep you all posted on how this plan plays out over the next several months, but in the meantime I want to hear from you. Are you struggling with something similar? What are your voting with your wallet goals? How can I support you in that work? 

As always, I’m here for you and your money journey. 

XOXO

NOTE:  If you’re feeling the need for more regular money tips and discussion, now is a great time to follow me on instagram! I’m regularly posting (like always), but am upping my tips and resources game. Follow me @verdidaily. 

This is a time of uncertainty for all of us, but there are varying levels of what that looks like. For some people, their income hasn’t changed at all, but their lifestyle and concerns have. For others, they have been laid off or lost their clients and no longer are bringing in any income. I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t yet know what this time will mean for my business, but I do know that it is too soon to tell. My husband, on the other hand, is in the film industry and there are currently no productions moving forward in L.A.. The show he was about to start, which would have lasted about 8 or 9 months, is delayed at least until the end of next month, but probably longer. I say this in part because I believe that my transparency is crucial in my ability to share and teach about money, but also because I think it is important that you know that this is an uncertain and potentially scary money time for me too. I’m in this with you! 

Below are a few things that we can all do to take care of ourselves and our financial well-being right now. Please read to the end of the newsletter for a few more opportunities to learn and engage on a more one-on-one level!

1. Take care of yourself by making sure your household's immediate needs are met (groceries, household goods, medications), but don't hoard because this hurts our community as a whole. For most people being prepared means making sure you have enough food to be home for at least a week at a time. For some it also will mean having prescriptions filled and plans set for specific appointments or work that absolutely must be done in person. 

2. For those of you whose work is not impacted (i.e. you are still making about the same as before), make sure to up your savings game right now! You probably won’t be spending as much in certain categories (bars, events, clothing) and can divert that money to savings instead. 

3. For those of you who are financially able, make sure to help the organizations and/or people in need as it fits your values. There are a lot of opportunities for helping people directly (reach out to Ashley at DTDT) if that’s your thing. Or think about organizations and small businesses in your community that you especially love or appreciate. P.S. Small businesses LOVE gift cards! These are basically interest free love loans from clients.

4. For those of you whose work is impacted, take a deep breath. This time will pass and there are things in the works at the city, state, and federal governments that should help. I'm working on compiling this info to share as details come out (check the insta!). This is a good time to think through how you want work to look like in the future -- do you want to make changes to be able to weather bigger storms? Do you want to diversify your income? Do you want a different type of work? Talk to me if you're feeling stressed.

5. I’m going to be coming out with a LOT more on this one soon, but here are a few tips for if you don’t have an emergency savings fund, but could really use one right now: 

   1. Call all of the companies that you have regular bills (including your landlord or mortgage company!) with and explain that your financial situation has changed. Ask them if they can either give you an extension or a discount. 

   2. Now is the time to not feel bad about using a credit card. Check out your score on Credit Karma and see if they recommend any cards for you that have a 0% interest signing bonus. If they do and you are rated highly likely to get approved, that’s great! Use that card for the time being. 

   3. Go through your last month of spending and look for subscriptions that you can cancel (you probably don’t need that monthly clothing rental or that gym membership)

   4. Lower your regular contributions to things like retirement, transit or investments. 

   5. File your taxes (if you’ll get a refund!). 

6. If you were already looking to invest in the market or real estate this is a great time! Prices are low on the market and interest rates are basically 0. 

7. You will likely have more introspective time than you usually do. This is a great time to take care of some "housekeeping" things like your taxes (although you can now file in July without fees), your money in general (need help? ask me!), cleaning out that closet you've been avoiding, getting really clear on what you actually need and value vs. what you feel like you are supposed to have, journaling, drawing, cooking...

I know some of that will feel relevant and some probably won't. I want to hear from you so I can be as specific as possible! Please email me or DM me with questions. 

XOXO

1. When your last credit card statement landed in your inbox (real or virtual) you…

• A) Trick question! Your credit card payments are on auto-pay and that baby is paid in full. You only check your account for errors or fraudulent charges. Doesn’t everyone?

• B) Deleted it without looking back (or threw it in the recycling bin)

• C) Did nothing. It’s still sitting there gathering real or imaginary dust, but you will open it. You just need to work up your courage. 

2. You’re getting really serious with your boo. They tell you they want to have “the talk.” You know — the money talk. What do you do? 

• A) You very maturely distract them with your wiley ways. Maybe they’ll forget they even brought it up? 

• B) Yes!! You’re all in and ready to show them all of your accounts. You double check your Credit Karma password so you can be sure to share your most up to date credit score too. 

• C) You reluctantly agree, but you’re strategic. You share some of your financial baggage, but not that one credit card you’ve been wishing would just disappear (à la Amber’s makeup credit card debt in Love is Blind)

3. Your mom just asked you about your retirement accounts. You…

• A) Tell her all about your accounts. Yes, accounts. You have one pre-tax and one post-tax and know exactly what you’re invested in. 

