Some Adult Advice

Hi friend,

Last week, in one of the Facebook groups we lurk in, a woman asked for ideas on how to celebrate herself this Valentine’s Day – particularly ones that cost little to no money. The responses included a nice bath (with this, maybe?), a yoga class, cracking a book you’ve been wanting to read, and a YouTube sound bath.

Another suggestion: Zone out to a cheesy movie – like the newest Bridget Jones. In this iteration, Bridget is a mother in her 50s who has been thrust back into the dating world after being widowed. Yes, the fictional character of Bridget has aged and suffered over the past few years, as we all have.

Sounds serious, but the untimely death of her husband aside, there will be plenty of light-hearted moments as well as an age-gap romantic interest. 

Maybe, though, you’re interested in a redo of Under the Tuscan Sun, but again, you want to go in a much more cheesy direction, and instead of an incandescent Diane Lane and Sandra Oh, you’d like it to star aughts heartthrob Scott Foley. Netflix has heard your very specific request and has delivered with La Dolce Villa, where Foley plays a concerned dad trying to help his American daughter fix up a crumbling Italian property.

We could keep going, but we have to shift to a more responsible topic: finances. It is tax season, after all. We turned to the experts at The Purse for a money management refresher — one that acknowledges the uncertain times we live in. Read on for their advice, plus a few indulgences for your weekend.

Bye,

Your friends at Gloria

The article was adapted from a piece published originally on The Purse.

I think I have mostly lived in a place of denial since last year’s presidential election. I woke up the morning after Election Day feeling that sharp pang of deep disappointment many of us know well, wrote a newsletter in response to that heartache, and then pretty much went back to my life.

But here we are with a new old president, and part of me wonders if I should start to worry about it. Some of you might be reading this feeling a lot of frustration and anger toward me, but I do know how much privilege I have as a straight white woman with means. I do not take those facts for granted, and it is from this point of privilege that I want to make sure I make smart moves over the next four years. I don’t think it helps anyone, especially myself, if I am freaking out on a regular basis about all the noise that this administration tends to create.

Of course, I’m also not planning to totally stick my head in the sand and ignore the world around me. Far from it. I feel motivated. Now is not the time to second-guess our skills or diminish our light. Now is the time for us to focus on ourselves and our projects. We need to invest in each other and our communities. We need to support companies that support us, and we need to be smart about what we’re doing with our money. Because the truth is, money matters.

This prompts a big question: What the heck are we supposed to do with our money during this presidential administration? I reached out to four friends in the personal finance space — Michelle Teheux of Untrickled, Dana Miranda of Healthy Rich, Paco de Leon of The Hell Yeah Group, and Aja Evans, LMHC, financial therapist — for their advice.

You’ll see some themes repeated throughout all four entries: curb risk, save more, spend intentionally, and invest in community. These moves might not make us as monetarily wealthy as those running Washington, but we should not underestimate our collective power.

Instead of wringing our hands, let’s do something! And let’s start by being thoughtful about our finances!

I’ll let the experts take it from here.

Michelle Teheux

I assume we will see major changes thanks to two primary factors: dramatic political upheavals and significant AI-associated job disappearances.

I recommend each of us take an inventory of what we have coming up in the next few years:

• Do you want to start a family, buy a house, invest, retire? Do you have family members with needs to consider? If you’re married, is your partnership strong?

• Does your job feel secure? What skills do you have that you could use for a career pivot if you had to? Do these skills lend themselves to starting a business or side gig? What related skill(s) could you pick up that might help?

• How’s your community? I’m talking about community in the largest sense — everything from the state of your local food pantry to your best friends you keep saying you’re going to see when you have time.

Here’s what I’m doing in my situation, which is a late-50s married writer with two grown kids: I am trying to find new income sources. I’ve done very well on Medium, but I’m not sure that platform is going to survive, so I’m devoting more time to Substack and other opportunities. I hope to get an agent and traditionally publish my next book, although I can also publish and market it myself if I need to.

For me, this is a time for caution.

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“A Black History Month love note.” • This is a wonderful interview about a harrowing time. • Is RFK Jr. even strong? Or using proper form? • A solid overview of where we are with women and testosterone therapy for libido. • This essay is worth the crying and this video is worth the watch.

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