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Guiding Shaela and Hayden Toward Financial Independence

November 19, 2025 My financial journey didn’t begin in June when I joined Project Money—it started years before. But in the last six months, something has shifted. What was once a slow, uncertain process has grown into true financial freedom. Not freedom in the sense of being able to buy anything I want or having millions in the bank, but a deeper, more meaningful freedom: the confidence that I am in control of my finances. I know that the goals I set are within reach, and I know that my family and I are going to be financially okay.I don’t want Shaela and Hayden to wait until they are almost 50 to feel this way. I want them to start earlier. I want them to start now. And here is how I hope to support them:
  • Continue to talk openly and honestly about money.
  • Encourage them to create financial goals and make a plan to reach them.
  • Start a Roth IRA for both of them as soon as possible. We’ll decide together how much they can contribute each year, and I will match their commitment.
  • Guide them toward smart financial decisions, while still allowing them to make their own choices. (Don’t spend money you don’t have, avoid chasing instant gratification, and so on.)
  • Celebrate our wins along the way.
With just over a month left in my Project Money journey, this feels like the perfect moment to reflect on the goals I set at the beginning. One of my biggest hopes was that others, especially my children, would learn from my experience. It would mean the world to me if Shaela and Hayden see how hard I have worked and truly hear me as I try to guide them toward their own financial freedom.

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