5 Life Changing Money Moves to Make Right Now When it comes to success in your finances, there are a few basic things that can easily take you to the next level. While most of your actions won’t lead to overnight success, those actions will accumulate over time to produce massive results. Life-changing money moves don’t have to be big; they just have to be consistent. In fact, I don’t believe people should only chase quick wins – in finances and in life. I believe people should be willing to work for the things they want. When you put in the work, you get the results. If you’re ready for life-changing results with your money, I got you! Check out 5 life-changing money moves to make right now and see that success you’re after. #1 Invest in your financial success “Working with Raya was the best investment I’ve ever made in myself”. One of my graduated clients Brittany shared that feedback with me after we completed our 12-week one-on-one coaching program. That’s just one of the many amazing testimonials I’ve received from past clients. Any time a client signs up to work with me (and pays the hefty price tag), they never regret it. When you invest in yourself, you’re more committed than if you sign up for something free. I’ve charged a lot less for my financial coaching and seen the difference in the amount of work, time, and discipline a person puts in. I’m not saying you have to invest in me to make this life-changing money move, I’m saying you have to invest in your own financial success…that may be with any coach or advisor you see fit. When you invest in your financial success, you’re not only putting up your dollars to see a return, but you’re putting in the energy, time, and effort to see your investment through. Even if you take away one small nugget of information from your investment, it can lead to long term, compounding gains. Investing in your financial success doesn’t just mean working with a coach or advisor. It could also mean signing up for an online program, attending a class for a semester, investing in a new business, or putting your money to work in investments. If you’re looking for an online program, self-paced and delivering the information in reasonable pieces, I strongly suggest you check out the Money Management Mastery for Working Women program. It features everything you need to master managing your money, for the long term! #2 Finally start investing There’s no doubt about it…investing your money in the stock market, for the long term, is the absolute best way to build wealth over time. Your money just compiles and compiles. Your gains on your initial investment yield their own gains. It’s a never-ending compounding cycle that makes millionaires.  However, you have to start early. The best returns with the stock market come over the course of time. The more time you give yourself, the more money you’ll have when you’re ready to take the money out of the market. One of the best life-changing money moves you can make right now is to start investing. You’re likely already investing. If you’re contributing to a 401k or IRA, then you’re investing. If you’re not, that’s one of the easiest ways to get started. Another easy way to get started is to open a general investment account with Betterment or Digit and start putting your money into funds they pick for you, based on your goals. There are no more excuses for not investing. Put your money up, and you’ll thank me in the future! #3 Get your business plan mapped outHere’s what I’ve realized about business. In 1 year, you can earn as much money as it would’ve taken you to work 5 years in the corporate world…or longer! Starting a business, and seeing it through to profitability is a total life-changing money move. It not only takes your income to new levels quicker, but it can open the door for true financial freedom. Not everyone has the entrepreneurial bug, and that’s okay. But if starting a business has always been a dream of yours…it’s time to make it a reality. Get your business plan mapped out. You don’t have to get crazy with it! Just put a plan in place that outlines the problem your business idea will solve. From there, outline how you will get customers. Then, get to work. #4 Add “Charity, Tithe and Donations” to your budget I can truly attest to the power of giving. Not only does donating, tithing or giving make you feel better, but it brings a new level of gratitude to your life. That gratitude is what opens the door for more financial (and non-financial) blessings to come your way. Even if you think you don’t have the money, adding a category to your budget for giving/donating is a life-changing money move. You’ll come to find that even if you thought you didn’t have the money to give, you still manage to give…and your responsibilities are still taken care of. Don’t wait until you make more money to start donating. Start donating now and it’ll just get easier when more money does end up coming your way. Trust me, it certainly will. #5 Prioritize saving for emergencies Absolutely everyone needs to have some sort of money saved for an emergency. It doesn’t have to be the standard 3-6 months’ worth of living expenses. It does, however, need to be an amount that would cover you if something unexpected were to happen. Not only does saving for emergencies help you in times of need (and believe me, those times will come), it gives you a sense of security. You feel less stressed knowing that if something were to happen, you’d be able to cover all or a portion of it with your emergency savings. Now, if you’re wondering if you should save for emergencies before paying off debt, the answer is “yes”. However, your emergency savings doesn’t need to be large. It just needs to be something put away to cover you in case of something happening. I’d recommend saving $500-$1000, based on your situation and comfort level, then shift your focus to paying off debt fully. Related: 5 Money Moves to Feel Financially in Charge Whether you start with one item on this list or tackle all five, each of the items on this list will help you take your finances to a new level. The items on this list will produce the long-term results and success you’re worthy of. You can do it! Just stay the course, stay consistent, and stay motivated. Have you done or started doing any of these things? Drop a comment … 5 Life Changing Money Moves to Make Right NowRead More »

