Today, the CGS Team is excited to share our first Client Success Story! Client @tritontrisha was able to reach her goal with the help of City Girl Savings, and we want to congratulate and recognize her for it!

Client Goal: Get rid of debt and save as much as possible for Grad School in London

Client Start Date: April 23, 2016

Client Target Date: September 14, 2016

Client Savings Balance at Start: $1,000

Client Interest-Bearing Debt Balance at Start: $2,061

Client Savings Balance at End: $3,882

Client Interest-Bearing Debt at End: $0

Patricia’s Story (as told by the CGS Financial Consultant):

Patricia reached out to City Girl Savings in early April to get a consultation scheduled. After speaking with Patricia for her consultation, it was clear that she was determined to get rid of her debt and have a firm savings in place when she moved to London in September. Almost immediately after the consultation, Patricia completed the Budget Plan process and I got started! There were definitely some areas of opportunity for Patricia when it came to cutting back certain areas like Meals Out, Bars/Drinks, and Shopping.

Since Patricia only had about 5 months before her move to London, her budget needed to be as tight as possible. However, City Girl Savings is not in the business of “starving” clients. We understand the importance of women being able to live life, however in moderation! Patricia’s Dining Out (Meals Out, Bars/Drinks, Work Lunches, etc.) was cut from $365/month to $150/month.  Her Shopping and Entertainment budget was cut from $342/month to $177/month.  These cut backs would allow Patricia to pay off her debts and have at least $2,500 in savings before she left for London.

Patricia and I would meet every Sunday to review her spending and expenses from the previous week. Patricia would be responsible for using cash for her “non-necessary” spending, as well as keeping a running tab of her expenses (whether through receipts or just written down).  Getting used to the new budget was an adjustment for Patricia, but always keeping the end goal in mind made it possible for her to stick with it.

There were certainly unexpected expenses along the way. Weddings, vacations, and some dental work caused slight variations in Patricia’s budget, however she cut back even more that planned and was able to make up these amounts. Patricia also went above and beyond and started selling old items on eBay. In the course of the 5 months, Patricia earned over $700 from odd jobs, selling items, and credit card reward points.

By staying motivated, being held accountable, and making sacrifices, Patricia was able to pay off all of her interest-bearing credit card debt and save nearly $4000 for grad school. That was nearly $1500 above what we had first budgeted for! Let Patricia’s success show that hard work and consistency can make a huge difference when you are working towards a financial goal. Well Done Patricia!!