Stories – The Beans

Stories

Money + Life Balance

Master your money so you can do what you love without a second thought.

She Asked ChatGPT to Plan Her Debt Payoff. It Forgot One Thing: Her.

Learn how a member of The Beans combined ChatGPT and real people with financial insights to help pay off her debt. … Read More

July 14, 2026

The SAVE Plan Is Gone: Here’s What To Do to Protect Your PSLF

Your SAVE Plan may have ended, but Public Service Loan Forgiveness is active. … Read More

June 16, 2026

Make Progress: Savings Edition

Savings secured a spot in our three principles of money + life balance because of its great financial, emotional, and behavioral benefits. … Read More

March 1, 2026

Friends with Money: Money and Relationships

How do your “people” influence your spending habits? We’re talking about your community, your circle, your friends, your family. Maybe you don’t think they influence you at all, but research says that’s unlikely. We are social beings, and we tend to match the habits of others in our circles, whether we like it (or realize it) or not. … Read More

February 1, 2026

It’s a new year. You have plans. Does your money?

Let’s make 2026 the year you experience more joy and less stress by having a cash flow plan that works for you. … Read More

January 1, 2026

Align Your Spending with What Matters Most This Holiday Season

The holiday season should be about joy, not stress, right? Whatever your traditions, the key to a fulfilling holiday season lies in aligning your spending with what truly brings you joy. … Read More

December 1, 2025

Build Generational Wealth

We often think of the next generations as our own children; however, it can also include our extended family, our neighborhoods, causes or organizations we care about, or even the culture we come from. The decisions we make today to grow our wealth have an impact on those who come after us. This is the concept of generational wealth. … Read More

November 1, 2025

Success Tips for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

PSLF was created to relieve some of the burdens of student loans for those employed in public service professions, such as those who work in education, healthcare, non-profit, and government jobs, for example. … Read More

September 15, 2025

Plan for a Secure and Joyful Retirement

Building a secure and joyful retirement takes a bit of planning, consistent saving, and making choices that align with your values, now and in the future. … Read More

August 1, 2025

Money Notes: From Scarcity to Empowerment

Jaki’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience and the willingness to learn and grow. … Read More

February 1, 2025

Money Notes: From Responsibility to Resilience

While money wasn’t a source of concern during her childhood, everything changed in high school for Barby when she took on responsibility for household bills. … Read More

January 1, 2025

Balancing Generosity and Progress This Holiday Season

You may feel the weight of wanting to be generous while also trying to stick to financial goals, or the pressure of a growing credit card balance. So how do we gift without regret? … Read More

December 1, 2024

Myth Busting: 3 Common Myths about Savings and Paying off Debt

In this blog, we will break down some of the most common myths so you can stress less and enjoy your money more. … Read More

October 1, 2024

Embrace Change

Whether you’re trying to build up your Essential Savings or trying to pay down debt, understanding the different stages you go through when implementing change will benefit you and your Plan. … Read More

September 3, 2024

Your Map to Financial Balance in 3 Simple Steps

We share our three principles for finding money + life balance as a Caring Professional. … Read More

August 1, 2024

Navigating Debt and Savings: How one healthcare professional is moving closer to homeownership

Understanding what money is coming in and what is tied up in commitments to others is the foundation of your Plan. … Read More

July 1, 2024

Maximize Your Summer Money Mindset With 3 Simple Steps

Whether you are an educator looking to stretch your income over the next couple of months or juggling fluctuating income for a short period, how can you embrace a summer money mindset to enjoy the season and set yourself up for success in the fall? … Read More

June 1, 2024

Navigating Debt: 3 proven practices for Caring Professionals

For those of us tackling card debt, the sheer number of recommendations can be overwhelming. Where to start? What to do? … Read More

April 1, 2024

How to Build Your Plan When You Have Debt and Savings

Balancing debt and savings can feel like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time – tricky, but totally doable. … Read More

March 1, 2024

Make Progress when Relationships + Money Mix

It’s time to throw away what you have been told: relationships and money do mix. Let us show you how your relationships can promote your financial progress. … Read More

February 1, 2024

Cultivate More Joy and Less Stress this Holiday Season

“I hadn’t really thought about (planning) for my holidays and giving myself a limit. I do have an insanely large family, so many of us. And I always like to give to my family.” -Valentina … Read More

December 1, 2023

Money Made Simple

“I’m trying to be a better steward of where my money goes and putting a name to every dollar. “- Ayauna … Read More

November 1, 2023

Discovering Your Joy: Investing in Happiness Yields Infinite Value

“It’s hard because all I can really think about right now is the first year of teaching,” Bekah, a first-year teacher and Beans user. … Read More

October 1, 2023

Automate Your Way to Financial Progress

Automation makes our lives easier in so many ways. We automate our meeting invites, our prescription refills, our Netflix subscription! Automation is also a powerful tool for our financial wellness. … Read More

September 1, 2023

This Teacher Built Savings, Paid Off Debt, and is on to the Next Goal

Kiandra used The Beans’ 3 Principles to build her Essential Savings and pay off debt. Here’s how she did it and how she’s going to use the 3 Principles again. … Read More

August 1, 2023

Building a Savings and Debt Payoff Plan

The first step is to know where your money is going. Take a look at what you are paying monthly. There are fixed expenses like rent and utilities and then there are flexible expenses like groceries and a new pair of shoes. … Read More

July 1, 2023

Summer Dreaming? 3 Steps to Enjoy the Summer Fun and Make Financial Progress

Regardless of how you plan on spending your long summer days- fun and financial progress do coexist! So how do you set yourself up for success this summer? Answer these three questions and then dust off those flip flops. … Read More

June 1, 2023

Growth Requires Change: Moving Through the 6 Stages of Behavior Change

Behavior change is not always easy, and it takes a little time, but knowing the stages of behavior change will make the process more successful and more fun. … Read More

May 1, 2023

Unlock Your Saving Superpower

Savings plays a foundational role in financial progress. … Read More

April 1, 2023

A Plan for Financial Balance that’s within Reach

There’s one strength we all must master to achieve success in the other areas of our lives, and that strength is financial balance. … Read More

March 10, 2023

This Valentine’s Day, go on a Money Date

With your friends, lover(s), or random strangers … Read More

February 1, 2023

Love + Money

Be fearless, your people can lift you up … Read More

February 1, 2023

The Secret to Getting What You Want in 2023

It’s that time of year. Friends, family, coworkers, the barista at Starbucks, everyone wants to know: “What are your New Year’s Resolutions?” Whether you fanatically set them or avoid resolutions like the plague, this is the time of year when goals are top of mind. … Read More

January 1, 2023