“Mama, do I have a budget for this trip?”

Whether it is on a weekend trip or a longer vacation, this is a question I get often from my kindergarten daughter (who simply must check out every gift shop we encounter). As a mom and a financial planner, seeing her embrace a budget and learn to make difficult spending decisions at a young age has been one of those rare parenting “nailed it” moments for me. It took a lot of intentional work to get to this point, but when the pieces come together, the result is so satisfying.

I look at the planning work I do with my clients as a puzzle that was picked up second-hand. It will take persistence, but you can often fit the pieces together to create the intended picture. Sometimes there is a piece or two missing and you have to figure out the picture without them. Or maybe you’ve got a couple of extra pieces from another puzzle in the box, which throws you off track for a bit. Some of the pieces may have gotten dog-eared, scratched up, or faded in the process, but they come together to bring such character to the bigger picture.

When I’m not helping my clients or at home with my family, you might find me rediscovering my love of the outdoors during the shoulder seasons in Vermont (spring and fall are my favorite!), curling up with a trashy book, or learning to make interesting dishes from other countries (only some of which have been kid-approved!).

• BS in Psychology from the University of Vermont
• CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional
• Registered Principal, RJFS