Midlife Money Reset

Ready to feel financially unbothered next year? We walk through a complete 2026 money reset built for midlife women who want stability, freedom, and calm without living on rice and beans. The plan is practical, compassionate, and system-first, so your progress doesn’t depend on willpower.

We start by facing the numbers with a clear audit: list every debt with APRs and due dates, pull your credit report, check your DTI, and tag spending as essential, nice to have, delete, or negotiate. From there, we choose a debt payoff path—avalanche, snowball, or hybrid—then automate minimums and channel extra dollars from a dedicated bucket once a month. Quick wins keep you motivated; automation keeps you consistent. Next, we slash expenses with intention: trim subscriptions and delivery fees, re-shop insurance and internet, use curbside grocery orders to control totals, and reset to a three-bucket budget that reflects your real life.

Income growth gets equal weight. We map a raise and bonus conversation, then layer in realistic side income options like freelance services, digital offers, affiliate income, and seasonal or remote part-time work that won’t wreck your back or your schedule. With new cash flow, we build sinking funds—emergency, travel, car care, glow-up, debt payoff, and even a future rental fund—and automate transfers the day after payday. Retirement gets a refresh too: review 401k allocations, capture the match, increase contributions when a raise hits, and automate Roth IRA deposits with index funds or ETFs that fit your risk level.

To lock it all in, we set daily five-minute money check-ins, schedule no-spend days, and use a 48-hour rule for online purchases with a running wish list. Then we automate everything—bills, transfers, debt payments, and reminders—so systems carry the weight when life gets loud. By the end, you’ll have a clean checklist to activate by January 1: debt list, payoff plan, reworked budget, income goals, savings buckets, retirement contributions, and automated rituals that make peace your default. If this roadmap helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more midlife women can find us.

2026 Money Reset Guide

Chapters

• 3:03 Why A Midlife Money Reset Matters
• 5:15 Face Reality: Debts, Credit, Spending
• 7:02 Build Your 2026 Debt Strategy
• 9:50 Slash Expenses Like A CEO
• 13:30 Make More Money On Purpose
• 16:35 Build Sinking Funds And Savings Automation
• 18:40 Reset Retirement: 401k And Roth IRA
• 20:55 Mindset, Spending Rules, And Automation
• 23:04 The Checklist And Closing CTA

