Author Archive for Avraham Byers

About Avraham Byers

I'm Avraham — reformed spender, financial coach. I help people take control of their money (without giving up their lattes). Want to talk? Book a free session.

she never told her parents

Kari’s clutch blew out on the way to Colorado. It was 2017. Starting over. Moving to a new state. And somewhere on the highway, her Subaru gave up. She burned through her savings to fix it. Then a boyfriend talked her into living way beyond their means — and funding his business venture. (She got rid of him eventually.) By...

I don’t bite

Some of you have been reading my emails for years. I offer a free session at the end of almost every email. I’ve had amazing conversations because of it. But some of you have never booked one. I WONDER WHY A reader named Holly wrote me this week: “I know where I could probably change but I’m far too embarrassed...

THE BUBBLEGUM EFFECT

My friend Sruli said something the other day that stuck with me.He was talking about potential — how sometimes, everything you want is already there, just waiting. You just have to turn the dial. Like a bubblegum machine.You know the ones: a glass globe filled with colorful gumballs. You drop in a quarter, turn the dial, and out comes a...

Desire made you eat the first chip

The other day, my wife said something I can’t stop thinking about:“Desire got you to eat the first chip. Guilt made you finish the bag.” She’s right. She usually is. 🤓 I KNOW THIS PATTERN WELL Twelve years ago, I joined a men’s weight loss program. I was all in—tracking everything, following the rules, and I lost 49 pounds in...

Akiva, this one’s for you

The other day, I got a message from a reader named Akiva: “Yours is one of the few emails I get that I have to go back to later on my computer because I don’t have a browser on my phone. Always a good read.” Akiva built a system to avoid distractions — no browser on his phone. And somehow,...

I blew my emergency money on Red Stripe

I was 19. Jamaica. I was traveling with an older friend, Rino. My mom was a flight attendant, so I was flying standby on her employee pass. Free flight — if there was a seat. No seat, no flight. A few days before heading home, I checked the flight. Looked wide open. It’ll be fine. So, naturally, I did what...

I’m not a self-made man

Someone called me a “self-made man” the other day. I’ll admit — it felt good to hear. But here’s the truth: it’s completely wrong. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS SELF-MADE I didn’t make myself. And I definitely didn’t get here alone. Let me tell you about some of the people who got me here. CHRIS REYNOLDS I was 17. He...

The Burger Tim Didn’t Buy

Last week, I shared a story about sushi I didn’t buy. A reader named Tim from South Africa wrote back with a story so good, I had to ask if I could share it. He said yes. A LATE-NIGHT FAVOR A few days ago, Tim did one of those favors you don’t have to do, but you do anyway. His friend’s ride...

I Didn’t Buy the Sushi

Today was one of those days with my kids. The kind where every interaction feels like a negotiation—and I was losing every single one. By the afternoon, I was fried. And when I’m fried, I do what a lot of people do: I start thinking about food I don’t need. Specifically, salmon lover’s sushi. There’s a spot in Toronto I...

I was 15, broke, and running on fumes.

I was fifteen. Riding shotgun in a Chevy Astro. Pitch-black back roads. No streetlights. And the gas tank? Empty light on. Somewhere between ‘we might make it’ and ‘we’re going to die out here.’ Danny was driving — my cousin’s cousin. Eighteen. Built like a linebacker. This was my first big trip without Mom. Two weeks of relentless begging before...