E23 - $20,000 in Cash and No Idea What to Do? Here’s Exactly What I’d Do
The No-BS Guide to Turning “I Probably Should Do Something with That Cash” Into Confident Investing
You have money.
You’re doing well.
You’ve checked all the boxes.
…and yet, when it comes to your investments?
You feel like you’re low-key guessing.
There’s cash sitting in your account.
Maybe it’s a bonus. An inheritance. Extra savings.
And every time you open your banking app, you have the same thought:
👉 “I should probably do something with this…”
…but then?
Nothing.
You wait.
You Google.
You spiral.
You close the app.
And repeat.
If that’s you — hi, welcome. You are exactly who this is for.
Because here’s the truth no one tells you in personal finance for women:
Being “responsible” with money doesn’t automatically make you confident with money.
And today, we’re fixing that.
The Real Problem Isn’t Your Money… It’s the Freeze
Let me paint the picture I see ALL the time:
You’ve been doing the “right” things:
Contributing to your 401(k)
Saving consistently
Earning more than you ever have
And now?
You’ve got a chunk of cash just… sitting there.
But instead of feeling powerful, you feel stuck.
Because no one taught you how to grow money — only how to protect it.
So your brain goes:
“What if I invest it wrong?”
“What if the market crashes?”
“What if I lose it?”
And instead of taking action…
you make the sneakiest decision of all:
👉 You do nothing.
Let’s Be Real: Doing Nothing Is Costing You
Okay, tough love moment (said with love):
Doing nothing with your money is not neutral.
It’s expensive.
Let’s say you have $20,000 sitting in cash.
If you invested that and earned ~7% annually over time?
👉 That could grow to over $150,000 in 30 years.
That’s:
A kitchen remodel
Years of financial freedom
Opportunities you don’t even have yet
But if it sits in cash?
👉 It stays $20,000.
👉 And inflation slowly eats it alive.
So the real question isn’t:
“What if I lose money?”
It’s:
“What is doing nothing costing me?”
My Story: When “Being Responsible” Still Felt Wrong
Let’s talk about the part no one says out loud.
There was a version of me who thought:
👉 “The smart thing to do is just hand this to an expert.”
So I did.
Advisor. Professional. Someone who “knew better.”
And technically? Everything was handled.
But emotionally?
I felt:
Dependent
Confused
Still unsure what was going on
The stress didn’t go away.
It just changed shape over time.
And that’s when I realized:
Confidence doesn’t come from outsourcing your money.
It comes from understanding it.
Step 1: Decide What Your Money Is For
Before we invest a single dollar, we need clarity.
Ask yourself:
💭 What is this money actually for?
Emergency fund?
House down payment?
Career pivot freedom fund?
Long-term wealth / retirement?
No perfect answer required.
But having some direction = less overwhelm.
Step 2: The Decision Tree (Your New BFF)
Let’s simplify this. No spreadsheets. No spiraling.
💸 1. High-Interest Debt? Handle That First
If you have debt over ~7% interest:
👉 Pay it off.
Why?
Because your investments likely won’t outperform that cost.
🛟 2. Emergency Fund
The goal:
👉 3–6+ months of expenses in cash
Keep it in a high-yield savings account (currently earning ~3–4%).
Not your dusty old checking account where your money is doing absolutely nothing.
⏳ 3. When Do You Need This Money?
This is where most people mess up.
Need it in 1–3 years?
→ Keep it safe (HYSA or similar)
5+ years?
→ Now we’re talking investing
Because the stock market goes up and down — and time is what smooths that out.
Step 3: Where Do You Actually Invest?
This is where the overthinking kicks in HARD.
Roth IRA?
Brokerage?
401k?
What does any of it MEAN??
Take a breath.
If you’re feeling stuck:
👉 Start with a taxable brokerage account
Why I love this for you:
No rules about when you can withdraw
No contribution limits
Full flexibility (aka freedom)
And we love freedom over here.
Step 4: The Step that Gets Forgotten (But It’s Everything)
You open the account.
You transfer the money.
And then…
…it just sits there again.
Girl.
👉 You are NOT invested yet.
You still have to choose investments.
Think of it like this:
Opening the account is walking into the store.
Investing is actually buying something.
Step 5: What to Invest In (Keep It Simple)
We are NOT aiming for the greatest portfolio that ever existed.
We are building clarity + confidence + getting in the game.
Start with:
👉 A broad stock market index fund
What that means (in human language):
You’re investing in a little bit of everything
It’s diversified
It’s low cost
It grows over time
Historically?
👉 Around ~10% average annual returns long-term (with ups and downs included).
And no — you don’t need to compare 47 options.
Pick one. Move on. Build wealth.
Your Two Paths
Let’s play this out.
✨ Scenario A: You Take Action
You invest.
The market drops.
You panic a little (normal).
But you stay invested.
5 years later?
Your money grew
Your confidence grew
You understand what’s happening
You’re not guessing anymore.
You’re in control.
😬 Scenario B: You Wait
You leave the money in cash.
5 years later?
It’s still $20,000
Inflation quietly ate into it
You still feel confused
Nothing changed.
The Real Transformation Isn’t the Money
This is the part I care about most.
Because yes — we’re here to build wealth.
But what actually changes?
👉 You become the woman who confidently owns her money.
You stop:
Second guessing
Avoiding
Outsourcing your power
You start:
Making decisions
Trusting yourself
Feeling calm when you open your accounts
That is true financial independence.
If You’re Still Frozen… Start Smaller
You don’t need to go all in.
Try this:
👉 Invest $2,000 instead of $20,000
Watch it move.
Learn.
Build confidence.
Then keep going.
Because the goal of your first investment isn’t perfection.
It’s proof that you can do this.
Your Next Move
Block one hour this week.
Not someday. Not “when you feel ready.”
And do ONE thing:
Open the account
Move a small amount
Choose an investment
Momentum > perfection.
Want Help Actually Doing This?
If you’re reading this thinking:
👉 “Okay I get it… but I still don’t trust myself to do it alone”
That’s exactly what I help with.
We walk through your actual numbers
Your actual accounts
Your actual decisions
So you stop guessing — and start leading your money like the CEO you already are everywhere else.
✨ Book a Decision & Clarity Session
Final Thought (Your Money Mindset Shift)
You’ve taken risks before.
Maybe you’ve:
Moved cities
Changed jobs
Built your career
Taken big life leaps
Become a parent
You didn’t have certainty.
You had enough clarity to move.
Investing is the same.
Good investing isn’t about certainty.
It’s about getting in the game.
And you, my friend?
You are so ready.
Disclaimer
This is for educational purposes only and not personalized financial advice. Your situation may be different—always make decisions aligned with your own financial picture.