• B) You immediately google “What is a retirement account and how do I get one?” 

• C) You remind her that you’re an adult and have it all figured out. You secretly hope that that thing you opened ages ago is still working. 

4. Your car just broke down. What do you do?

• A) Ugh. You’ll have to make some adjustments in your spending, but you know you can handle it. You may have to put some of the expense on your credit card to start. 

• B) You got this! You’ve been adding to your savings account every month for this eventuality. 

• C) Freak out! If your next Coinstar run doesn’t cover this then you’re on your way to having the calf definition of a professional soccer player because you’re about to be walking everywhere. 

5. It’s been a rough day and all you want to do is treat yourself. What do you do?

• A) Check your budget and your wish list first. You’ve been wanting that same pair of shoes for ages and you know you can swing it this month. Buy! 

• B) Hop online and find all…the...SALES! (You get a dress! You get a pair of shoes! You get a swimsuit!) This is the point of a credit card, right? You’ll deal with the consequences later. 

• C) Splurge a little, but hold back on that swimsuit you really want because you’re nervous that you already overspent. You’ll wear the dress with a side of regret instead. 

SCORING: 1. a-2, b-0, c-1; 2. A-0, b-2, c-1; 3. A-2, b-0, c-1; 4. A-1, b-2, c-0; 5. A-2, b-0, c-1

Titanic Steamy (7-10 points)

You and your money know each other well. You’re besties and you totally wouldn’t leave them to drown when there is clearly room on the raft for you both. 

Hot & Cold (4-6 points)

There are good days and there are bad ones, but you’re definitely not ready to put a ring on it. 

What relationship? (0-3 points)

You and your money have been on the outs for a loooong time, maybe forever. It is time for a shot of serious love stat. 

Regardless of your Money Relationship Status (MRS), you probably have some room for improvement. The real question isn’t if we could use some help (we all can), but what kind of help makes the most sense. 

If your MRS is Titanic level, you probably just need some tweaking or help with very specific issues. 

Verdi’s recommendation: Start with research on your own! Want extra help? Find a financial coach who will work with you one-on-one on the specific questions you have (psst...I do this).

If your MRS is Hot & Cold, you probably need help in several areas, but not on everything. Yay! Depending on what you want help with you may want a group coaching option, but if your focus is more limited you may want one-on-one help. 

If your MRS is non-existent you’re ready to inject some love! If you like groups and aren’t too scared of discussing money with others, the Verdi Money Club (or other group coaching) may be a great solution. If the idea of discussing money with others makes you want to puke, go the one-on-one coaching route. 

XOXO

I’ve been thinking a lot about values over the past few weeks. I think it is because the current political climate has been getting under my skin. It feels simultaneously so important and completely unimportant. And, to top it off, I don’t feel particularly inclined to get more involved than I already am (note: I always vote, even in tiny local elections, I often give to campaigns that I feel strongly about, and I regularly call my representatives to give my input on upcoming votes). 

I’m sure I could make a difference in the current political climate if I chose to put more of my energy and money in that sphere, but I don’t feel called to go there. And, if I’m honest, it looks so messy and exhausting that I really would need to feel called in order to get myself involved. 

Instead, I feel like I can make a difference on the same issues I’d focus on in politics outside of that arena. I talk all the time about voting with your wallet as a way to support the organizations and movements you believe in, but I think I need to expand my definition in order to feel like I’m giving my values the focus they deserve.

So, what am I doing? 

First off, the values I am focusing on are: 

1) Environmental sustainability

2) Gender equality

3) Supporting small businesses 

I’m tackling each one a little differently and, for now, starting relatively small so I don’t set myself up for failure. I’ve broken them down below:

• Environmental sustainability

  • I’m reducing my reliance on online shopping and therefore reducing the waste that comes into my house. This means shopping local whenever I can. 

  • I’m working towards reducing waste in my household products. That means that as cleaning products run out I am finding alternative replacements that are better for the environment (Dropps laundry pods, DIY toilet bowl cleaner and replacing a swiffer with a mop).

• Gender equality

  • This is basically the reason I started Verdi! I’m encouraging my clients to focus more on long-term money habits that will improve their own financial standing. I believe that working with more and more people means that eventually these individual improvements will help society as a whole. 

• Supporting local businesses

  • I gave up Amazon Prime a few months ago, which is great for stopping random purchases and for pushing me to shop at smaller companies (and ones with better worker’s rights track records)

  • I accept that I sometimes need to shop online, but I try my hardest to shop local whenever I can. Sometimes that means getting a gift from a local boutique and shipping it myself. That often means that gifts don’t make it quite on time, since for the life of me I cannot make it to UPS with any regularity, but I’ve decided I’m okay with that trade off.

I’d love to hear your voting with your wallet plans! What are you focusing on? What questions do you have?

XOXO