This week's Money Buddy
Danielle Reese is a vibrant money coach and founder of The Better Budgeting Playbook, committed to helping women and couples break free from the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. After overcoming $60,000 in personal debt, Danielle turned her experience into a passion for coaching, launching her program in 2020 to empower others with practical, sustainable budgeting strategies. She also hosts The Better Budgeting Podcast and founded The Financial Freedom Society, a community dedicated to promoting financial education and support. Danielle’s mission is to simplify budgeting and guide her clients toward lasting financial independence.
How can you use a spending plan to reach your goals?
A spending plan isn’t about restriction—it’s about intention. When you have a plan, you’re not just hoping you’ll hit your goals, you’re actually building the path toward them. One of the best ways I’ve found to make sure we’re on track is by using regular check-ins. My wife and I have a monthly money talk with a set agenda (yes, an actual agenda!), and we also do small weekly reviews with our budget spreadsheet. These touchpoints let us say things like, “Hey, our grocery budget only has $10 left. Let’s skip the soda this week,” or, “We’ve got room in our food category—let’s grab some ice cream.” Those little intentional decisions stack up to big wins over time.
It’s also about prioritizing. Danielle and I talked about this a lot—start with the essentials like rent, food, and bills. Then, add in savings as a line item in your plan. Yep, write it down just like any other expense. That way, when fun spending comes around, it’s truly guilt-free because you’ve already covered the important stuff. This process brings so much peace and freedom. Most Americans feel stressed when they spend money. Let’s flip the script—spending should feel freeing when you’ve planned for it.
What are some ways you can write things down so you don’t forget them?
Let me say this for everyone to hear: I don’t forget things because I don’t try to remember them. Seriously, don’t let your brain try to hold onto every financial detail. That’s what note-taking apps, spreadsheets, sticky notes, whiteboards, and even good old-fashioned pen and paper are for. Personally, I love using our shared spreadsheet—it holds our budget, our spending tracker, and even little reminders like when bills are due. If apps are more your style, Apple Notes, Google Keep, or a simple to-do list can go a long way.
The danger of not writing things down is that chaos creeps in fast. Danielle put it perfectly—she’s got a full plate between being a mom, wife, and business owner. She doesn’t have the brain space to remember due dates, amounts, or which bill got paid when. And let’s be real: neither do most of us. So offload that mental load. Make a “Financial To-Dos” list or set up calendar reminders. Find a system that works and use it consistently. You’ll sleep better at night knowing your money isn’t floating around in your brain—it’s tracked, planned, and stress-free.
How do you make sure automation actually helps your finances?
Automation is amazing... but only if you understand it first. Don’t just dive in and automate everything on day one. Like Danielle and I talked about, try it manually at least once or twice. For me, it took a while to give up control of manually paying my credit cards. I was so used to sending the payment myself on the first of every month. But once I tested auto-pay and saw that it worked—boom, I switched everything over. Now, I check one number at the start of the month (our total spending), move that amount into our checking account, and don’t worry about it again.
But here’s the key: automation without a system is just chaos in disguise. You need a routine—whether that’s a payday routine like Danielle uses, or a monthly overview like my wife and I do. Know what’s coming out, when, and from where. Then let automation take care of the heavy lifting. You’ll spend way less time stressing about whether you paid a bill and way more time enjoying your life. That’s the kind of automation that actually helps your finances.
Enjoy your week and get out there and have a money talk!
