Don't Depend On Daddy

On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares 5 tips on how to start embracing winter and romanticizing this slower period of the year. The winter season is the perfect time to slow down and use this extra space to REBRAND your life and actually implement the intentions you set at the top of the year. So if you are hoping to avoid the winter blues and enter the spring and summer seasons feeling REFRESHE...

This year, my goal is to shop more intentionally. A major theme of this is to begin purchasing clothing made of natural materials, and slowly phase out the synthetic clothing in my closet. Natural materials wear better, they look better, they last longer, and are an overall better ROI on your clothing spend. However, it can feel like a daunting task to navigate shopping for natural materials in a...

My spending theme in 2025 is to buy and consume LESS. The process of moving was so jarring to me, and it made me realize how much *stuff* I have.. And how much I don’t use. The conversation around consumption has been at the forefront of social media over the last few months. Underconsumption, project pan, and using what we have is going to carry us at least through Q1, but hopefully turns from “t...

Happy New Year! A fresh year means a fresh start and taking advantage of all the motivation you have to uplevel your life. In this episode, Michela is sharing 3 tips each to enhance your money, career, productivity, and appearance. From taking a softer approach to your finances, exploring side quests and building community, using AI to uplevel your productivity systems, and taking the extra 10 min...

It’s time to address the ins & outs for 2025! In this episode, Michela is talking spending themes, new years intentions, trends, products, content and more. I’d love to hear your ins & outs for 2025! TIME STAMPS:  State of the Union Starts at 5:15 Break Your Budget Links: 💸 The Ultimate Financial Reset Masterclass: https://breakyourbudget.com/year-end-masterclass 💸 Personal Finance Dashb...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares her top 9 purchases from 2024! The spending theme of this year was “buy less and buy better” and these purchases are reflective of being super intentional about each and every purchase. She shares her 3 favorite purchases/products within 3 main categories: under $50, under $100, and over $200. She also shares some honorable mentions of products she loves but...

TIME STAMPS:  Q+A Starts at: 3:57 Personal Questions: 4:20 Career Questions: 16:20 Money Questions: 36:45 On this episode of DDOD, Michela is answering your burning questions! She starts off with the personal section, focused on closing loose ends related to her move from LA to Chicago. Then she pivots into the career questions to discuss what to do if you are unemployed for an extended period of...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares 5 realistic money milestones to work towards throughout your 20s. She shares real ages in order to create a point of comparison, but remember that personal finance is personal and this timeline does not work for everyone. She covers saving an emergency fund, building strong credit, investing for retirement, increasing your income, and investing beyond retire...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela share 10 habits and rules she implements to consume LESS. In an era of overconsumption, learning how to control your spending and implementing small tactics to help stay in control of your money is essential. From the 48 hour rule ot developing hobbies, if you’re looking to SPEND LESS in 2025, this is for you.

On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares her in-depth financial journey throughout her 20s. From graduating college and having no clue what to do financially, to taking a pay cut, learning by doing, starting a side hustle, and ultimately building a 7-figure business. Michela has experienced a lot during her 20s and shares all the details in this episode, year by year! Personal Finance Dashboard: ht...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela is joined by Lillian Zhang, a San Francisco Bay Area based creator and product marketing manager in the tech industry who is an alumna of UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. She's passionate about sharing financial literacy and career education content for her primarily Gen Z audience. We chat about her college-to-corporate journey, her experience working in tec...

In this episode of DDOD, Michela share her top 5 best financial decisions from her 20s. These are the decisions she’s made that have had a major impact on her ability to grow wealth, from starting a side hustle, buying a car in cash, taking a pay cut and more.  OWN YOUR CAREER:  https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book Own Your Career Template: https://breakyourbudget.com/own-your-career-template FREE...

In this episode of DDOD, Michela share 5 tips to *actually get something* out of your year-end performance review. These are important career conversations, so rather than simply checking the box, learn how to OWN your relationship with your manager and control the narrative of the conversation so you can position yourself to excel in the next year.  OWN YOUR CAREER:  https://breakyourbudget.com/o...

