In 2024 I taught two sessions of a class called How Much Money is Enough? and that's what folks are referring to. As of now I have no plans to teach it again, since I am focusing exclusively on this newsletter for the next 6 months and no other work. Mid-year 2026 I'll be reevaluating how my own income and work desires feel, and making decisions from there, and if I do ever teach that class again I'll share it in the newsletter first, so you won't miss it :)
As for the overdraft fees, the most honest answer I can give you is that that is not something I have personally struggled with because a) I enjoy being to-the-dollar meticulous with tracking my spending, and b) the few times I've needed to cover expenses that I don't have cash for at the moment I've chosen to use a credit card instead of a debit card. (Credit cards are obviously their own whole beast, beyond the scope of this question, but just sharing why I haven't dealt with overdraft fees personally.)
So none of what I'll share next is from my own lived experience, but from a more general personal finance "best practices" lens, here are some ideas: 1) Talk to your bank and see if they offer any kind of no-fee overdraft protection (for example, do they offer an account notification you can set up for when your balance drops below a certain amount?) 2) My understanding is that all banks are required by law to allow you to opt-out of overdraft protection, which would mean your card would decline if there aren't sufficient funds to cover a transaction but this would also eliminate overdraft fees. 3) Consider changing banks to one that has lower overdraft fees and/or meets your needs better overall, if your current bank folks are unhelpful (or shame-y) about any of this. 4) Experiment with expense/income tracking to find something that feels good for you. I personally use YNAB (happy to share my little referral link if you think it's a good fit for you!) but honestly I just used a simple spreadsheet for years, and there are also free apps/software. 5) Surround yourself with stories and info from folks in similar situations to help you feel less alone (assuming you do feel that way; I often did in the early days of trying to learn about personal and systemic finance stuff, since I was never taught any of it) by reading books and listening to podcasts that are aligned with your values and curiosities in this arena.
In 2024 I taught two sessions of a class called How Much Money is Enough? and that's what folks are referring to. As of now I have no plans to teach it again, since I am focusing exclusively on this newsletter for the next 6 months and no other work. Mid-year 2026 I'll be reevaluating how my own income and work desires feel, and making decisions from there, and if I do ever teach that class again I'll share it in the newsletter first, so you won't miss it :)
As for the overdraft fees, the most honest answer I can give you is that that is not something I have personally struggled with because a) I enjoy being to-the-dollar meticulous with tracking my spending, and b) the few times I've needed to cover expenses that I don't have cash for at the moment I've chosen to use a credit card instead of a debit card. (Credit cards are obviously their own whole beast, beyond the scope of this question, but just sharing why I haven't dealt with overdraft fees personally.)
So none of what I'll share next is from my own lived experience, but from a more general personal finance "best practices" lens, here are some ideas: 1) Talk to your bank and see if they offer any kind of no-fee overdraft protection (for example, do they offer an account notification you can set up for when your balance drops below a certain amount?) 2) My understanding is that all banks are required by law to allow you to opt-out of overdraft protection, which would mean your card would decline if there aren't sufficient funds to cover a transaction but this would also eliminate overdraft fees. 3) Consider changing banks to one that has lower overdraft fees and/or meets your needs better overall, if your current bank folks are unhelpful (or shame-y) about any of this. 4) Experiment with expense/income tracking to find something that feels good for you. I personally use YNAB (happy to share my little referral link if you think it's a good fit for you!) but honestly I just used a simple spreadsheet for years, and there are also free apps/software. 5) Surround yourself with stories and info from folks in similar situations to help you feel less alone (assuming you do feel that way; I often did in the early days of trying to learn about personal and systemic finance stuff, since I was never taught any of it) by reading books and listening to podcasts that are aligned with your values and curiosities in this arena.