In this week’s Tuesday Tip video, we discuss how money is a tool—not your identity. Give it a clear job and follow 3 small steps for 12 weeks to calm cash flow. Watch now and set a simple weekly rhythm. Please watch the video below, or read the transcript that follows, to learn more.
In plain English: money is a tool—not a grade, not your identity, not a scoreboard. It’s a tool you can use, so life starts feeling lighter as soon as this week.
I’m Phil Weiss. I work with women navigating new beginnings, especially those experiencing divorce, widowhood, or an empty nest. As the seasons of our lives shift, money can start to feel like a source of pressure. Today, I will share one simple approach and three tiny moves you can make on a busy Tuesday to help you address this problem.
I recently heard Carl Richards speak about his new book, Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches. He reminded us that money can represent many things in our lives—a tool, a temptation, a distraction, a path to independence. Our job is to choose the role that serves in our lives right now.
Money as a tool + TEAM
Here’s how I think about it: if money is a tool, ask, “What job do I want money to do at this time?”
You can use the TEAM lens—Time, Energy, Attention, Money—to help.
- Time: Where is money buying back time—or stealing it?
- Energy: What spending gives energy vs. drains it?
- Attention: Are you getting weekly clarity—or confusion?
- Money: Are dollars flowing to what matters—or drifting to habit?
Question for you:
What jobs have you already given to money, whether on purpose or by accident?
Has money become a safety blanket? A status symbol? A stress reducer? Pure convenience?
If a job isn’t serving you, you can reassign it—today.
Three small steps (“beats”)
Consider small, scheduled actions you can maintain even during a chaotic week.
- 30-minute money check-in (same time weekly). Review balances, bills, upcoming expenses, and one decision you’ve avoided. You’re building cadence, not perfection.
- Sunday setup (15 minutes). Scan the week’s money moments—groceries, gas, kid activities, co-parenting exchanges, auto-pays—and place one calendar hold for anything unusual.
- The $25 alignment. Each week, move $25 toward what matters most: paying down debt principal, emergency fund, or add to a “joy jar” or separate account for a small, meaningful experience.
If it’s not on your calendar, it’s a wish. Add these to your calendar as recurring items for the next 12 weeks.
Gentle cautions to avoid thinking money is a tool
- Scoreboard trap: Net worth ≠ self-worth.
- Someday trap: Waiting for perfect clarity. Start with one small step.
- Complexity trap: Fancy budgets that collapse under real life. Keep it simple.
Co-parenting? Do a 5-minute calendar conversation on Sundays: exchanges, big costs, who’s handling what. Fewer surprises = calmer cash flow.
Next Steps
Rather than thinking money is a tool, give it a clear job—protect cash flow, buy back two hours a week, or build a small cushion—and let your small steps do the work.
Later this week, I’ll start sharing my interview with Carl Richards, in which we discuss the following topics:
- Real Financial Planning
- Four sources of capital (TEAM)
- One-page financial plans
- Goals or guesses
- Tax planning, not reporting.
I’ll share one of these discussions at a time. The topics are all covered in his new book: Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches. Whether you choose these slides or others in the book, I hope they can help spur more money-related conversations like the one I had with Carl.
If you’d like a calm, clear plan that fits your life, schedule a call and subscribe so you don’t miss my interview with Carl Richards.
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