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Before we dive in, let’s get to know each other!
Hey y'all, I'm Lauren — the person behind The Minimalist Wallet, where the mission is simple: help you declutter your finances so your money actually reflects what you value. I've been writing about minimalism, sustainability, and personal finance since 2015 — the same year I started staying home full-time with my twin babies and started paying a lot closer attention to how I was actually living.
I've been married for over a decade to a brilliant engineer who shares my love of learning, even if we geek out over completely different things. We both try to use what we know to make ourselves — and the world around us — a little better.
I was born and raised in Florida but have since put down roots here in North Alabama.
Most days you'll find me in the kitchen putting together a plant-forward meal with NPR playing in the background, or out on the back patio with a kombucha in one hand and a book in the other.
I started The Minimalist Wallet because…
In 2016, I went back to school to study finance — and the more I learned about how the industry actually works, the less I liked it. Finance professionals are trained to put profit ahead of people and planet, and that never sat right with me.
I'm a lifelong environmentalist, a practicing minimalist, and I paid off $26,000 in student loans without ever finishing that first degree. I couldn't keep quiet about a system that rewards the privileged and asks nothing of them in return — not while the rest of us, and the planet, absorb the cost.
So in September 2021 — four months after finally finishing my BSBA in Finance, and three years after I locked down the domain — I launched The Minimalist Wallet. The mission hasn't changed: help people declutter their finances so they can reach their goals in a way that's intentional, ethical, and actually sustainable.
The Minimalist Wallet is all about…
…spending that supports people and the planet, not just your bank account — your wallet is a no-greenwashing-allowed zone.
…building wealth without contributing to income inequality or environmental harm. (Yes, that includes crypto.)
…telling the difference between what's actually worth our time and what's just performative — a metal straw isn't going to do what supporting a sustainable fishery will.
…making room on the calendar for what matters, because shopping small, local, or secondhand takes more time than an Amazon one-click.
…letting go of "keeping up with the Joneses" — and the Kardashians — because that race is exactly how most of us got here.
So maybe you're asking, "why minimalism?"
What does clearing out your closet have to do with building wealth and using it for good?
Everything, actually — once you see minimalism as a mindset instead of a purge. It's about knowing what's enough. That's the same clarity that lets you set real financial goals and actually hit them.
Minimalism isn't the why behind your goals. It's the how.
Now for the good stuff — how we work together
Decluttering your finances starts with getting the full picture — and staying in it. That's why coaching with me works a little differently than most.
Budget management. Before we get started, I'll have you connect to the budget software program Monarch and share view/edit access to your budget. That way I'm not working off guesses or a snapshot from three months ago — I can see exactly what's happening in real time and step in with the right guidance right when you need it, not just once a month in a session.
1:1 coaching. This is where we do the real work: getting clear on your values, setting a vision and goals that actually fit your life, and building a budget you can stick to — one that lets you spend on what matters and cut loose what doesn't. Sessions run 55 minutes in an audio/video call.
Together, the two mean you're never showing up to a session to explain your spending from scratch. I already have the full picture, so we can spend our time actually moving you forward.