Articles

What to do After Overspending

Start With What Actually Changed Erin knew exactly what to do after spending too much money. She had done it before. First, open the credit card app and stare at the number until it becomes a moral judgment. Then mentally cancel every enjoyable thing she...

Why Can’t I Stop Spending Money?

Knowing Better Isn’t Always the Missing Skill There is a particularly maddening kind of spending where you don’t realize what happened until later. And then there is the kind where you know exactly what is happening while you’re doing it. Let’s call her Erin. Erin...

How to stop spending money

I Have a Problem Spending Money: How to Stop Spending Without Restricting Yourself Maya did what any responsible adult having a minor financial crisis at 7:42 on a Monday morning would do. She Googled it. “How to stop spending money.” The internet was delighted to...

Why More Money Doesn’t Feel as Good as You Think It Will

Approximate read time: 9 minutes Most of us have some version of this story running in the background of our lives. When I lose the weight, I’ll feel better. I can finally relax once I get that promotion. When I find the relationship, I’ll feel...

What to Do If You Win the Lottery (Even If You Never Play)

Approximate read time: 10 minutes Most of us have played this game before. What would you do if you won the lottery? The answers usually come quickly. Pay off debt. Buy the house. Take the trip. Help your family. Quit your job. Sleep for a...

Why You Can’t Stop Thinking About Money (And Why It’s Not What You Think)

Can’t stop thinking about money There’s a very specific kind of tired that comes from thinking about money all day. I hear people tell me the pain of:“I’m not doing anything about it.”“I can’t stick to a plan.” Just… thinking. You check your account.You run...

You’re Not Broke, You’re Just Overwhelmed: How to Stop Overspending Without Shame

Ever found yourself swearing off spending… while simultaneously clicking “Add to Cart”?Or wondering where your money went, even though you’re sure you haven’t bought anything major?You’re not alone. And you’re not broken, lazy, or bad with money. But you might be stuck in an overspending...

How to Manage Money When You’re Burned Out

What to Do When Financial Tasks Feel Impossible (and Why You’re Not Failing) If you’ve ever said something like: “We seriously don’t even have five minutes to talk about money.” “Every minute of my day is already spoken for, and then things keep happening.” “We’ve...

Why Traditional Budgeting Doesn’t Work, And What to Try Instead

“Make a budget and stick to it” is one of the most common financial tips out there. Budgets are also one of the most misunderstood, misused, and misapplied tools in personal finance. If you’ve ever felt like budgeting should work but doesn’t (like you’re doing...

Why Budgeting Doesn’t Work (Especially when you’re overwhelmed)

You’re Not Lazy. You’re Overloaded. It’s November. The lights are twinkling, your inbox is exploding, the kids need costumes and cookies, and someone just brought up travel plans. Again. You know your finances need attention,but every time you open a spreadsheet or log into your...

How to Reduce Holiday Spending Without Feeling Restricted

Advice from a trauma-informed, holistic financial coach Read time: ~7 minutes “I’ve got to spend less this holiday season.”Sound familiar? The holidays bring joy… and overwhelm. One moment you’re sipping cider, the next you’re wondering how you already spent $800 and feeling the dread...

What is financial infidelity? (Hint: It’s so much more than just lying about money)

What is Financial Infidelity? Financial infidelity (or financial cheating) simply means you or your partner is hiding something about finances. This can look like: hiding debt, hiding a bank account, a secret credit card, making financial decisions without your partner, or hiding or misrepresenting income...

Why Couples Fight About Money (And What You Can Do Instead)

Why couples fight about money and what to do about it Why Do Couples Keep Fighting About Money? Even couples who love each other deeply and communicate well in most areas can find themselves stuck in the same argument,again and again,when it comes to money....

