Grace Pomroy
Stuck in a Season of Waiting

Lately I feel like I’ve been stuck in a season of waiting. My husband and I have been dreaming of putting down roots in the Pacific Northwest since the first time we visited Oregon seven years ago. While we are just months away from making that goal a reality – we hope to buy a house sometime this summer – we are still in transition. In addition to waiting as we search for the right house, I spent the fall waiting to get an appointment with a doctor about a health concern I was dealing with, spent the winter waiting for medical tests, and am now spending the spring waiting to fully recover from surgery.

Stuck in a Season of Waiting
Grace Pomroy
How to Handle a Big Income Gap in Your ...

It’s not uncommon for couples to have an income gap between partners – in fact, it's the norm. According to data from Morning Consult and Insider, nearly three-quarters of Americans reported they had some income imbalance with their partner before they started dating. And while that imbalance can flip-flop as partners change jobs or receive a raise or bonus, at times it can be significant. This might happen when one partner retires, decides to go back to school, or opts to stay at home with the kids. This might also happen when one partner gets a big promotion or receives a large inheritance. How can you manage your finances so this imbalance in income doesn’t throw your relationship off balance? Consider these steps:

How to Handle a Big Income Gap in Your Relationship
Grace Pomroy
My 6 Favorite Money Psychology Hacks

I’m a big fan of the Financial Feminist podcast. A few weeks ago the host, Tori Dunlap, shared a money hack that she had heard about from another financial educator on Science Finance: Before making an impulse purchase, ask yourself: “How many ‘taco dollars’ does it cost?” That particular financial educator really loved tacos, so he judged each purchase by asking, “How many tacos could I buy for the cost of that item?” Concert tickets: 20 tacos. Cupcake: 1 taco. Fancy hotel stay: 83 tacos. Then, he would ask himself: “Is it really worth that many tacos?”

My 6 Favorite Money Psychology Hacks
Grace Pomroy
The Power of the Icebreaker (Part 2)

My last post on things that can jumpstart your financial life in 5 minutes or less got me thinking  about one of the most effective steps I ever took during our marriage: asking my husband an icebreaker question about our life together. That word icebreaker is key: these are questions designed to get conversation going, not shut it down. And that means the question has to be open-ended and asked with a spirit of genuine curiosity of learning what your partner thinks.

The Power of the Icebreaker (Part 2)
Grace Pomroy
Welcome "The Earner" Money Personality

Long-time readers of this blog are familiar with the four money personalities I discuss: the giver, the saver, the spender, and the acquirer. Over time, though, I’ve learned that while people tend to understand the first three, they often stumble over the last one. On first blush, people generally thought the “acquirer” referred to someone who liked to accumulate or collect things. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The acquirer was someone focused on how money came into their life, not what was done with the money after it was received. 

Welcome "The Earner" Money Personality

balancing multiple priorities

Tug of War

Tug of War

For most of my late 20s, the most pressing financial question on my mind was, Should I save for retirement or focus on paying down my student loans? So many of my friends seemed focused on getting their debt paid off — at least once a month I would see a celebratory post on social media by someone who had paid off at least one of their student loans. My own loans weighed heavy on my shoulders and I couldn’t wait to shake them off. But as someone working in the retirement planning industry, I knew all too well the value of investing early in your career. It seemed like a financial tug of war I just couldn’t win.

Financial Audit (Part 2): What's Up Next?

Financial Audit (Part 2): What's Up Next?

In 2020, I am encouraging the couples in my Date Night Club to start the year by setting just one goal for themselves. You heard me right: just one. And in fact, the easier that goal is to achieve, the better.  

Now, I’m not lazy and neither are the couples in my Date Night Club. But I am convinced if they can reach one goal — create one win in their financial life — that will give them the confidence boost they need to propel them forward. It’s a lot like the debt snowball method: paying off the smallest debt first and letting that psychological and financial momentum inspire you to keep tackling your smallest debt until you’ve paid off everything you owe.

Urgent vs. Important

Urgent vs. Important

When I got my first full-time paycheck, the last thing on my mind was retirement. I was so excited to be able to pay my bills without stress and not have to check my bank account every time I went out with friends. It was such a relief to finally be in a viable financial position! The one thing that weighed on me most financially was my student loan debt. For the first time, I actually had to stare the numbers in the face and make a solid repayment plan. It felt like this enormous monkey on my back and I wanted it off as soon as possible. So I decided to make a beeline toward repaying my student loan debt with any extra money that came my way.