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 2:02

Welcome back to the Midlife Glow Gatter podcast where we glow up every part of our lives in our 40s, 50s, and beyond with intention and structure. I'm Jax, and today's episode is a special one. I'm walking you through my full 2026 money reset plan. This is the exact process I'm using to get financially grounded, organized, and wealthy in a way that feels doable and sustainable for real midlife women with real responsibilities. If you're craving clarity, control, and financial peace heading into the new year, this episode is your blueprint. So we'll get started. So first let's ask ourselves why a money reset matters in midlife. Well, money is the backbone of every glow up. I mean, you need money to pay for a gym membership, to buy books if you were reading for your glow up, to buy clothing, skincare, maybe a walking pad at home, or dumbbells, or an exercise class. So you need money for your glow up. And midlife brings also new priorities: stability, health, retirement, travel, and peace. You have new goals in midlife and you need money to accomplish them. A reset is not starting over, it is taking full ownership. You put yourself in this position, not the circumstance, but your reaction, your decisions. And you deserve a financial life that actually supports the woman you are wanting to become. What who are you becoming? You need a financial, a financial life to set you there, to to progress you there. And resetting your money is not punishment. It's not about deprivation. It's about creating a financial environment that makes you and your goals easier to reach. We're not hustling in circles anymore like we did when we were younger. We're moving deliberately. So first things first, it's time to face the music, the reality. Gather your financial reality. Take some time this week and gather your financial reality. Calculate all your debts. I have two credit card debts, I have an auto loan, and I have a parent plus loan. But calculate all your debts. Your credit, your creditor, your balance, your APR, your minimum amount due, the due date, and the projective payoff if you stick to that minimum amount due. That's eye-opening for sure, and the interest rate. So really face the music and then pull your credit reports. Look at your credit report. Look at your score. Look at your DTI, your debt-to-income ratio. If you don't know what that is, I would chat GPT it. So look at your debts compared to your income and look at the percentage. Review your monthly bills and subscriptions. See what kind of subscriptions you have out there. Review your bills. Tag the your bills. Uh look at your bank statement and tag the essentials, the nice to have, the deletes, and the negotiate. So look over where you're spending on your credit cards and your debit card, your checking account. Where's your money going? This step will feel uncomfortable, but it's one that changes everything and it is needed. You cannot fix what you don't know. And interest doesn't care about your feelings. You know, it's not shameful. It is just eye-opening. You need to know where you are so you can see where you're going and where you want to go. So that is the first thing. Face reality. So now you're going to build your 2026 debt payoff strategy. You're going to decide if you're going to use the avalanche method, the snowball method, or the hybrid method. I'm doing hybrid because my highest interest debts, my two credit cards, are also the lowest balances. So it's a hybrid. And you may or may not be in that situation. You could do the avalanche, which is paying your high interest rate loans or credit cards first, the ones with the highest interest rate. Or you could do the snowball, the lowest balance first. With the snowball, if you start paying the lowest balance, you'll pay more in interest in the long run, but you'll get quicker dopamine hits, better psychological benefits. You know, you'll see that small debt paid off really quick and it'll want you to keep moving and it'll give you psychological benefits. You start with the snowball. Me, it's hybrid because I still haven't paid off my credit card balances. I see them coming down, and they're also the high interest, highest interest rate first, so or highest interest rates. So that's why mine is a hybrid. And then you want to automate your minimum payments. Your minimum payments for your credit cards and loans all automate those minimums. A lot of times these institutions select the date that you have to do the auto pay, and they usually select it right before the due date. So they collect the most amount of interest. They have it all mapped out, trust me. So you have to you have to roll with it. And then create a debt, extra debt payment strategy. I have a savings account with buckets, and in one of my buckets is my debt payoff account. And I stash extra funds every two weeks in that account to apply to my debt once a month. Those are the extra principal payments. So I don't spend the money. I don't buy something from Amazon because I miscalculated, and that was for my extra principal payment on my credit card. So I store it in an account and then determine what you're gonna spend extra a month. You know, maybe it's 50 bucks extra a month or even 10 bucks extra a month, what you can afford. Maybe it's 150. Kind of calculate and foresee what you're gonna pay extra on the principal. So debt payoff works when it's both emotional and mathematical. Quick wins fuel you, automation sustains you. So automate, project, have a plan for your debt. All these credit card companies have plans. You need a plan to tackle them and to overcome this debt. So have a plan. So your debt payoff strategy, that's what that's what you have to do next. Now it is time to slash your expenses like a CEO. You want to check random subscriptions, delivery fees. Scroll through your target runs. You know, it can ruin lives, the target runs, the amount you spend. Amazon spending as well, because