5 Moving Tips!

Dear Amor,

At some point on your financial journey, you are going to have to use your money to move homes. According to various sources online, moving is one of the top 10 stressors right up there with the death of a loved one, divorce/separation, and personal injury/illness.

As someone who has moved a lot (in NYC I lived in 9 different apartments) and with several clients who are moving right now, I want to offer you the following suggestions.

(1) Make space for your emotions. Whether you are renting or buying a home, moving entails a lot of coordination. You will need to be doing research, submitting paperwork, working on other people's deadlines, packing, moving, unpacking, etc. These changes can make even the calmest person overwhelmed. Think ahead of time what self-care routines you are going to stick to despite this new stressor. How will you find a release for the various emotions that WILL come up?

(2) Create a budget with your new expenses before moving. You want to have a clear idea of what you can afford on a monthly basis. Keep in mind how your new location will impact your traveling costs, your need for furniture, and changes in your utility expenses. Use a google sheet like this one from the Life Storage Blog to calculate all your costs so you can have a realistic picture of what your needs will look like.

(3) Beef up your savings. Ideally, you should have at least 3 months of rent/mortgage payments saved up before moving. You may consider selling some of your belongings to add money to your high-yield savings account. This will also make moving easier. Or you may want to pick up some extra hours at work to increase your savings. Knowing ahead of time that the unexpected WILL happen and that you have the cash to cover it will help ease some of the stress associated with moving.

(4) Save a "Protect My Energy" Fund. You may find yourself too stressed packing and/or unpacking everything yourself, have the money to hire some help. You may find yourself wanting to DIY but your pets/kids may be getting in the way, have the money to pay for babysitting. And for sure there will be days where you are figuring out your moving situation that will leave you too tired to cook, have the money to order food. This fund, no matter how big it is, will remind you that an investment in your wellness is always necessary.

(5) Give yourself grace. Know that you are not bad with money if you don't have all the savings needed and even have to acquire temporary debt to move. The reality is the cost of living is increasing and salaries are not increasing at the rate of inflation. As a BIPOC, woman, or LGBTQ+ person, there have been systemic barriers to your financial security. The lack of access to generational wealth or a support system is the result of the trauma of living in a society that upholds the cisheteropatriarchy. The pressure for individuals to figure out how to live within this society is HARD. You are not alone even if you feel lonely at times.

Amor, I hope you know that though moving is stressful but you are SO resourceful. Poco a poco, you will figure it out. Give yourself all the permission you need to move at your pace and with lots of cariño,

​

Todo con tiempo,

​

P.S. I'm moving my emails from Saturday to Sunday mornings in an attempt to only work Sunday - Wednesday. I hope they continue to serve you.

ANNOUNCEMENTS + REMINDERS

• The price for working 1:1 with me for 6 months is increasing July 2022. If you are ready to invest your time, money, and energy to transform your financial trajectory poco a poco use this link to apply here to work conmigo.
• Tune in on IG Live tomorrow, Monday, June 13th at 9am HST/ 12pm PST/ 2pm CST/ 3pm EST as I interview financial therapist, Lindsay Bryan Podvin. We will be discussing how she helps her clients heal from financial trauma and how she built her own therapy practice.
• ​Watch this IG Live with Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Naihomy Jerez to hear our conversation about how to be well-thy and wealthy.
• This month's FREE workshop will be on "Minimalism & Money." I will be discussing my personal journey with minimalism and how it has impacted my financial journey. I will also be providing live coaching to anyone who struggles with setting boundaries with "stuff." You can register here.