Is Financial Wellness the New Form of Self-Care? Here’s How to Build Peace and Wealth on ‘Note to Self’

When you think of self-care, therapy sessions, skincare routines, or spa treatments probably come to mind. But on a recent episode of Note to Self, host Payton Sartain and financial expert Ariel Lafond make the case for something often left out of the wellness conversation: money.

As Sartain admits, “I notice myself in my wellness journey spending a lot of money for the sake of wellness. And I don’t know why it never really occurred to me that taking care of that money was a part of the wellness.”

How to Manage Your Money Like a Wellness Routine

Here are five practical takeaways from the conversation—because yes, checking your credit card statement might actually be the most empowering form of self-care.

1. Stop avoiding your financial reality

Avoidance is normal—and fixable. As Lafond sees with clients, “I get a lot of avoidance with money…they’re like, I don’t wanna check my credit card statement after the weekend.” The spiral often sounds like: “This is too complicated, so I’m just not gonna look into it. I’m never gonna learn how to invest.” Sartain echoes the same pattern. “I have typically been very avoidant…there was a paycheck-to-paycheck moment there where you’re scared to look because…you’re scared,” she says.

Avoidance is just anxiety asking for a plan. Start with small, low-stakes doses—think five-minute weekly check-ins rather than full-budget bootcamps—so your brain learns that looking doesn’t equal danger.

2. Try the “no budget budget”

Strict, line-by-line budgets can feel like diet plans: The second you slip, all bets are off. Lafond has seen this pattern repeatedly. “People really go off the rails if I’m like, you can spend $300 a week on food and $500 on travel. And then the second that they exceed one bucket, they completely freak out. Then it’s like, all bets are off. I’m going to Vegas.”

Her solution? A softer framework she calls the “no budget budget.” Instead of micromanaging every category, you pick one overall spending number each month. That total already accounts for savings, retirement, and essentials, so what’s left becomes flexible.

How to make the no budget budget work for you:

• Pick your number: Calculate income, subtract savings and bills, and what’s left is your flexible pool.
• Stay fluid: Let categories shift month to month—trips, dinners, or shopping sprees can all live under the same roof.
• Don’t punish, just pivot: Overspend in one area? Balance it out by dialing back somewhere else instead of throwing in the towel.
• Track loosely: Check in once a week to see how close you are to your overall number. No spreadsheets required—money apps can help automate it.

3. Reframe wealth building as wellness

Spending on wellness feels good in the moment, but the ultimate form of self-care is financial freedom. “I think wealth building is one of those things that makes you ultimately, when it comes to wellness, feel the most free,” Sartain says.

Lafond works with clients whose income fluctuates dramatically, and her advice applies to everyone: Build a cushion now so future stress doesn’t hit as hard. “No amount is too small and the number one positive is time,” she says.

4. Don’t spiral over guilt spending

We’ve all had the post-splurge panic, but Lafond says shame doesn’t help. “Unless my clients are going out and buying a house or a car or something extraordinarily expensive without me, there’s no need for serious shaming,” she reassures. Instead of beating yourself up, rebalance next month—cut back in one area to offset the splurge. Treat guilt like a signal to recalibrate, not a reason to spiral.

5. Make money dates a ritual

Money anxiety often grows in the shadows, so bring it into the light. Lafond encourages clients to treat finances like a regular wellness practice. “Make a money date once every other week. Check all your accounts again, fill in your spreadsheet. I get excited to see the numbers go up,” she advises. Pair the check-in with something enjoyable—a playlist, a candle, even takeout—and it feels more like self-care than a chore.

The goal isn’t to crunch numbers for hours; it’s to create consistency. When you see your progress regularly, money shifts from being scary to empowering. Think of it as journaling or a Sunday reset, but for your bank account.

At the end of the day, money isn’t separate from self-care—it’s one of its strongest foundations. 

For even more practical tips and real talk, listen to the full episode of Note to Self.

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