Today I’m going to tell you 4 things that helped me pay of thousands of dollars in debt. (At least $28,000.) And I want you to keep in mind that I was a single mom making 28k/year.

So if that’s you…there’s hope.

And if you make more than that… there’s even more hope! 😂

Let's get right into it.

1. I became INTENTIONAL over RESPONSIBLE.

How can you become INTENTIONAL over RESPONSIBLE?

Responsible: had an affordable car ($200/mo)

Intentional: sold that car bought a rusty minivan (Big Blue - we came to love you, old friend.)

Responsible: paid my credit card balance almost every month - if I didn’t one month, I definitely did the next.

Intentional: took my credit cards out of my wallet until I got it together.

Responsible: Listed out my bills on paper and paid them every month. Paid all the minimum payments on my debt.

Intentional: Focused on becoming debt free.

For more examples and explanation, listen to the podcast.

Where could you be more intentional with your money?

Be a smart spender(I help with this in episodes 11, 12, 15, 17, 18 and more)

2. I downgraded my living situation.

I mean, I guess I consider it a blessing more than a downgrade to live with my grandma. But with that cheap rent, I was able to stay above water and even get ahead. Housing is the most expensive part of your budget. What can you do to save money on housing?

-Live with family

-Invite someone to live with you

-Rent out your garage

-Move (Yeah, there's a lot of thought that goes into this one, but the point is: Think about it.)

I'm much more convincing with this on the podcast. :)

3. I took a holistic approach.

I worked on the other "4 Pillars of Surviving as a Busy Mom" at the same time. My focus was not MONEY MONEY MONEY. I focused on my overall well-being, peace, and joy.

Simplicity

At the exact same time as I started focusing on my money, I learned about minimalism.

Which helped me focus on simplicity and intentionality. I went through many mindset shifts. I felt lighter. I didn't want stuff. Clearing the clutter helped clear my brain to focus on what mattered.

Self Care

If you've been around for a while, you know I was a wreck before I started this journey. I started taking care of myself, working on my core values, and releasing pent up resentment.

When you focus on taking care of yourself, you start to realize what’s really important, and I guarantee that your happiness, your peace, and your stability is much more important to you that spending your money on the new iPhone or a new purse or whatever.

Systems

Again, I cleared my space, cleared my mental load, read Atomic Habits, and started getting my ish together.

And finally...

4. I stuck to a hardcore weekly budget.

And you should totally listen tothis episodefor all the details on that.

Basically, I was a beast.

And you can be a beast too.

I want this for you.

And if you want help getting started with the budget, don’t forget that you can sign up for theBudget Jumpstart Challenge.I’ll walk you through getting it started. Don’t wait, start now!

I am wishing you less stress, more freedom, and many money goals met.

❤️ Erin