I Took The Leap & It Changed My Life

I get emotional each time I read my client Hope’s* story of how budgeting changed her life this year, so I really wanted to share this with you today.

(*I have changed her name as she prefers not to be identified, but she told me she’s happy to share her story to inspire others!)

She used my values-based budgeting technique to…

…Pay off 4 out of 8 of her debts within 2 months of creating her budget 

…Save enough for a downpayment on her first family home within 3 months

…Plan for an upcoming expense so she wouldn’t have to put it on a credit card

…Still live a life full of freedom and joy!

Hope described herself as a ‘spender’ before she started budgeting, and didn’t believe any of this could happen for her (especially not within 3 months). If you feel the same, just know that with the right budget and with me in your corner to support you, it totally CAN happen! 

Here’s Hope’s story👇

“Money was always a very sore subject for me.

I had a very strong dislike towards the word ‘budget’. It just sounded so boring and restrictive!

I work hard and I like to play hard. Shopping is one of my guilty pleasures, I love buying things for others, going out to dinner for sushi (not a cheap choice), spur-of-the-moment trips… To sum it up, I like living in the moment!

But money has often been a stressor in my life. 

The constant pressure to buy a home, to ‘save for the future’, for the kids’ college fund… 

Then there were the student loans, the medical bills, dental bills, car payments, kids’ school fees…

And as many times as my family members had tried to help me get organized with my money, I just wasn’t ready.

But this year, there must have been something stirring inside of me.

Because when I saw Paige talking about budgeting and finance on Instagram, I was ready to listen and learn. I decided it was time and I took the leap on March 1, 2020. 

And let me just say this: it changed my life! 

As I set up my budget categories in the EveryDollar app that Paige recommends, I could finally see where all of our money was going. 

I realized that so much of our money was going towards things that did not bring us joy; things of the past, paid for on the credit card…

We even had two monthly subscriptions that we were not aware of!

I remember telling my husband, “Babe, we make pretty good money but man, we really have nothing left at the end of the month!” 

It made me mad to think of how much money we made versus how much money we actually had in the bank. 

“I want my money back!” is what I thought! 

But then I began feeling excited to be taking back control of my money with Paige’s guidance – and that I would be setting a better example for my kids.

By following Paige’s advice, I paid off 4 out of 8 debts within two months.

And instead of splurging our tax return on a big summer cruise, we decided to put it into savings with our stimulus checks. 

This meant we had about $5,600 in savings – the most we had ever saved. 

What happened next was COMPLETELY unexpected… 

(It’s actually hard to write this next part without tears)

In May, a friend posted a picture of his new house in an area we love. 

We’ve always loved to tour model homes, just to dream about one day possibly owning.

I sent a message congratulating my friend on his new home… And then made that dreadful comment… 

“We would be there, too, but we don’t have a downpayment. And we probably never will.” 

Then he told us about a special loan that was available for professionals like us, and gave us all the details. 

Within 24 hours, we had picked out a home, picked the lot, and given a $5,000 earnest check deposit – the money we had saved since we committed to budgeting! 

MIND BLOWN!

On top of this, Paige suggested setting aside small savings amounts each month to plan for upcoming bills like car registration. So in March, I started putting $90 away so that my July bill would be fully covered.

Not only was I able to pay the $360 bill without touching my monthly income, I still have $90 left in savings!

I told my mom, my aunt, and Paige that for the first time in my life, I was able to pay a big bill that did not come out of my monthly income and set us back! 

I’m crying as I write this, because this was a BIG deal for me and SO freeing!

When I look back at the commitment I made on March 1, no one could EVER tell me that a few months later we would…

• Be in the process of buying a brand new home
• Feel the freedom of paying bills without being forced to use our credit cards
• Be saving and still have ‘fun money’ to spend on the things we love

If you’re worried a budget would stop you from living life to the full, I would recommend working with Paige.

Because this has been the most freedom I have felt in 20 years!

It is never too late to start making good decisions. And if I can do it, trust me – anyone can do it!”

Hope*, California

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If you’d love to feel more in control of your finances, let go of anxiety and guilt around money, and start working towards your financial goals while still living a life filled with joy, one-on-one financial coaching could be a FANTASTIC next step for you.

I’d love for you to reach out by replying to this email or booking a free discovery call via my website. 

And if we discover that financial coaching isn’t the right solution for you right now, I’ll recommend the best next step for you to take on your journey to financial freedom.

PS. I only have 6 spots available for financial coaching for the rest of 2020, and I’m offering a $75 discount to anyone who reaches out to me before the end of the day on Tuesday 20th 🙂