Dear Money Adventurer,
I have a tradition of sharing a money mini-series of real-life tools and loving encouragement to support and guide folks in their money journeys. I call these short and sweet letters of inspiration my Money Mochas – bite-sized morsels of financial wisdom, practices, and guidance delivered straight to your inbox to help you grow along your money journey. And if you’re experiencing a money curveball at the moment, I’m excited to serve this one up for you today.
How to Handle an Unexpected Money Curveball
So often it feels like life happens when we were busy making other plans, and we’re left to pick up the pieces and rebuild.
Today’s Money Mocha episode is all about what you can do when an unexpected plot twist hits you in the bank account. Let me start with a question — how do you handle unexpected money curveballs when life throws them your way?
Do you have a plan in case life happens and you take an abrupt financial hit?
There’s nothing to be ashamed of if the answer is “no”. You aren’t alone in that uncertainty. Most people don’t have a backup plan, and when it comes to figuring out what comes next, I hope you find today’s message helpful.
Because sometimes your partner is unexpectedly laid off at the same time you’re expecting your first child — even when you do have a long-term, committed, personal practice working with money. True story.
Sometimes you see the curveball coming, like a financial storm warning; an alarm goes off in the distance, leaving you to watch in dreaded anticipation of the turmoil to come.
Sometimes it’s an unexpected phone call from the bank that leaves you scattered and filled with uncertainty in the middle of an otherwise unremarkable afternoon. Or an unassuming envelope in your mailbox, quietly announcing that you’re being audited by the IRS.
Our emotional reactions can be overwhelming in that moment of surprise — even for those most seasoned and practical money workers, myself included.
The last year has been quite the curveball for many of us, which begs the question — do you have the tools and resources you need to be able to cope with a significant financial emergency?
(Note: Yes, I have tried hyperventilating. No, it did not help.)
So, what can you do when an unexpected plot twist hits during your Wednesday morning commute?
How do you cope with a global pandemic that has effectively shuttered your small business and decimated your rainy day fund?
Where do you turn when medical bills are mounting, and you lost your insurance along with your job due to the recent lockdown?
How do you sit with the grief of losing a loved one AND process an unexpected inheritance that dramatically changes your financial reality?
What happens after you get divorced and are suddenly left to manage your bills with a fraction of the money and support you had before?
Take a deep breath. Even when it feels impossible, you don’t have to be left defeated.
Today we’re working through realistic steps that you can take to help soothe your stress and reframe your perspective — even in those most challenging moments.
Grab a moment with me and listen to this episode: How to Handle an Unexpected Money Curveball.
A fresh brewed Money Mocha awaits to empower your next step in writing a delicious new chapter of your money story, even if you find yourself standing on shaky ground.