In this episode of DDOD, Michela divses into the five most important steps to take if you get laid off. From processing the emotional impact to reassessing your career goals and updating your professional brand, this episode will guide you through each step with practical advice. Tune in to learn how to turn an unexpected setback into an opportunity for growth and a brighter career future! OWN YOU...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela sat down with Courtney Johnson, a personal brand expert and content creator based in Austin, TX. In this conversation, you learn all about personal branding, how to start a personal brand, social media strategies and tips, and so much more. If you’re ready to take your career to the next level and open yourself up to new opportunities, this is for you! COURNTEY’S L...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares her top 10 intentional splurges she has made in the last few years. These items are her most used products/items/etc that she has intentionally researched, planned for, and purchased. They span all price ranges, starting at $45 to $700.  Links to everything I shared: https://shopmy.us/breakyourbudget/shelves GET RAKUTEN: https://www.rakuten.com/r/MICHEL15667...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares how you can start saving and budgeting for the holidays! Learn quick tips to plan your holiday budget, who you’ll buy for, map out expenses, and shop intentionally.  GET RAKUTEN: https://www.rakuten.com/r/MICHEL156676?eeid=28187 OWN YOUR CAREER:  https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book FREE FINANCIAL PLAN CRASH COURSE: https://breakyourbudget.myflodesk.com/rojm...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela breaks down the 5 things you need to do to get started on (or refresh) your financial journey. This is a back-to-basics episode where the foundations of financial literacy are discussed at length, including budgeting, account frameworks, setting goals, money tools, and financial routines. OWN YOUR CAREER:  https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book FREE FINANCIAL PLAN CR...

OWN YOUR CAREER: https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book FREE FINANCIAL PLAN CRASH COURSE: https://breakyourbudget.myflodesk.com/rojmq2zecg Personal Finance Dashboard: https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard All Other Resources: www.breakyourbudget.com/links Birks I got: https://www.birkenstock.com/us/-boston-soft-footbed-suede-leather/boston-suede2-suedeleather-softfootbed-eva-u_2215....

On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares 10 micro habits that might be keeping you broke. All of these micro habits are things you could be doing that are sabotaging your money. The best part is that they are all easily adjusted or changed, and don’t require getting a new job or increasing your salary. Do you do any of these? Leave a comment to let her know! OWN YOUR CAREER: https://breakyourbudget...

On this episode of DDOD, Michela discusses a game plan to take advantage of the September Surge! The September Surge is a period after the summer but before the holiday season where recruiters and companies are the most focused on filling positions. She discusses how to give your public facing profiles a facelift, up your networking game, and put together a job application strategy. If you are loo...

OWN YOUR CAREER: https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book FREE FINANCIAL PLAN CRASH COURSE: https://breakyourbudget.myflodesk.com/rojmq2zecg Personal Finance Dashboard: https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard All Other Resources: www.breakyourbudget.com/links On this episode of DDOD, Michela answers your money/career/life questions! From how to stop impulse spending to optimizing your t...

(sorry the audio on this is a tad weird!) OWN YOUR CAREER: https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book FREE FINANCIAL PLAN CRASH COURSE: https://breakyourbudget.myflodesk.com/rojmq2zecg Personal Finance Dashboard: https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard All Other Resources: www.breakyourbudget.com/links On this episode of DDOD, Michela does a deep dive on credit cards! She covers what fact...

HYSA vs. CD Article: https://www.ally.com/stories/save/cd-vs-savings-account/ OWN YOUR CAREER: https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book FREE FINANCIAL PLAN CRASH COURSE: https://breakyourbudget.myflodesk.com/rojmq2zecg Personal Finance Dashboard: https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard All Other Resources: www.breakyourbudget.com/links On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares 5 tips to n...

OWN YOUR CAREER: https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book FREE FINANCIAL PLAN CRASH COURSE: https://breakyourbudget.myflodesk.com/rojmq2zecg Personal Finance Dashboard: https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard All Other Resources: www.breakyourbudget.com/links On this episode of DDOD, Michela shares 5 steps to get your spark back if you are feeling in a funk! From focusing on your routin...