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There’s this moment I’ve seen happen again and again in one-on-one financial planning sessions. A client glances at their retirement projections and says, “Wait… how did it grow that much?” And my answer is always the same: compound interest. It’s not magic—it just feels like it.
I still remember the first time I got what I considered a “real” paycheck. The deposit hit my account, and before the month was over, I’d justified a new couch, dinners out more than a few nights a week, and a wardrobe refresh. It felt deserved. After years of scrimping, finally spending without anxiety seemed like part of the reward.
I remember sitting in a café back in early 2021 when a friend leaned across the table, his eyes bright with urgency, and said, “You have to buy this stock—it’s going to the moon.” At the time, every headline was about surging meme stocks and overnight millionaires. My inbox was full of “hot tips.” The buzz was contagious, and for a split second, I felt the same itch: What if I’m missing out?
Budgeting on an unpredictable income isn’t cute, clever, or calming at first. It’s stressful. Sometimes it’s panic-inducing. I still remember the first time I had three clients ghost in the same week while my rent was due and my car insurance autopay was inching closer like a financial horror movie.
Paying off debt and building credit don’t have to live on opposite sides of your financial universe. You don’t need to finish one before starting the other. In fact, the smartest moves often involve doing both—at the same time, in a way that works for your actual life.
Look—I’m not here to tell you to stop buying lattes. That kind of advice misses the point. Most people aren’t wrecking their budgets with one-off purchases or occasional treats. The real leak is in the habits—the casual click-to-buy, the mindless cart fill-up, the “it’s only $12” that happens 40 times a month. That’s what adds up. That’s what silently chips away at your financial momentum.
There’s a moment every investor hits—sometimes after a big win, sometimes in a moment of panic—when they lean back, stare at their portfolio, and ask, “Should I sell this?”
Hustling during the holidays isn’t new. What is new is how strategic you can get about it. Every year, millions of people jump into seasonal gigs—delivery driving, retail shifts, gift wrapping—just to pad their budget between November and January. It works. Sort of. But what if this year’s hustle wasn’t just about surviving the holidays… but setting up something that actually grows?
Debt doesn’t feel like a number. It feels like weight. It keeps people up at night, changes the way they see the future, and quietly eats away at peace of mind. I’ve sat across the table from hundreds of clients—some with six-figure student loans, others with a dozen maxed-out credit cards—and let me tell you: it’s not the size of the debt that hurts the most. It’s the feeling of not knowing where to start.