Sandra Young lives in Brooklyn with her grown children Tyler and Kayla. She manages several branches of a tax preparation agency, which means that she earns most of her income during the six months between November and April. Sandra has chosen an unusual structure for her financial life, and the seasonal nature of her income means that she has to budget over a longer time period than many households. Despite the irregularity of her income over the course of a year, Sandra’s financial life is stable, and she retains a remarkable level of confidence and control over her finances. This level of control is thanks largely to her straightforward and highly disciplined system of budgeting and financial management.