How to Talk About Money With Your Partner Without Fighting: 10 Skills Every Couple Needs

Financial Communication for Couples You’re great at communicating in your relationship… Until it comes to money. Then, it’s silence. Or stress. Or that same exhausting fight that never gets resolved. This isn’t because you’re bad with money. It’s not because you’re emotionally immature. It’s because...

Revenge savings isn’t petty… it’s power.

Revenge savings The best payback is peace of mind and a fat savings account You ever look at your bank account and think, damn, I wish I could return the last six months of choices? Maybe it was the shopping sprees that felt like freedom…...

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Christopher Desjardine

Hannah was a great coach. She guides you from the building blocks of communicating effectively with your partner to the final product of building a budget. My wife and I went into her program with two goals in mind: 1. To communicate more effectively and civilly regarding finances. 2. To create a transparent plan we both agree on and stick to it. I feel like we are definitely in a better spot on goal one, and two is still a matter of discovering what needs and wants we have and want to incorporate into our plan. There are probably cheaper methods of getting this going, however the caveat of life often applies..."You get what you pay for." Hannah was worth every penny.

Rachel Resnick

I would, and do, recommend Hanna to anyone looking to feel more confident and in control of their finances. Her tools are approachable and entirely customizable, focused on making the system work for YOU instead of the other way around. She works with financial states big and small, making you feel central to it all. Hanna is extremely communicative in the process as well as focuses on ridding shame, restriction, and fear from making a sustainable system. I feel so empowered to go forth and accomplish financial goals on my own, even ones that I thought were completely off the table, after completing this program. 11/10 Recommend!

Amy Dickinson

We came to Hanna & Pacific Stoa in a moment of panic, stress and overwhelm and are leaving with tools and systems that have revolutionized the way we communicate about money, think about money, and track money. The courses helped to challenge a lot of limiting beliefs I had in place and helped to build trust in our relationship with one another and our finances. The system that Hanna helped us build is adaptable, flexible, easy to use and has helped us to manage our budget so much more effectively. We are so grateful to Hanna for her expertise and for what she has helped us to achieve!

Igor Dobrosavljević

I don't know that I can express how important Hanna's council was to me and my wife. We struggled to figure out how to talk to each other about our financial priorities and Hanna set us up with the tools to be able to make these conversations productive and work for us. The most important bit that we learned however was that this is work that constantly happens and not a destination that you arrive at. Thank you Hanna.

Julia Keiselbach

Hanna is AMAZING. I cannot recommend her enough. Taking the leap to work with a financial coach is hard but Hanna and her curriculum make the entire process so rewarding. After working with Hanna my husband and I think about money differently, communicate more effectively and have a feeling of control over our expenses and plans for the future. This was such a positive and helpful experience and everyone should learn these skills! Thank you again!!

Christy Chadwick

Hanna helped me see financials in a more positive light. I feel more at ease and able to approach my financials from an empowered place now. Thanks, Hanna!!

Lindsay Kaatz

Working with Hanna has been a game changer in discussing finances and budgeting with my partner. Hanna is patient, empathetic, flexible, and incredibly bright. She tailored her program to meet our needs and fulfilled all of our expectations (and then some!). We now have a selection of tools to use to work toward our finanical goals for our family, including a budget template that we co-created to meet our needs. We had a great experience and although have graduated from our work with Hanna, she remains available to us if needed.

Mo Fine

The counseling Hanna provides to you about organizing thoughts around finances and communicating better with your spouse about money is life-changing. Her nonjudgemental, systematic, and empathetic approach to helping you understand and take control of your finances is empowering and stress-relieving!

Chris Roe

Hanna helped my spouse and I learn to communicate about money and gave us tools to begin budgeting. We are both extremely hopeful about our future finances and ability to work as a team. We would definitely not be at this point without Hanna's help. I'll be forever grateful for her partnership with us in this stage of our financial journey.

Erica Roe

Hannah helped my husband and I understand communication with one another regarding a budget as well as assisted us in building a budget tool that was customized to us! Our habits changed and we have a new relationship with our personal finances