How to Manage Money When Experiencing Grief

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March 11, 2021
by Chelsea

Why You've Got to Listen to This Episode...

Today I’m talking with author and founder of Still Kickin, Nora McInerny. Nora became a widow at a young age. While grief hit her like a freight train, she still managed to find cracks of light through communities like the Hot Young Widows Club and Still Kickin. This foundation is the fulfillment of her late husband’s dream to help families find support in hard times.

We’re talking about the impact of grief on your brain and body, and the practical financial advice Nora has for anyone else walking out a similar journey.

Mama, please know that this episode does cover difficult topics like cancer, loss of a spouse, and miscarriage. If you need to, skip this one and check out another episode today.

Moments You Don't Want to Miss

[3:23] Why humor has become a way for Nora to find those cracks of light in the middle of grief
[12:07] Find out about the financial situation Nora and Aaron were facing when he got sick
(20:59] Check out the emotional and financial resources Still Kickin offers
[26:53] These are the ways Nora is paving a new path with her finances (and what she’s having grace on herself for)
[39:52] This is permission for you to release all expectations on yourself while you’re grieving
[43:39] Chelsea’s Top Takeaways

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Key Takeaways to Help You Manage Your Money While Experiencing Grief

As always, we’ve rounded up our top three takeaways to summarize what we believe are the core points to remember from Nora.

1 - Grief Has No Timeline

Don’t be hard on yourself for not being the person you used to be or not having it all together. You can’t rush this process. Sit with your emotions and be willing to feel the painful feelings like Nora mentioned. More than that, when grief pops up a year, two years, four years later in the grocery store as Nora shared, don’t feel discouraged about it. This is how grief works. Find a community of people who understand what you’re going through, like Nora’s Hot Young Widows Club if you’ve lost a partner, and ask for the support you need.

2 - Negotiate Your Medical Bills

Medical bills are often big and scary. Don’t think you have to pay them all at once, especially if it will add more stress to your financial life right now.

If you have the mental space, review your medical bills and look for errors or fraud. Listen to Episode 91 with Angel Cellucci for exactly how to do that. If you don’t have the mental space and your bills are significant, there are people you can hire who will review the paperwork and negotiate for you.

Often that is much cheaper than just trying to pay it all to avoid any more phone calls, which can be very stressful after a loss. These people can find ways to reduce those bills or help you get on a payment plan.

3 - Get Your Finances Organized As Soon as Possible

This includes setting up a Family Emergency Binder, getting a proper will, and having enough life insurance. Nora mentioned the pain it was to gain access to Aaron’s different accounts when she didn’t have his passwords or know where all his bank accounts were. Anyone who hasn’t faced grief or loss can sit and imagine how difficult it would be to unravel paperwork like that.

But when you add the weight of grief and the exhaustion that goes with it, that task is almost impossible. Hopefully you never need these things, but having them in place will offer so much peace of mind.

Links & Resources Mentioned

Connect with Nora

Nora McInerny is the founder of Still Kickin, a social benefit organization, and the author of several books. She created and hosts the award winning podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking.

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