EoR No. 8: How do you hold the people you love?

Plus, questions for Congress, how to support Black-owned businesses, small ways to bolster the resistance and more

There will always be a new horror to occupy us, but I’ll do the intro light this week: Happy Valentine’s Day weekend! I hope you’re getting to hold the people you love close and staying warm as we await spring (it always comes, I promise!) 💖 Feel free to indulge if you (accurately) believe Valentine’s candy is the best food in the world, but also remember you don’t have to spend money to show your love! Consensual hugs and nice comments are always free 🙃

News and upcoming events:

• If you’re around Portland or Seattle, pick up a signed copy of my book! I signed them at Annie Bloom’s Books and Powell’s on Burnside in Portland, and at Elliot Bay Book Co. in Seattle.

Deepest thanks to Marian Schembari for moderating a delightful and insightful conversation at Annie Bloom’s on Feb. 11! / Buy You Don’t Need a Budget. Buy A Little Less Broken.

🥑 ICYMI at Healthy Rich this week

• You don't have to pay your student loans if you don't want to (2025 update)

• Podcast: How (and why) to turn yourself from a saver into a spender

🔗 Things to catch

• I talked with Melinda Wenner Moyer at Now What about money and parenting — including whether you really need to save for your kid’s college tuition.

• 30 lonely but beautiful actions you can take right now to show people the resistance is thriving and they’re welcome to join from the brilliant organizer Garrett Bucks.

• Keep calling your reps in Congress. If you don’t know what to say, pick one of these questions.

• 10 creative ways to pay it forward this Black History Month, from Robin Divine, with tons of resources to find Black-owned businesses.

• Thank you to LA Bourgeois for saying the perfect thing about You Don’t Need a Budget: “This is not a book for everyone. It’s for the weirdos and the outcasts, the impoverished and those who live unconventional lives.”

• This message from Dan Savage: “Keep fighting, keep dancing.”

💬 Let’s discuss

How do you hold the ones you love?

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day (or Galentine’s Day??)? What are you favorite traditions? Who are you favorite Valentines (partner, spouse, kids, friends)? If you opt out of the holiday — why? What other lovely traditions do you share with the people you love? What else brought you joy this weekend?

If my brain had a signature look. / Photo by Bruno Cortés FP via Pexels

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