Sometimes, what we really need to get back on track financially isn’t a complicated financial overhaul. We just need a reset. A moment to breathe, reflect, and realign. That’s where a Money Reset comes in—to help you get clarity and control, quickly and intentionally.

Let’s walk through this together.

Step 1: Reflect on Your Stressors

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7

Before you can get back on track financially, you need to name it. What’s really stressing you out about money right now?

• Is it uncertainty about what bills are due when?
  
• The fear that there’s never quite enough to cover everything?
  
• Guilt about spending… or not saving… or both?
  

Grab a journal, the notes app on your phone, or download the Mini Money Reset Guide. Write down the top 3 things that are weighing on you financially. Name the stress. Be honest.

This first step may feel small, but it’s powerful. Clarity begins with awareness.

Step 2: Examine Your Values

Here’s where it gets good.

Instead of jumping straight into cutting lattes or revamping your budget, let’s slow down and ask a deeper question: What matters most to you?

• Is it generosity?
  
• Providing for your family?
  
• Building a secure future?
  
• Living simply and without debt?
  

These values should guide your financial decisions and help you get back on track financially in a way that aligns with what really matters to you. Not the rest of the world.

We’re not just managing money. We’re stewarding what God’s given us for a purpose.

This is why I teach the FLOW System—a values-based way to organize your money that puts what matters most at the top of your financial flow, not the bottom, all while making tedious tracking irrelevant.

Most people spend first, save second (if anything’s left), then panic about the bills. With FLOW, we flip that script.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

💧 The FLOW Cash Envelope System—Simplify Getting Back on Track Financially

Assign every dollar to one of these four “buckets,” using digital envelopes (separate checking or savings accounts) and percentage-based allocations each payday:

• F – Faith & Freedom: Tithing, giving, and long-term goals
  
• L – Living: Bills, groceries, transportation, essential expenses
  
• O – Opportunities: Sinking funds, savings, debt payoff, investing
  
• W – Wants: Fun money, dining out, entertainment, non-essentials
  

With FLOW, you give every dollar a job—based on your values, not just your bills. This helps you get back on track financially, spend without guilt, save with intention, and give with joy.

Step 3: Review Your Spending

Now that you’ve reflected on your stressors and clarified your values, it’s time for a reality check.

Look back at your last month of spending. Open your bank app or grab a highlighter and go old-school with your statements.

Ask yourself:

• Where did my money actually go?
  
• What spending aligns with my values?
  
• What felt wasteful, unnecessary, or out of control?
  

This isn’t about shaming yourself. It’s about connecting the dots between what you care about and where your money is currently flowing (or getting stuck).

Here’s a super simple trick: Sort your transactions into FLOW categories.
It’ll quickly reveal if your money is working for you—or if it’s just reacting to the chaos of life.

Step 4: Establish a Simple Financial Plan for Getting back on Track

Now that you know your stress points, your values, and your spending habits, you’re ready to sketch out a plan.

Here’s what you don’t need: a 27-tab spreadsheet or a complicated zero-based budget that takes 3-5 business MONTHS to set up.

Here’s what you do need:

• A basic payday rhythm (funding each FLOW category with percentages)
  
• Clear boundaries for each digital envelope
  
• A plan that reflects your values and goals first, then your needs, etc.

This is why a digital envelope system works so beautifully—it creates structure and freedom. You know what’s available for each area of life, and you can say yes (or no) with confidence.

For example:

• 30% → Faith & Freedom (i.e 10% giving and 20% debt pay off or new home fund)
  
• 40% → Living (Bills, food, gas—all the essentials you can’t live without)
  
• 20% → Opportunities (future car purchase, retirement saving, future kids expenses)
  
• 10% → Wants (personal spending, entertainment, lifestyle)
  

These percentages can flex based on your life, but the principle stays: give every dollar a job and every value a place in the plan.

Here’s what this looks like with $5000/month take-home pay: 

• $500 → Giving (10%)
• $1000 → Emergency fund building (20%)
• $2000 → Living (40%)
  • $1150 rent, $150 utilities, $150 phone/internet, $50 insurance, $200 gas, $300 groceries
• $500 Retirement Savings (outside of work) 
• $250 Car Fund 
• $250 Baby Fund
• $500 Personal spending and fun

That’s not a bad way to do life if you ask me! Depending on your values, goals, unique circumstances, and timeline, those percentages will shift. The point is, figuring out the percentages that are right for you is the key to making managing your money simple and building a life you love.

Step 5: Take Small Steps

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” – Zechariah 4:10

When getting back on track financially, you don’t have to fix everything overnight. In fact, please don’t try. The reset is not about perfection—it’s about progress.

So, what’s one small step you can take this week?

• Open a second checking account for “Wants” spending
  
• Talk to your spouse about what matters most financially
  
• Start using my FLOW system to create your own plan
  

Small steps compound. The more you align your money with your values, the more peace and clarity you’ll feel.

Ready to Get Back on Track Financially?

The Mini Money Reset Guide as a simple, encouraging tool to walk you through this entire process—with space to reflect, real-life examples, and practical worksheets.

👉 Grab your free copy here: Download The Mini Money Reset

Whether you’re brand new to financial stewardship or just need a fresh start, this guide will help you:

• Feel less overwhelmed
  
• Make values-based decisions
  
• Start a system that works with your life
  

You were never meant to walk through financial stress alone. Let’s reset, together.

P.S. If this post helped you, I’d love to hear about it—or better yet, share it with a friend who needs a fresh start too. Let’s make this your year of peace, purpose, and progress.

💬 Ready for More Support?

If you’ve been carrying the mental load of money stress and you’re craving clarity, simplicity, and a financial plan that actually fits your life and values—you don’t have to figure it out alone.

As a financial counselor, I help women and couples just like you take the next faithful step with their money—whether that’s creating a flexible spending system, getting on the same page as a couple, or building a God-honoring plan for the future.

👉 Want to talk it through?
Book a Financial Clarity Session and we’ll spend 90 minutes mapping out a personalized plan you can actually stick to—with grace, not guilt.

✨ You’ll walk away with:

• A clear action plan
• A simple system tailored to your real life
• Biblical encouragement and practical strategy

Learn More About Working Together →
or Book Your Clarity Session Now »