The September Money Reset

A fresh season is a good excuse to take a fresh look at your money.

Sunshine and Savings, Issue No. 1

There’s something about September that feels like January to me.

Maybe it’s the kids going back to school. The return to our family’s regular routines. The first hints of fall. Or maybe it’s just that after a busy summer of vacations, cookouts, and fun-filled chaos (but chaos nonetheless), I’m ready for a reset.

And after a summer filled with travel and activities, my money could use a reset, too.

If your bank account is looking a little worse for wear after summer, you’re in good company.

Wherever you landed, there’s no sense beating yourself up over it. September isn’t about regretting what you spent. It’s about looking at where you are now and making a plan for what comes next.

Did I spend perfectly this summer? Absolutely not. Even as a money expert, I am human. I could have stuck to my budget a little better and probably made fewer coffee and bookstore runs. But where’s the fun in that?

Besides, a money reset isn’t about punishing yourself for every latte you bought or shopping trip you made. It’s about figuring out where you stand now, what you want to accomplish next, and making a plan that actually fits your life.

So that’s exactly what I’m doing this September.

Start with where you are

For me, the first part of any reset is getting an accurate picture of where I am right now.

When it comes to money, I want to know what’s working, where I’ve gotten a little off track, and what I might want to change moving forward. I get those answers by looking at my recent spending and savings.

You might be happy with what you find. Or you might be like me and spot a few places where you want to make changes. Either way, now you have a clearer picture of where you are and can start making a plan for the rest of the year.

Keep in mind that some of what you find may be hard to look at, especially if money is already tight or you’ve been overspending. But there’s power in knowing exactly where you stand, and the point isn’t to beat yourself up about past mistakes. Shame only keeps you stuck longer. Once you have the full picture in front of you, you have real information to work with. That’s a starting point for figuring out what comes next, even if you need to get there one small step at a time.

Look ahead

Once I know where I am, I can start thinking about where my money needs to go next.

For my family, the last few months of the year can get expensive fast. We’ve got birthdays, school activities, fall break (my favorite), Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, my actual favorite holiday is only 113 days away. That’s just 15 Fridays between now and Christmas Day for anyone counting pay periods or shopping weekends. Not to alarm anyone.

I already know most of these expenses are coming, so there’s no reason for them to surprise my budget. That’s why part of my September reset is looking ahead and figuring out what I need to start setting aside now.

Of course, I can’t plan for every unexpected expense. That’s why I have an emergency fund, too. But the more I prepare for the expenses I can anticipate, the more breathing room I’ll have when something unplanned inevitably pops up. (Hello, obscure spirit week note from the school mid-December: “Please dress your child for Grinch Goes to Hawaii Day this Friday.” Cue frantic last-minute Amazon ordering from me.)

For your own September reset, take a look at your calendar through the end of the year. What expenses can you see coming now that would be easier to handle if you started preparing for them today?

If you want a little help, I’ve got free printable savings trackers and planning worksheets in my CreditWriter resource library. You can print them out and stick them on your fridge to keep your goals front and center. Sunshine and Savings subscribers get free access.

My goals for the rest of the year

I’m doing this exercise right along with you. When I look at the rest of 2026, I have a few goals I’d like to make progress toward.

Paying down debt is high on my list, along with preparing for a debt-free Christmas. I also plan to increase our retirement savings and reassess where we’ve invested our money.

The goals I’m most excited about, though, have little to do with the numbers themselves. I want to travel with my kids more while they’re still young enough to want to travel with me. I’m also trying to free up more space in my schedule for fiction writing.

Putting all of this down on paper helps me decide where I want to put my money, time, and attention over the next few months.

Turn your goals into a plan

Now it’s your turn. Look at the rest of the year and write down what you’d like to accomplish. Then go back to the financial picture you just put together and start figuring out how to connect the two.

• 🏷️ Put a price tag on it. If your goal costs money, figure out roughly how much you’ll need and when you’ll need it.
• 🧩 Break it down. Divide that amount by the months, weeks, or paychecks you have before you’ll need the money.
• 🔀 Redirect where you can. Go back to the spending you reviewed earlier. Is there any money you’d rather put toward one of your goals?
• ⚡️ Make the easy moves now. Set up an automatic transfer, increase a retirement contribution, or make an extra payment toward debt.
• 🌱 Give yourself time. Not every goal needs to be finished by December 31. Decide what progress you want to make before then and start there.

January gets all the attention when it comes to fresh starts, but I’ve never believed we need to wait for a new year to change direction. In this season of my life, September feels like a pretty good time to begin again.

The good stuff

If you know me in real life, you know I’m always researching, comparing prices, digging into the fine print, or figuring out how to get more for our money. I’ve spent more than 20 years researching and writing about credit and personal finance professionally, but my research brain doesn’t exactly clock out at the end of the workday. I’m usually the friend or family member people call with questions about money, credit, and travel.

I’m also the mom dropping coupon codes in the team Facebook group when I find a way to save everyone a few bucks on required sports gear. I’ve helped people make credit decisions that could save them tens of thousands of dollars in interest. And I’ve figured out how to take my own family of five on countless almost-free vacations using points and miles.

I love finding ways to make money work harder, and I love sharing what I learn.

That’s what The Good Stuff is all about.

Each week, I’ll share one of those tips with you here. It might save you a few dollars today, help you make a smarter credit decision, or inspire your next trip. I’ll also drop in timely deals and finds when they’re worth sharing.

Want MORE of The Good Stuff? Sunshine and Savings subscribers get extra money, credit, and travel tips delivered straight to their inbox, plus free access to my growing CreditWriter resource library.

Michelle’s money tip: Get your books and audiobooks for free

If you’re like me, you can blow through a book pretty quickly. Between regular books and audiobooks, that habit can get expensive.

Before you buy your next book, check Libby. The free app connects to participating public libraries and lets you borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines with your library card. If you have an e-reader, it gets even better: eligible Libby ebooks can be sent to a Kindle in the U.S.

Let’s put some numbers on it. If you buy two $18 books or audiobooks a month, that’s $36 a month or $432 a year. Borrow those same titles instead and that’s $432 you could keep in your pocket.

A few Libby tricks I’ve learned:

• 📱 Start with your library card. Download Libby, find your local library, and plug in your card. That’s pretty much it.
• 🔎 Check Libby before you buy. I still buy plenty of books I want to own, but for books I’ll probably read once? I check Libby first. If there’s a wait, I put myself on the list.
• 🪪 Don’t stop at one library card. If you qualify for cards from more than one library, add them all. One library may have a book available while another has a six-week wait.
• 📖 Got a Kindle? Even better. Many Libby ebooks can be sent right to your Kindle, so you can borrow a book without changing how you normally read.
• 🎧 Traveling? Download before you go. I love having a book or audiobook already waiting on my phone before a flight or road trip.

I still buy books I want to own (my bookstore habit isn’t going anywhere), but I use Libby all the time for books and audiobooks I’d otherwise buy once and never touch again. Those $15, $20, and $30 purchases add up surprisingly fast.

Spread the sunshine

Know someone who could use something BRIGHT in their inbox? Send this issue their way. Maybe they’re a fellow book lover, always looking for a smart way to save, or the person who texts you when they find a great travel deal. If you think they’d feel at home here, spread the sunshine and invite them along. ☀️

P.S. A week is a long time to wait! Come hang out with me on Instagram (@creditwriter) and TikTok (@credit.writer) between issues.