it's so easy to spend. Reduce your insurance, your phone, your internet, your groceries. My phone is pretty reasonable. I'm with my family on a family plan and we pay our portions. It's probably the best way we can we we can tackle that payment as a family. It is lower than doing it individually. My internet, we have very high-speed internet at home. I'm gonna look into the Starlink. They have a new system. I don't know if it's if it's still good, the the internet and what the fees are. So I'm gonna look into that. But my internet is pretty expensive, but we we live off it. Groceries, I have gotten down to a science. I do use curbside, and so that just saves me time in my situation, being, you know, taking care of my parents, working full-time, trying to handle this online brand business and maintaining a home and still having my sanity. I I use curbside. And also it's easier on the pocketbook. I know what I spend every week. I see before I actually get the groceries, and I could cut if I need to, if I'm over budget. And it also prohibits temptation, you know, going into the store, buying chocolate brownies that I don't need because they just look so good. I don't see that when I don't go in the store. But my insurance, my car insurance, I'm gonna re-evaluate in January. Um, I'm gonna see if I could slash that payment because I know it's coming to renew and it probably will go up. They always do. So I'm gonna see if I can get a new car insurance company. And then also reorganize your three-bucket budget, your essentials, your savings and retirement, and your fund spending. My essentials right now are 40%. My savings and retirement are 40%, and my fund spending is 20%. Do I really need that fund spending 20%? Probably not, but it keeps me sane. But I'm gonna reevaluate it, and you need to reevaluate yours. Maybe you have mostly going to essentials, and in the next section, we'll tackle how to balance that out. But this isn't about deprivation. This is about designing a life where your money reflects your priorities, not your impulses. So slash expenses, like you can't, like you know, like you have to in in certain situations. Delivery fees also may be outrageous. Door dash fees. Do you really need a door dash? We did door dash on Saturday. Weather was super bad. We gave them a really good tip, and we didn't want to go out in the snow because weather was bad, and they want to make extra money, and we we really compensated them for a tip. And that was also a Costco delivery I got sent to my home. I was working and I couldn't make it to Costco. Plus, it's a mad house on Saturdays, so I had a Costco delivery to my house and I gave them a very good tip. But did I really need to do that? Could I have gone on Friday evening when the weather was better, or Sunday when the weather was better? Possibly. So that's something I have to re-evaluate, and maybe you do as well. So slash expenses like a CEO. So next is increase your income on purpose. You need to have a plan to increase your income. You can't just slash expenses your whole life. You need to increase your income. Ask for that raise. Ask for that bonus. I had a meeting with my manager and I discussed all the extra things I took on this year and my progression. And I asked her if my raise and my bonus were gonna be better this year than last year. And she said is it is expected. I have improved since last year. So I did confirm with her. So ask for that raise, ask for that bonus. Approach it method methodically, you know, have a plan, have side income, glowgetter coaching, digital products, affiliate income, like I'm doing. I haven't really monetized significantly. I do have a plan to start a free coaching program in spring 2026 that'll get my feet wet to eventually charge for coaching. So I do have a long-term plan to increase my income, and you should as well. Don't just sit there flopping around, you know, making your income and not thinking about the future. You need to grow your income. Also, maybe you could do freelance services. Maybe you're the the work you're in, you could do some freelance on the side. Explore that, look online, see if there's different apps, different sub different companies where you can advertise your freelance services with the area that your expertise sell unused items. I I tried that maybe about four years ago, three years ago, and it worked out. I I sold a camera that I hadn't used for like three years. I sold some other items, but you could sell items you no longer use. You could also try to get weekend or seasonal work. I know it's a little late in the game to get Christmas seasonal work. I almost did that with Target. I got an offer, but I did not take the job because it would have put strain on my back. And I do have slight back issues. So I did not take the job that way. And I was very honest with them. I told them that was a reason why I wasn't taking the position. And they appreciated me being forthright and honest up front. So, but you can get spring seasonal work, maybe weekend seasonal work. So look into getting maybe a part-time job when I was really chugging down and paying down debt. I got a part-time remote job, and I was evaluating social media ads from my phone and laptop and making good hourly income. And I did it mornings and evenings and weekends when I had availability. So you could look in getting a part-time job remote even from your phone, from your computer, from your laptop. So look into increasing your income. That is huge when you're when you're trying to pay off debt and get your finances in order. That is extra money you can pull to apply towards a debt, apply to savings, and you know, improve your financial future. So increase your income. Next is design your 2026 savings system. Decide on how much is going into your sinking funds, your savings accounts. I have a savings account with buckets, and they are one is an emergency bucket, one is for travel, one is for car repair, one is my glow-up fund budget bucket, one