January doesn’t have to feel dull or restrictive. It’s a chance to reset, feel amazing, and still enjoy the ritual of a great drink. Enter Vesper, Pique’s newest release—and my favorite upgrade to Dry January.

Pique is known for blending ancient botanicals with modern science to create elevated wellness essentials, and Vesper is no exception. This non-alcoholic, adaptogenic aperitif delivers the relaxed, social glow of a cocktail—without alcohol or the next-day regret.

It’s what I reach for when I want something special in my glass. Each sip feels celebratory and calming, with a gentle mood lift, relaxed body, and clear, present mind. No haze. No sleep disruption. Just smooth, grounded ease.

Crafted with L-theanine, lemon balm, gentian root, damiana, and elderflower, Vesper is sparkling, tart, and beautifully herbaceous—truly crave-worthy.

Dry January isn’t about giving things up. It’s about discovering something better. And Vesper makes every pour feel like a yes.

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Good morning and Happy New Year, Cents of Humor Villagers! I hope your 2026 is off to a great start.

Isn’t it nice to have the family back in their routines? I won’t lie, I’m thrilled.

This past weekend was also the closing weekend of my show’s inaugural off-Broadway run. I just wanted to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported Vape! The Grease Parody and came and saw our crazy, silly musical. Stay tuned…you haven’t heard the last from Vape. I posted some of my thoughts on this journey on my Instagram.

I logged into my Monarch account this morning and surveyed the holiday credit card damage. Yikes. It’s time to buckle down and get a game plan in place to pay off our debts so we can crush our goals for this brand-spanking-new year!

So I’m bringing back the January Debt Challenge. For those of you who are new here, have no fear, this month is all about putting the wheels in motion to pay off your debt with step-by-step actions.

As the month goes on and you crush your debt, I want to hear about it! Share your wins with me and we’ll celebrate you.

This week, we’re going to jump right into the fun.

Pick a Debt Repayment Strategy

We’re going to pick one of three methods to pay down our debt: the avalanche, the snowball, or (my personal fave) the emotional baggage method.

People have opinions on what is the “right” strategy, but ultimately, you need to play to your psychological strengths. With the avalanche, you’ll save money on interest payments. But with the snowball, you’ll earn “wins” more quickly. The emotional baggage method focuses first on a debt that is weighing the most on you mentally, followed by a pivot into the avalanche or snowball. My favorite example of the “emotional baggage” method is a former client who paid for her entire divorce on one credit card. The card didn’t have the lowest balance or highest interest rate, it was right in the middle. But it weighed on her emotionally more than any other debt. So I told her to pay that sh*t off first!! Get that divorce monkey off your back and then we can move on to either the snowball or avalanche. You do you.

To learn how avalanche and snowball strategies work, I recommend watching this linked YouTube video. It’s a quick and easy explainer.

Put the Wheels in Motion

After you’ve made your choice, you need to begin! List all of your debts and prioritize them by either balance (snowball) or interest rate (avalanche). Your mission now is to throw every possible extra dollar at the first debt on your list.

What Can We Cut?

There are two ways to get more money to throw at your debt: cut costs or increase income. If you’re going to cut costs, I want you to start with the low-hanging fruit first. This could include subscriptions, shopping, dining out, and entertainment (let’s face it, no one wants to go out in January anyway).

How Much Can We Earn?

If there’s an opportunity to pick up some overtime, take on a side gig, or dog sit for your neighbor, now’s the time! If you’re a busy parent already drowning under the weight of your schedule (I feel you), focus on cutting costs first. However, if you do have some wiggle room in your weeks, earning extra income is an excellent way to speed up the debt payoff process.

Reward Yourself!

Paying down debt can be a months or years-long journey. You need to find reasonable and responsible rewards for yourself along the way to stay motivated. Perhaps with each paid-off debt, you get one dinner out. I’d recommend rewarding yourself with something that’ll add value or increase the quality of your life. When I pay off my credit card bills, I’m going to reward myself with a full day at the spa. My husband will be rewarded with a full day of quality time with our kids while I go to said spa (lol, just kidding…kind of).

Lastly, are you looking for some great financial resources to start this new year? Say less, friend. Here are a few I personally recommend:

Monarch - track your money with accuracy and ease this year.

Boldin - if you want to get serious about retirement planning, check out Boldin’s awesome tools.

My book - (shameless plug) It’s an easy-to-follow guide.

^{Full disclosure: I may receive cash compensation or affiliate fees. I only recommend products I’ve actually used and like!}