Welcome to Making Cents from Chaos!

Hey hey! I’m Sam — an extroverted introvert, mom to three boys, spreadsheet lover, and recovering overplanner (well… sort of) learning that connection matters more than perfection and that a full life doesn’t have to come with a full price tag. It's constantly learning that a 'perfect' plan is just a plan that didn't meet reality yet.

My past life was a checklist of a woman striving to accomplish what I thought society expected of me. My personal life was comfortable and consistent, and my professional life was rooted in evidence, science, and data. But life has a way of switching up the pitches — usually right when you think you’re about to hit a grand slam.

I conceptualized Making Cents from Chaos in a season where life felt… well, chaotic. Now I live in the fitness world as a personal trainer and spin instructor, where intuition, energy, and relational intelligence matter just as much as KPIs. I’m constantly navigating that imposter feeling in this new chapter — and choosing to show up anyway, despite the discomfort.

Between raising three busy boys, navigating big personal pivots, prioritizing my own health, and rebuilding what “normal” looks like, I realized something important: the systems that keep my family afloat — grocery strategies, travel hacks, meal planning, points juggling, and everyday money decisions — were worth sharing.

At home, I’m raising three boys to be emotionally aware, kind, and grounded in a world that often rewards the opposite. I’m learning to say yes to what fills our cups and no to the people and commitments that drain us. That means I’m just as intentional about conversations and boundaries as I am about our budget and calendar.

This is where chaos meets intention. You’ll find real-life strategies for:

• routines that support health — mind and body — without perfection

• systems that keep the grocery bill realistic

• travel strategies that help us say yes a few times a year

• adding a little sparkle to everyday life

• the messy, honest work of becoming more boundaried and present

I’m not here to pretend I have it all together. I’m definitely not a luxury influencer with a pristine, always-staged home. I’m a value maximizer with a love for a full face of makeup, a well-planned trip, and a good clearance find.

I’m here to show what it looks like to be thoughtful with money, intentional with time, and to teach my boys that experiences matter more than excess — all while being fully human in the process.

If you’re a parent, caregiver, or just someone trying to do more with what you have, chase joy in the middle of the mess, and turn everyday decisions into long-term freedom — you’re in the right place.

We’re making memories.

We’re minding money.

We’re making cents from chaos.

Life is fluid. This blog will be too — hopefully a little less chaotic than the title suggests ;)