February is a month of remembering and celebrating love. On Valentine’s Day, many people celebrated this occasion by buying gifts, flowers, and chocolates, and taking their loved ones out to fancy dinners. For this day, people are willing to splurge and spend in the name of love.
Did you remember to show the same amount of love to the person who needs it most?
YOU. You are as worthy of love as anyone else, not just on Valentine's Day but every day. It shouldn’t take a commercial holiday like Valentine’s Day for you to remember to love yourself.
Self-love comes from within. You need to dig deep to get to know yourself and fall in love with all the unique qualities that make you who you are. It’s powerful and it takes practice to align your transformational actions with your heart. You’ll start to see these improvements create a domino effect throughout your life, including your money.
Money, whether we like it or not, is one of the biggest stressors in our lives. We can’t deny the role it plays in our lives. Money is instrumental to something as basic as having our needs met to something as significant as acquiring security or as audacious as financial freedom. Our love of self can help us realize that we are deserving of all of those - and much more - and help to propel us into taking action.
Taking action is part of a bigger goal to achieve your dreams and desires. Realizing your worth helps you stay grounded and consistent in your efforts. Budgeting is one of the actions you take NOW to start YOUR financial freedom journey for your FUTURE.
A budget is a tactical tool that helps you implement YOUR strategy. The process of budgeting allows you to learn about yourself and where your priorities lie. Assess your relationship with money. Is it healthy? If not, how do you switch it up? It’s a great opportunity to examine with fresh eyes what’s non-negotiable. It’s also a fantastic time to decide what needs to be cut to make space for what’s relevant.
Not to deny ourselves, but as a tool for reflection.
That fierce love that you willingly give to others.
Use a budget to design a way to give it to yourself.
Another step to self-care is seeing to it that you’ve budgeted for fun things. Often, to have fun, you must have the FUNds to do it. Budget for things that light you up. Treat and reward yourself. It’s ok to indulge. After all, it is your money.
A budget is just one piece of the puzzle. You also need to have an Emergency Fund to handle uncertainties and protect yourself from the financial burdens of being unprepared.
An Emergency Fund is savings for replacing a LOSS OF INCOME. Some folks use their Emergency Fund for car repairs, home repairs and other unexpected expenses. NOT ME! What if your car breaks down and you get it fixed and a week later you lose your job? Create a dedicated Emergency Fund AND create separate funds for other life events because, sometimes, LIFE BE LIFIN AND A LIL BIT TRIFLIN'.
👀 You know asking for help is NOT your strength.
Well, an emergency fund 💪🏾 can keep you from having to.
You can do better about asking for help with other stuff, though. 😍
My 3-hour Kickstart is for those with the discipline to do it on their own but they’re overwhelmed with doing the research. If you’re suffering from ANALYSIS PARALYSIS, this is for you.
In 3 hours, you’ll know what's coming in and going out and when so that you can meet YOUR goals. Together, we will:
*Create your highly customizable and flexible spending plan
*Create your debt-elimination plan that will free you from debt bondage
*Create your savings plan for your current and future goals
Book your 10-minute Q&A to find out if this 3-hour session is a fit for you.
Pay yourself first! If you are going to spend it on anyone, let it be you.
Examples of paying yourself first.
Funding and maintaining your emergency fund
Vacation/travel fund
Paying down consumer debt
Retirement
Down payment for car
Down payment for house
Investing
Education (I’m not talking about for self- development not more stank *ss student loans)
Hint: Treat each like a bill and be consistent.
Saving is a skill that can be learned and refined with practice. Treat saving like a muscle that must be exercised. A financial coach is like a personal trainer for your money. Whether you’re working out alone or with a trainer, no single session will get everything into the shape that you want it.
It’s possible to go solo but you don’t have to. Sometimes you need an accountability partner, a cheerleader, a tour guide, a dedicated ear (or shoulder), or a hype woman. If this is you, then check out my 3-month program.
Another piece of the puzzle is unshackling yourself from consumer debt. Stop choosing to indenture yourself to interest, fees, and deferred dreams. Use some of every paycheck toward your freedom.
Have you ever tried paying off debt before without getting very far?
The reason that it can feel like you’re just spinning your wheels is because the finance charges get added to the balance. Then you end up paying interest on the interest which becomes your new principle. Credit cards typically accrue interest daily.
Paying the minimum balance is a trap.
I’m not going to hold a gun to your head like Harriet would to encourage you to freedom. However, I am imploring you to start and be consistent. Do whatever you need to do to stay motivated.
Challenge yourself. Make a game of it. Track your credit score along the way to learn how your score is affected. You got this! I believe in you.
Replace KEEP GOING with KEEP PAYING YOURSELF FIRST.
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Check out the replay of my guest spot on Charisma Cares Travels YouTube Channel.
I cover my accidental journey into real estate investing and how it led to me living my dream life. I also share how financial freedom is possible with the right mindset and consistency.
Is your company interested in a financial literacy program as part
of its employee wellness offerings?
Having a Financial Coach is like having a personal trainer for your money.
Find out if an accountability partner, a cheerleader, a tour guide, a dedicated ear (or shoulder) or a hype woman is right for you by scheduling your FREE 30-minute Q&A call.