Thank you to my blog readers, my Instagram community, and every single supporter I've had along the way. Without your interest in what I do, this book would never be possible. Thank you for providing a platform for me to share my money stories and for all your encouragement.
Thank you to my parents, who instilled a love of reading in me from a very early age and encouraged my writing. Thank you for always buying me books—I realize now what a gift that was. My siblings and in‐laws were also great cheerleaders. Mr. Darryl, thank you for reading everything I've written from the very beginning. You're the inspiration for many of my money choices. I love all of you.
A couple of other people provided great emotional support, advice, and ideas throughout this process: Katie Houf, Kristen Simmer, Jessi Fearon, Melody Zoma, Bola Sokunbi, Jason Vitug, Jason Brown, Andy Hill, Renee Sorgi, and Sara Levitsky.
Lastly, to Aria and Edison, my quarantine buddies, thank you for inspiring me to be better every day. Thank you for asking how many words I'd written that day and for always having hugs and kisses for me. It was a wild ride, and you got a ton of iPad time so I could write this book during a pandemic. We got through it together, though, didn't we? You were both so proud and excited for me when I told you I was finished with my book. I won't ever forget it. Remember, Alfords don't quit.
About the Author
Catherine Alford is a nationally recognized financial educator who helps moms recapture their life passions, earn more, and take on a more active financial role in their families. Catherine started her business as a personal blog with a $10 domain name in 2010. She then grew it into a multifaceted, six‐figure digital media company that includes several personal finance websites, a suite of financial education products, and services that include financial writing, public speaking, and influencer marketing. Through her work, she partners with top financial companies as a speaker, video talent, and scriptwriter—all with the goal of helping women become more financially confident. Over the years, her writing and expertise have been featured in dozens of media outlets including Good Morning America, Yahoo Finance, U.S. News and World Report, Real Simple, The Huffington Post, Kiplinger, Investopedia, Business Insider, and many more. She currently lives just outside of Detroit, Michigan with her husband, their boy/girl twins, and a rescue dog named Julep. Learn more about Catherine at www.CatherineAlford.com.
Introduction
There's something you should know about the book you have in your hands: I fought really hard to get it to you. In fact, the process from the moment I created my book proposal to when I actually got a yes from a publisher took 4.5 years and 27 rejections. There were many times I wanted to give up and quit, but I kept thinking about you.
Yes, you.
I felt like if I quit on my idea, then I'd be quitting on you too. If I didn't try again after the fourteenth publisher said no or after the twentieth one said no, then you wouldn't get to meet me on these pages, and I wouldn't be able to encourage you to become a boss with your money.
So, I kept trying.
I don't want to make it sound like a movie with inspirational music playing in the background as I braved the world of rejection in publishing with strength against all odds. There were lots of doubts and an incalculable amount of tears along the way. I even took a four‐month break in there when I didn't pitch this book at all because I needed a minute to regroup.
And yet, here we are.
That's something you'll come to know about me. I don't give up easily. And here's the best part: I won't let you give up on yourself either.
It doesn't matter how many times you've overspent. It doesn't matter how much debt you're in. I don't care if you've tried budgeting a thousand times and failed. I believe in you, and I know you can win.
I know you're overwhelmed with everything you have to manage on a day‐to‐day basis as a mom. But, you and I are not quitters. Through this book, I'm going to encourage you to keep going. It's never too late to get your money right and it's never too late to learn something new. I really believe that, and I'm so glad you're here so we can get started on the journey—together.
There's something else I want you to know. I wrote this book during the Covid‐19 quarantine. In fact, I had my first call with my publisher on March 11, 2020 to discuss the process, and on March 13, 2020, I picked up my twins from kindergarten not knowing I wouldn't bring them back to school for more than six months.
I had grand visions of writing this book in darling coffee shops while I sipped a latte. My plan was to write half of it by the time my kids finished kindergarten. Then, I'd put the finishing touches on it while they had fun in camp over the summer. But then, the world closed. Schools closed. Coffee shops closed. And then camps closed.
My husband, who was a physician in residency training when I got my book deal, spent long hours at the hospital working the front lines of the pandemic. Then, he graduated from residency in July 2020 and moved four hours away to complete a one‐year fellowship. It was always the plan for him to go away for a year of extra training, but we made that plan when I thought I'd have access to school, babysitters, camp, and my gym (with the super‐fun childcare area).
Suffice to say, I faced many challenges when it came to writing this book, and I'm sure you can relate, because the world completely changed for every single one of us. Maybe you were home with your spouse during the quarantine. Maybe you were an essential worker and wished you could be home with your kids. Maybe you are a single mom and had childcare constraints as you tried to navigate the seemingly endless days. As for me, I ended up writing this book in little pockets of the day between kindergarten Zoom calls and using lots of bribery and too much iPad time to accomplish my mission.
At night, I'd be so exhausted I would use the voice‐to‐text function on my computer to write. Then, inevitably, one of my kids would need something in the night, and I'd wake up to find words like “Mama, Mama, Mama” inside my book because I'd abandoned my computer but left voice‐to‐text on. One time, I came back to my computer to find an entire paragraph about opening popsicles that voice‐to‐text recorded. I tell you this because although this book will go through rigorous editing, if you find a random “Mama” in the paragraphs, that's why.
Writing during a pandemic also fundamentally changed some of my beliefs about money, especially concerning emergency funds. There were also certain stories in the book that didn't seem to fit anymore once I started to hear from people who were suffering. Some stories I initially shared seemed too happy, too inconsequential, or too tone‐deaf during a global emergency. I got email after email from people struggling, people losing their jobs, and moms who were deeply unhappy because they were managing the brunt of the labor at home. I've done my best to find some balance, to be empathetic but also offer a little encouraging push in case you need one. I think mindset is everything, and I know that stepping into a boss mindset and taking control of your finances—even if you've been knocked to the ground during the pandemic—is the first step to recovery.
That said, I am not a financial planner (or a therapist). I became a part of the finance world when I started writing a blog about my life on a very tight graduate school budget in 2010. That budgeting blog blossomed into a freelance writing business when I started writing financial articles for other blogs and financial companies. Eventually, my business grew to include scriptwriting, video content, influencer work, speaking, and now—writing a book.
(Disclaimer: Although I've worked with dozens of financial companies through my business, some of which I mention in this book, none of them paid me to be mentioned here. I've also included studies and information from companies I haven't worked with in this book.)
Even