Hello! I’m really excited that you’re here!
If you’ve found your way to the Start Here page it means you’re looking to make a change or pick up some new financial tricks. I hope you find something here that speaks to you!
My whole purpose in running this site is to help others get their money on track, pay of debt, kick start savings, and just generally cheer you towards your goals. I operate on the principle that finances are personal and money exists to be spent. This is the judgement free zone.
If you want to pay off debt as fast as you can, I got you. If you’re looking to save a little extra, I’m here for it. If you don’t want to change a thing about your money, I still support you and there’s something here for you too!
Starting Your Budget
When we first started paying off debt we created a super basic and simple budget that worked for YEARS. I laid out how to do that in this post about how to build a budget in 20 minutes.
It may not be a perfect budget and it may not instantly change your life. However, this whole process is about building your resilience and learning on your feet. You can do this, you just need to start somewhere.
Boosting Your Savings
Once you get your monthly bills under control it’s time to plan for some future spending. My favorite things in the world are our sinking funds. I have a post that lays out how to set yours up and even has a free download for a sinking fund tracker.
Sinking funds look different for everyone, this is your chance to cover those random pop-up expenses and also to plan for a future trip. It’s your choice!
This is also a great time to start putting an emergency fund together. It’s so important to have a stash of funds set aside to cover you when the inevitable happens. Whether it’s $1,000 or $25,000 is up to you, the fact is you will need it!
Kicking Debt to the Curb
We started paying off debt in the Fall of 2018 and it has slowly grown to become a major part of our lives. Our kids are very up to date on the state of the budget and love coloring our debt free trackers as we get close to our goals.
For more details on how much debt we’ve paid off and what made us begin to make these changes check out this post right here. You can also learn about the one major change I made in my daily life that has helped drive our financial success.
Want to get started on your own debt pay-off journey? More on that coming soon, for now, let’s get your budget and savings in shape!
Keeping Your Motivation
Once you’re on the road to paying off debt and budgeting it can be hard to keep that motivation going. So, so hard.
Here’s a couple tips to help keep you on track:
- Adjust your social feeds: Social media can be a major motivator and sharing your journey and following others helps keep it on your mind and in front of your eyes.
- Share with your family and friends: There is nothing shameful about taking control of your finances but it can feel really embarrassing to talk about. I encourage you to talk about it anyway. We’re all in this together and letting the people around you know your goals and what you’re doing gives them an opportunity to be your cheerleaders.
- Visual Reminders: Print yourself some visual motivation like our savings trackers or debt free charts. Maybe add some motivational quotes or a vision board in an area you’ll see it daily. Paying off debt can be a long and exhausting journey so remind yourself why you’re on this road.
- Celebrate your successes: Making small goals that you can hit along the way is key to finding that big debt free success. Please celebrate yourself and what you are accomplishing! When you shift your mindset and pay off your first credit card do something for YOU! Just because this is hard work does not mean it has to be joyless work.
