The Money Reset No One Wants to Do (but Everyone Needs)
Most of us try to avoid it.
We hustle harder, take on side gigs, shuffle bills around, and hope things will work themselves out.
But eventually, the truth comes knocking.
The money reset no one wants to do is also the one that changes everything: facing your numbers.
My Breaking Point
I remember the day I finally sat down with my budget. I had my full-time paycheck in one column, my Walmart Spark/Doordash gig income in another, and every bill I owed lined up in front of me.
I thought maybe, if I rearranged things just right, I could make it work.
But no matter how many times I moved the numbers, the result was the same.
I was in the negative every single month.
It was discouraging. And honestly, it broke me for a moment.
But it also forced me to stop pretending that hustling harder was the answer. I realized the real problem was not my effort. The problem was that I had avoided the hard step of looking at everything in one honest place.
Why We Avoid It
Facing the numbers feels terrifying because it makes the problem real. Once you write it down, you can’t hide from it anymore. That is why so many of us keep avoiding the bills, skipping the budget, or telling ourselves, “I’ll deal with it later.”
But avoidance keeps us stuck. Hustle without clarity only spins you in circles.
Why It Matters
Here is the shift:
When you put everything in front of you, you take back control. The numbers might not change overnight, but your mindset does. You go from spinning in shame to standing in truth. And from truth, you can actually make a plan.
Facing my bills did not erase my debt. But it gave me clarity. And clarity is what made the reset possible.
A Tool to Help You Start
I know how hard this step is, so I created a free guide to make it easier:
Inside you will find:
A space to write down your bills and expenses all in one place
Gentle prompts to pause and breathe before and after so the process feels less overwhelming
Encouragement to celebrate the courage it takes just to face the numbers
A framework to help you see your financial picture clearly without shame
It is the same step that changed everything for me, and I believe it is where every reset has to begin.
[Download The Money Reset Check-In here]
Final Thoughts
You do not need to fix it all today. You do not need to have the perfect plan or the perfect budget. But you do need to start with clarity.
Facing the numbers may be the money reset no one wants to do, but it is also the one everyone needs.
5 Easy Plant-Based Meals from a $50 Grocery Haul
I’ve been trying to eat more meals at home lately, mainly because DoorDash had me in a chokehold for way too long. It was convenient, sure, but expensive and honestly not making me feel my best. So I decided to start fresh by going back to the basics: cooking more, budgeting better, and keeping things mostly plant-based without making it complicated.
In this video, I take you with me to Aldi to do a real grocery haul on a $50 budget. I’m sharing five meals I made with the ingredients I bought, and I kept them super beginner-friendly. No wild ingredients, no two-hour cooking sessions, and nothing bland or boring.
These are meals that actually fill you up without draining your energy or your wallet. That’s what I care about most these days.
Here's what I made:
A berry banana smoothie that takes 2 minutes
Lentil curry with rice that gets better the next day
My favorite chickpea salad wrap, perfect for lunch
Crispy tofu with creamy peanut noodles
And a fresh juice made from carrots, celery, apple, lemon, and ginger
Everything is included in the video, but if you want the grocery list and all five recipes in one printable, I've created a guide that you can download.
It’s $5, and it’ll save you from pausing the video every five seconds to take notes.
[Grab the $5 PDF here: Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes]
This is the same shopping list I used, plus full instructions for each meal and a few extra tips for making plant-based eating less stressful. You don’t have to go 100% vegan to eat better, save money, and feel good about what’s on your plate.
If you enjoy this video and the PDF helps you, let me know. I’d love to keep making more realistic meal content like this.
Thanks for being here.
Why I Finally Stopped Drinking (17 days sober)
I filmed a video recently during my lunch break. It wasn’t planned. I just sat outside and started talking about what it’s been like to be 17 days sober.
For years, I drank wine daily. Every night felt like a reward or a reset or a way to quiet my mind — until it became the thing running my life.
I wasn’t blacking out or falling down, but I also wasn’t really present.
I wasn’t reaching my goals.
I wasn’t showing up fully for the people I love.
I was spending too much money and losing too many weekends to naps, noise, and numbness.
The truth is, alcohol was costing me my future, and I had to stop pretending it wasn’t.
I’ve quit before. I once made it to 90 days. But then came a social event, and I convinced myself I could drink in moderation. It didn’t take long before that turned into daily drinking again. This time, I’m not telling myself that story. I know now that moderation isn’t for me. And I’m finally okay with that.
These past 17 days have been uncomfortable. It’s uncomfortable because of the boredom. The quiet. The moments where I’d usually reach for a glass just to fill the space. I didn’t realize how much I had been using alcohol to numb stress, grief, anxiety, even restlessness.
Now it’s just me.
I’m facing it with my therapist. I’m writing through it in my journal, but it’s still scary.
Some of these emotions have been buried for years, and they don’t come out quietly.
Even so, I know I’m doing the right thing. I want to protect my brain. My body. My peace. This is about more than sobriety. It’s about healing — the kind I can actually feel.
I’ve started resetting my apartment and working on a new workout routine to help me sleep better. I’m not trying to be perfect. I’m just trying to show up in ways I never could when alcohol was in control.
If you’ve ever felt like drinking is holding you back, even when no one else seems to notice, you’re not alone.
There’s nothing weak about wanting to feel everything again. Even the hard stuff.
You can watch the full video here
One day at a time,
Monique
Mid-Year Check In (my 2025 goals update)
I was thinking the other day about how quickly the year is passing and how much change can occur in such a short time.
This time last year, I was neck deep (yes, neck) in summer school work to finish my associate’s degree and working full-time.
This summer, I’m spending time learning more about myself and how to navigate my bipolar diagnosis.
So far, the medication seems to be working, and I’ve been very intentional about getting fresh air, daily journaling, and improving my sleep.
Let’s discuss the goals I set back in January and how things are progressing today.
Goals & Updates
Goal: Money Moves: Pay off over $10k in debt (not including student loans)
Update: Umm, so I’m filing for bankruptcy. My debt since the beginning of the year has ballooned to over $20K on my $53K income. I’m nervous about the possibility of having my wages garnished since defaulting on payments, so I’m hitting the reset button. I talk about it more in this video
My relationship with money is still toxic, but I’ve been working hard through writing, reading, and budgeting to improve it.
I also realize my bipolar disorder plays a crucial role in my “well ima spend it” attitude.
Goal Education: Complete eight classes (I will go all year) toward my degree in English and begin weekly drills for the LSAT.
Update: Nope. I needed a break after burning out so badly last year. I return to school in August and will only take one class (or two at most) at a time for a while.
Goal: Be Intentional: Read instead of scrolling on social media
Update: This has been going very well! I listen to Libby and Audible daily and read so much more than I have in a while. It’s been great learning about finances, social issues, health, etc.
Goal Health: Ditch the Wine
Update: As I type this, I am seven days sober!
Focus for the Rest of the Year
Intention: Break everything down into micro-steps to get better results. One of the things I discovered this year is that I have to do things a bit differently, being neurodivergent. Instead of thinking I can take on projects and complete the big steps in one day, I have to give myself grace and be willing to break down everything into digestible steps to achieve my goals over time.
Intention: Continue with my sobriety to improve my health, sleep, clarity, and mood.
Intention: Collaborate with my editor (just hired one!) to establish a consistent YouTube video schedule. I plan to share plant-based recipes, money-saving tips, and short vlogs.
Talk soon!