Clear Cents Coaching

05/04/2026

I’ve been a bit quiet on here lately, and if I’m honest, it’s because life became a little chaotic. In those seasons, I find myself going back to the basics and focusing on my own financial foundation.

By day, I work in historic preservation, where I spend my time protecting our community’s story and its heritage. By night (and early mornings!), I’m a financial coach.

At first glance, these two fields seem like opposites. But I see the same thread in both: Stewardship.

In this economy, where a trip to the grocery store feels like a major financial event, stewardship matters more than ever. It’s not about having a "perfect" budget
; it’s about making sure your foundation is strong enough to handle the cracks that life and inflation inevitably create.

I’m back and ready to help you shore up your own "personal infrastructure." Whether you're looking for a total restoration or just a structural check-up, I'm here to help.

Who’s ready to do some restoration work?

I love helping people from all walks of life break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle using a zero-based budgeting system. By creating a plan for your money that aligns with your goals and values, you can build savings, eliminate debt, and gain financial confidence. My mission is to help you stress less...

03/26/2026

Hi all! It’s been awhile since I’ve been very active on my page. I wanted to share though that someone has cloned or copied my page and if you get an invite from it please ignore it and if you want, feel free to report them. It’s also a person and not a page. Thanks!

10/16/2025

Budgeting doesn't have to be rigid or scary and it can be as restrictive or fluid as you want it to be. You may choose to have a more rigid budget in the beginning, but it is also important to give yourself grace. You got this!

10/09/2025

Thank you Bryan Treat, Realtor for having me on the show!

There can be a lot of shame and confusion around money, paying your bills and digging out of financial holes. Money Mindset and Budget Coach Katie Totman shares tactics on how to build a budget, improve credit, save money and develop better habits.

10/08/2025

I was thrilled to be a guest on my friend Bryan’s podcast, The Foreclosure Podcast. We talked about budgets and all things personal finance. Check out the YouTube video and the episode drops tomorrow on Spotify.

https://youtu.be/ohk46cjuHS4nlor

There can be a lot of shame and confusion around money, paying your bills and digging out of financial holes. Money Mindset and Budget Coach Katie Totman sha...

09/20/2025

Hi, friends! If you're new here - I'm Katie, a money coach with a background in historic preservation. Did you know your budget has a lot in common with a historic building?

Here are a few of my favorite parallels:

✨ Foundation = Financial Education + Budget → Without a strong foundation, both a building and a budget can crumble.

Every building needs a strong foundation, otherwise it risks failing over time. The same is true for your money. A budget, in my opinion, isn’t about restriction — it’s about giving your financial house something solid to stand on and direct your hard earned money where to go.

✨ Maintenance = Habits → Regular upkeep is like checking in on your spending.

Even the most beautiful home can fall into disrepair without regular upkeep. Small habits like tracking your spending and reconciling your accounts regularly keep your money in shape — just like sweeping, painting, or patching a roof.

✨ Materials = Resources → Bricks and mortar = your income and savings.

Bricks, wood, glass — without them, a building wouldn’t exist. Your income, savings, and other resources are the raw materials you use to build the financial life you want.

Whether it’s your home or your money, routine care and maintenance can make all the difference.

Just like historic (and any) buildings need routine maintenance, your money does too. If you’ve been putting off a budget check-up, consider this your sign! My free Q&A call is a great first step. Check out the link below to sign up.

https://clearcentscoaching.as.me/letschat

09/16/2025

For over a decade I have worked in the historic preservation field helping property owners care for their historic homes. Since starting my financial coaching business, I have shifted my focus a bit to helping folks find the best path forward when it comes to their finances. Interestingly, I found that the four treatments can somewhat be applied to habits around money.

In historic preservation, there are four primary treatments used when evaluating projects: Preservation, Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction. Below I have listed them out and next to each is a simple comparison to how each could relate to personal finance.

