What we’re about
Welcome to the Northampton Personal Finance Meetup Group!
Have you ever thought, "Hmmm, I wonder if I should pay off my Chase credit card before my Discover card?" Or maybe wondered how to ask for a raise because you deserve more. Or perhaps frustratingly pondered why it feels like you can’t get ahead. Or maybe you’re wondering what you should do with your extra, disposable income (this is a nice problem to have, isn’t it?). Or "How exactly does investing work?!"
Well, if any of those questions have ever come up for you, you should join this group! We are interested in exploring and sharing knowledge about all things personal finance, so that we can all better understand and manage our money in alignment with our values. Personal finance and money management isn’t something we are often taught, and yet it is so crucial to living a happy, fruitful, and enjoyable life!
Dianna and Nikki, your Meetup organizers, have thought about topics, and here are a few we want to discuss (and VERY MUCH want to know what you want to discuss):
- Money Mindset
- Values and Budgeting
- Spending Awareness
- Consumerism
- Saving Strategies
- Debt Elimination Strategies
- Retirement Awareness
- Investing Education
- How to ask for and negotiate raises
This group is an inclusive space for members of diverse groups. Our members identify as allies and/or members of diverse communities including LGBTQIA, Jewish, BIPOC, and those with disabilities. We also want to stress that this is a completely judgment free space, both when it comes to how and who you identify as, as well as where you are at in your financial journey. It doesn’t matter if you have a negative net worth or positive, we want you to be part of our group. Shame does not have a space in this group!
To be clear, the hosts are not offering financial and investment advice, services, or soliciting business. The two of us made a connection over our shared interest in how we found peace and wellness in our finances and making our money work for us, and enjoy talking through our thoughts. We want you to be part of it, too! There is strength in diversity.
About the co-hosts
Dianna - I came to appreciate personal finance later in life (like not until age 40) and can attest that it’s better late than never! The first couple decades of my adulthood, I was saddled with debt and spent many years living paycheck-to-paycheck. It felt like I just had enough to survive so budgeting seemed pointless, why would I put effort toward limiting myself further by budgeting what little money I had? It’s not rational, I know, but our personal relationships with money are rarely rational. I was surprised to realize that managing money is not confining or scary, but is actually quite liberating. And the biggest part of finding my way to financial wellness was exploring and sharing ideas with others. It can be scary talking about money - it’s personal, gets to the heart of what we value in life, and is downright philosophical. And for me, getting a grip on my relationship with money and finances was immensely empowering. I look forward to sharing what has worked for me and having a shared safe space that we can all explore and share our ideas.
Nikki - Like Dianna, I came to personal finance later in life. I was severely in debt, and unclear where my money went every month. After a manager at a start-up told me I should start investing in the company’s 401(k) (I had no clue what that was), I started to get serious about personal finance. Eventually, all that education led me to working as CTO of a financial start-up in New York City, where I saw so many varied financial situations. Taking control of my finances and being deliberate with where and how I spend my money has made all the difference in my adult life. Can’t wait to share my story and hear yours! I mean, if you want to share ;)
