WHO i am and what the bottom line method is

My Background

I’m Hannah Bell, a lawyer-turned-financial wellness coach and mom of two.

Over the past several years, working hundreds of hours with individuals, couples, and groups, I’ve refined a system of personal finance management – a system that helps people obtain clarity into how they can enjoy their hard-earned money and use it to afford a life aligned with their values and goals.

This system was born out of my own desire for meaningful financial behaviors. After paying off over $90,000 of debt in two years, my husband and I realized that we had been spending our money mindlessly and without a plan. We saw that we could instead use our money in a way that would help us create a life we loved – one that supported our relationship, our careers, and our future. Spending in this way required intention, discipline, and accountability—but it worked.

The financial advice we continually heard (pay off debt; don’t pay off debt; save; invest; buy real estate; finance everything; take the employer match!) often skipped the day-to-day management piece – the piece we discovered was critical to remove financial stress, guilt, and shame. That component is essential to support some of our long term financial goals – the ability to safely save, invest, retire, and pay for our children’s college. This clarity into how to spend your money day-to-day for the life you want is what the Bottom Line Method provides.

In 2022 I expanded this business and coached and taught dozens of people about meaningful financial habits. I obtained my Accredited Financial Counselor certification. Every day, the practical money management system I’ve created improves the lives of my students and my own household—I am thrilled for the opportunity to share with others the peace and freedom I know is possible through this lifestyle.

So, what is the Bottom Line Method?

Your Bottom Line is the amount of money you need to live on each month based on your values and goals. It doesn’t vary month to month because it captures your expenses for the year (and sometimes, even years to come). The clearer we are on this number, the more control we have. An important component of the Method is acknowledging and living within the boundary of income, and the greater your income is relative to your Bottom Line, the more financial wellness, peace of mind, choice, and opportunity you will experience.

From my time doing this work, I’ve learned that almost no one knows their Bottom Line, yet it might be the most powerful number to know and control. Knowing and controlling this number allows you to make decisions that serve you and live the life you choose.

I’ve worked with people and couples earning $70,000 to $250,000. It doesn’t matter what you earn – if you don’t have control over your Bottom Line, you’ll feel out of control, financially. So often people come to me wanting to address a symptom – poor credit score, depleting savings, difficulty discussing finances with a partner. We continually come back to this fundamental piece – gaining awareness of the day-to-day management and their Bottom Line.

In my past work as a lawyer, I often negotiated contracts. Whenever you enter any negotiation, you go into it knowing what terms you are willing to accept and what terms you are willing to compromise. It takes a deep understanding of what is important and what potential concerns and cares there may be in the future. It would be foolish to enter a negotiation without knowing these things – the bottom line. But, we live life not knowing our own Bottom Line and we negotiate with ourselves every day. We don’t know what we’re willing to settle for or what we need to live the life we want – we may not even be clear on what the life we want really is.

This work requires a deep dive into our spending habits. We are often buying things unintentionally, emotionally, and out of convenience – not realizing the consequences or impacts of those purchases. If we predefine what we want to spend our money on, and stick to that plan, we can live more aligned with our values and goals, and experience more of the joys life has to offer. When we are intentional with our finances, we have the space to make better choices. Our Bottom Line gives us the framework to acknowledge the tradeoffs that exist to create a financially peaceful and satisfying life.

The Bottom Line Method is not about teaching you how to invest in the stock market, hustle harder, or borrow more money – it’s the opposite. The Bottom Line Method emphasizes a deep understanding of your money; your values and goals; slowing down; living debt free, so that your Bottom Line can be lower and reflect your true cost of life and present choices; creating real financial security; and using your money intentionally to live the life that you want. The Bottom Line Method invites you to engage in deliberate, mindful money management, so that you can effectively use and enjoy the money you work so hard to earn.