The Worth Project: the money conversations no one wants to have

Join the Project!

Everything you need to be smarter with your money, delivered weekly.

I feel like this week has flown by faster than any other week so far. London knows how to do do this festive season like no other city I’ve seen. Each day there’s another winter market or holiday party to go to and I’m not mad about it at all. It’s this time of year that reminds me that life out here is kind of like a scene from The Holiday. (Also, this scene is 100% how I drive out here. Reason 847 why I still don’t have my drivers license.)

Jordan and I have a shared Google calendar and I just realized that between holiday events and late night work meetings (the downside of living in the UK and working with clients in the US), nearly every night between now and New Years is busy. As someone who really loves a 9 pm bedtime, this has me a little nervous.

Tonight I’m off to a Christmas dinner at the most charming little Italian restaurant in London. It was recommended to me by our Italian neighbors, so you know it’s legit. If you ever find yourself in London, I suggest putting it on your list.

And thank you so much for all of the podcast recommendations. I’ve been listening to new ones every free moment I’ve had and I can’t believe how many new-to-me shows there are. I’ll be sharing a full list of these next week.

ICYMI

we’ve got you covered

I didn’t want to talk about this. And I still don’t. But after having Henry, life insurance was a big, looming item on our to-do list. The more I avoided thinking about it, the more my anxiety grew. So when we were in California in September, Jordan and I finally shopped for a new policy that we feel great about. And, the process was so incredibly easy, I can’t believe we didn’t do it sooner. Do you need life insurance? Here are the ins and outs of what you need to know.

Hitting refresh. I’m fully immersed in preparing for 2019 and maybe, just maybe, you’re doing the same. I’m hitting refresh on a few of the most read posts from the past year to help you where you may need it most. These posts are updated with new tips, links, and information to help you do more with your money. This week: student loans. Why I paid them off and what helped me do it quickly.

Make Me Smart

smart-ish reads from around the internet

What no one talks about. We’re all here for the same reason: we want to be smarter with money. But sometimes you aren’t the only person who is going to affect your financial future. What happens when your parents aren’t on financially stable ground? Half of Millennials may be in this position. And, it’s terrible. This piece profiles people who are currently supporting their parents financially and gives a few strategies to help safeguard your future. Long-term care insurance, anyone?

How to talk to your kids parents about money. Scary stat: more than ⅓ of people over 55 don’t have any retirement savings at all. Don’t get blindsided by this situation. This 5-minute video breaks down exactly how to get the conversation started. I love the idea of creating a “Just In Case” document.

Uncovering your financial habits. This writer meticulously tracked her spending for an entire month (writing down each purchase in a notebook). While she’s already money savvy, she learned a lot about her financial habits, including one I’ve noticed recently: those sneaky $20 purchases. Plus, she clearly illustrates why I’m such a fan of getting rid of mindless spending — the reason I use my happiness check. Even if you don’t start tracking your cash after reading this, you’ll be better off just by reading about her lessons.

It’s a whole mess. When researching life insurance I knew, generally, why to stay away from whole life insurance. But this piece gave me a very clear rundown on exactly why it’s a bad deal for 99% of people out there.

follow @theworthproject.co on Instagram!

THE LATEST & GREATEST