is my debt payoff bucket, one is my future uh short-term rental purchase budget, so or bucket. So I have buckets for different purposes and they have different balances. So have your sinking funds set up and then set up auto saves. Um, have the funds either coming directly from your employer into that savings account or have it coming from your checking account the next day after your funds hit from your paycheck. That's what I do. I don't spread my accounts with employer and stuff like that. I have one deposit into my checking, and that next day after the deposit, it comes out and goes into my sinking funds and it's automated. So automate the transfers right after payday so you don't spend the money. And then every month I evaluate what I have left over to put extra on top of my debt, as I mentioned earlier, but also extra to put into my sinking funds. What do I have left over? Can I put some extra funds in these buckets, these savings buckets? So saving money is not optional anymore, it is self-respect. You need to save. If you can't save, you need to increase your income as soon as possible so you can save. You need an emergency fund. Things happen. You don't want to ring up that credit card again. You don't want to do payday loans, you want a savings. So have a saving system for 2026. Whatever you can do, slash expenses, increase income so you can save. It's vital. Next is review your retirement, and it's a retirement reset. Review the 401k if you have one. Look at your allocations. Look uh, maybe you have to reallocate. Maybe you can't be so you need to be more conservative with your allocations. And then if you have one like I do, your your Roth IRA, review your ETS and index funds, look at how they've progressed, research on Gemini, maybe reallocate different funds for next year. Do your research, see what's growing, see what the what's predicted, set your contribution targets for 2026, increase your deductions from payroll into your 401k and automate to the Roth IRA. This is something I will not tackle till the end of January when I get my raise. Many times when I get a raise, I take that increase and allocate it towards my 401k. So review your deductions. If you don't have a Roth IRA, you need to open one if you can. Even minimal automate, a minimal automated deposits into your Roth IRA. Research index funds and exchange traded funds, ETFs, those are what I invest into. Remember, midlife is when retirement stops feeling theoretical and it starts feeling like a deadline. We need to prepare now so our future can't breathe when we retire. You don't want to, you're not gonna be able to, and you're not gonna want to work when you're 75 years old, unless you're doing some sort of self-employment, some sort of side gig. But really the hustle is is when you're younger and still, you know, in midlife. This is where you're hustling to live free and have freedom when you're older. And you need to take that seriously. So if you can't put many money towards retirement because things are too tight, then you need to slash expenses and increase your income. No matter how you do it, you have to do it. But retirement reset is next. Review your 401k and your Roth IRA if you have one. Next is have your money mindset ready and your spending controls for 2026. A daily five-minute check-in every morning when you wake up. Check that bank account, see where you spent the day before, have a check-in with yourself, face reality, and then have no spend weekdays or weekends. You know, days where you don't spend anything, nothing, not even a dime. Have the 48-hour rule before you buy something on Amazon. Wait 48 hours, have a wish list on your notes app when you really want something added to the wish list. Revisit, revisit that wish list every two weeks when you get paid or every month to see if you still want that item and if you can swing it. Can you afford it? So have a wish list. Mindset is how we stop sabotaging ourselves, structure is how we stay consistent. So have a new money mindset and spending controls for 2026 in place. So there's no questioning it. Finally, I'm just going to stress that you need to automate everything. You know, we're older, we're in pet paremenopause or menopause. We could be forgetful, we could be overwhelmed to still taking care of our kids, still taking, you know, trying to take care of our olderly parents working full time. We have a full load. You need to automate so you don't forget, so you don't get hit with that late charge and you don't get hit on your credit report. Automate bills, rent or mortgage, debt payments, saving transfers, IRA for wake contributions, monthly reminders. Automate your monthly reminders. Automation is here how how grown women win. Willpower is cute, but systems are powerful. So automate, automate, automate. So this is your 2026 money reset checklist, debt list, payoff strategy, reworked budget, income goals, savings buckets, automated transfers, retirement contributions, bills reshopped, organized accounts. Daily weekly money rituals, wishless spending system, automated debt payments, end of month review, and need to activate this for January 1st. This is your whole money glow up for 2026. Simple, clear, and life-changing. So if you're resetting your money for 2026, you're not alone. I'm doing it right alongside you. And I will link my PDF full money reset 2026 plan in the show notes so you can print it and follow along, and step by step you can do it as well, or at least it will give you some insight of how to do your own money reset for this coming year. This year we build wealth, clarity, confidence, and peace. This is the year we become financially unbothered. So thank you for listening. Um, hopefully, I'll see you next episode. If this helped you in any any way, if you enjoyed this podcast, this episode, leave a review. It helps other women like you, like me, find us. But I hope you guys have a great week ahead. Thanks for listening, and I will check in next week. Love Jax.