🏠 Preservation ➡ What might already be working and what can we keep?
The goal of preservation is to keep a property as it is, maintaining its historical fabric over time. In financial coaching, this could look like examining with a client money habits that could already be working for them. Perhaps they contribute regularly to retirement; awesome! Or they have a fully funded emergency fund; excellent! Again, what can we keep and preserve to incorporate into the bigger picture?

🏠 Restoration ➡ Can we revive certain money habits or do we need to let them go?
When we consider restoration, the goal is to restore a building to a certain point in time. If a building has several additions, for example, and the goal is to restore it to the time period when it was first built, you may choose to remove those additions and other non-historic or period appropriate elements. This could be seen as examining current money habits that may no longer be working for you. Are there money habits you're ready to refresh or perhaps want to let go?

🏠 Rehabilitation ➡ What money habits would you love to strengthen?
Rehabilitation involves repairing, altering, and/or adding onto a building to allow for its historic use or give it a new use while preserving distinctive architectural features. Think of this one as exploring what money habits can we improve upon? Or what habits would you love to strengthen?

🏠 Reconstruction ➡ What can we reimagine about your money journey?
The last one up I have not seen used very often in my career as a preservation professional, but it can happen depending on the situation. Reconstruction is just as it sounds - rebuilding something that no longer exists based on historic evidence such as photographs, drawings, and other documentation. When it comes to personal finance, this can be about creating new habits and systems that shape your financial life in ways you may never have tried before. What could you reimagine about your money journey if you started fresh?

Depending on the goal of a project, one or more treatments can be applied to achieve the desired outcome. Similarly, an individual’s personal finance journey may call for a different focus, whether that’s budgeting, saving, or debt management; or a combination of several.

Which treatment resonated with you? Drop it in the comments! And let me know if you also love old buildings as much as I do.

04/29/2025

Do you ever add something to your Amazon or TikTok shop cart thinking I 100% need this right now....even though you didn’t know it existed five minutes ago? 😅 Same my friend, same. The good news is your are not alone and if your budget is feeling it in a not so great way, here are a few things to consider the next time to want to hit that Buy Now button.

Try a quick vibe check:

Is this thing a necessity or a want? Or did TikTok convince me I need it? Will Future Me thank me or side-eye me? Bottom line is, does this align with what matters most to me in this current moment and is it within my budget...?

Mindful spending is something I learned to do along my own financial wellness journey and is something I still practice today. It isn’t about saying no to every little thing— it’s about saying yes on purpose to what brings you value and joy.

What is one thing you have recently purchased with purpose that has brought you joy and aligned with your values? Did you take a moment before making the purchase? Drop it in the comments.

04/26/2025

Something exciting is happening on Monday…I’m taking over the stories! I’m a newer coach to the MBC platform and am excited to connect and share with you some fun aspects of who I am and what a day for me is like. Be sure to visit the MBC page on Monday to check it out.

03/19/2025

Struggling to stick to a budget? Feeling overwhelmed by your finances? I’m here to help! I’m now an official coach with My Budget Coach (MBC)—a digital budgeting platform that combines smart technology with personalized support from me to help you gain financial confidence.

Here’s how I can help you through MBC:

✅ A 35-Day Free Trial – No credit card required! Try it out risk-free and see how it works for you.

✅ Step-by-Step Virtual Guidance – My digital avatar will walk you through the setup, making it easy to get started. Plus, I’m here to answer any questions along the way!

✅ Direct Access to Me – You don’t have to figure it out alone! You can message me anytime through the platform for personalized guidance.

✅ One-on-One Coaching (When You Need It) – If you ever want extra support, I offer one on one video coaching calls to dive deeper into your financial goals. Full disclosure, these are at an additional cost.

✅ A Budget That Works for YOU – Together, we’ll create a simple, realistic plan that fits your lifestyle—no more frustration or guesswork.

If you’re ready to feel more in control of your money and build a budget that works for you, I’d love to help! Click the link below to start your free trial today.

I love helping people from all walks of life break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle using a zero-based budgeting system. By creating a plan for your money that aligns with your goals and values, you can build savings, eliminate debt, and gain financial confidence. My mission is to help you stress less...