Deciding to renovate a kitchen is an incredibly stressful — and expensive! — decision. Do you want quartz countertops? Painted cabinets or bare wood? Induction cooktop or gas burners? The list of questions goes on and on, and perhaps at the top of it is the biggest one: How do I do kitchen renovations on a budget? Thankfully, we have a bit of welcome news…Sophie Donelson says you don’t have to do EVERYTHING in order to create the perfect kitchen for you. (And the same goes for the bathroom, the bedroom or any other part of the house you’re working on!) Sophie says that small and affordable changes can go a very long way towards making us feel like we have the home of our dreams. Her book, “Uncommon Kitchens” dives into the little changes that make the biggest difference — and she shares them with us. (Hint: Expensive new countertops might not be the answer!) Also, in Mailbag, we talk ESOP basics — what they are and what happens if you want to leave your company, and we discuss whether your money would be better spent paying off a mortgage or keeping the money in an emergency fund. In our money tip of the week, the best bang for your buck at the grocery store — hiding in the fruit and vegetable aisles.

The HerMoney with Jean Chatzky podcast is sponsored by Edelman Financial Engines. The podcast team and its host are neither employees nor clients of EFE, however, the show does receive fixed compensation, and is a paid endorser and therefore has an incentive to endorse EFE and its planners. To learn more about the sponsorship, please visit PlanEFE.com/HerMoney.

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