6 Negative Thoughts Hurting Your Money Situation It’s been said that negative thoughts lead to a negative life. Whether true or not, it’s not worth risking it! When it comes to how you think, positivity is the only way to go…especially with your money. The more positively you think, the more gratitude you express, and the more likely you are to have wins consistently come your way.  With that being said, if negativity is your go-to state of mind, it’s time to change things up. I’m sharing 6 negative thoughts hurting your money situation so you can turn those thoughts around. 6 Negative Thoughts Hurting Your Money Situation #1 “I’m broke” Here’s the thing: whether you’re truly broke or not, the fact that you think it makes it your reality. Read 5 Signs You Shouldn’t Be as Broke as You Are to really determine if you’re broke or not.  Most of the time people aren’t really broke…or they shouldn’t be. They’re just overspending, which makes them feel like they’re broke. Instead of letting the broke mentality get the better of you, figure out what’s really going on with your money. Get your budget set up and you’ll know instantly if you’re “broke” or not.  If the numbers show you don’t make enough money, I still want you to stop thinking you’re broke. Instead, start thinking that you need to make more money! #2 “I don’t make good money” When you think you don’t make good money, you don’t appreciate the money you do make. It’s almost as if you’re disrespecting your income.  I will tell you this—if the money you make covers all of your basic living necessities, then you make good money. At minimum, you need to be able to survive. When you can’t sustain your basic lifestyle with your income, you should be seeking more money. Our thoughts are all a matter of perception, but perception is also usually the reality. Start perceiving that you make good money and you’ll start believing you make good money.  Not to mention, “good” is purely an opinion. What does “good” mean to you? If you don’t make “good” money, go out there and make it! #3 “I’ll die with debt” With student loan debt in the trillions, it’s hard not to think you’ll die with debt. If you went to a four-year university, then got a master’s degree, and then got a doctorate, you likely have a hefty debt bill.  But that doesn’t mean you’ll die with debt! Even if your debt appears to have no end in sight, focusing on paying it off should be your biggest goal. This gets at the philosophy of focusing on the solution, not the problem. Your debt is the problem, but paying it off is the solution. You can’t sit and waste your energy thinking and focusing on the problem. That won’t fix it. Only when you shift focus to the solution—paying off your debt—will you start feeling better and recognizing your wins. #4 “I’ll never be successful”  Just like I mentioned making “good money” is purely subjective, so is “success.” You get to determine what success looks like for you. It doesn’t have to mirror what other people have.  And please, don’t mirror success off of what celebrities have! They should be excluded from any comparison game! I challenge you to think about what success means to you personally. Does it look like retiring early? Is it having all of your debt, including mortgage, paid off? Will success mean you’re a millionaire?  Only you can decide what success looks like for your life. Once you decide on what constitutes success, start thinking about what you need to do to get there. What steps can you take right now to get you closer to that “successful” life? That’s where your focus should be. When you make success attainable, by getting clear on what it looks like, you can start working towards it. Before you know it, you will be successful! #5 “That person is better off because of X, Y, Z” Like I said above, celebrities should be left out of any comparison—their situation is completely different from everyone else’s. However, a best practice is not to compare yourself to others, period.  You don’t really know what a person has. Even if they put stuff on social media or tell you what they have, it doesn’t make it true. People only share the good, and forget to mention the bad. Instead of thinking that person is better off because of X, Y, or Z, shift your thoughts to “that person seems to have X, Y, or Z, and that’s something I’d like to work towards.” Put the focus back on you and your situation. That person may have X, Y, or Z and you’re jealous of it, but you don’t know what they did to get it—or if they truly even have it. Once again, looking at what you can control is the most important thing. You can’t control what others have, but you can control how you think about it. You don’t have to let it get you jealous. You can choose to let it inspire or motivate you.  #6 “I can’t control myself” This is a big one! You CAN control yourself! In fact, you’re the only one in control. No one is holding you at gunpoint and forcing you to swipe your credit card! No one is waking you up in the middle of the night and demanding ransom if you don’t shop on Amazon!  My point is that you’re fully in control of your actions. It may not feel that way at times, but it’s true. Once you start understanding that your actions are purely a result of your thoughts, you’ll start thinking differently. Do you go out to eat every Friday because you think you’ve earned it after a hard week? You can shift your thinking to keeping money in your bank account because you work so hard for it. Like I said, you get to dictate how you think and what you do. When you start recognizing that, the game changes!  You start thinking like a winner and therefore you start acting like a winner. Each and every one of us is capable! It’s simply a matter of doing. Related: 10 Money Mantras to Spark Financial Motivation Even if you don’t believe thinking positively can make your life better, you need to realize that thinking negatively isn’t helping anything either! Since you have a choice in the matter, because you control your thinking, it’s worth transitioning from the dark side.  Stop thinking negatively and watch your situation come to life! Do you tend to have negative thoughts? How do you keep yourself positive and motivated? Share your feedback in the … 6 Negative Thoughts Hurting Your Money SituationRead More »

5 Ideas to Help You Live Below Your Means There’s no better time to think about your finances than now. Sometimes just the thought of money can bring on a headache, but it’s important to begin thinking about it—unless you have a financial advisor, no one is thinking about our money but you.  As you’ve probably heard many times before, money does not grow on trees! What that really means is that money is not freely available. Instead, you have to work for it. So why would you continuously spend money if it’s not being replaced just as quickly? Now, before that money headache starts, we ask you to take a deep breath, grab your favorite beverage, and read on. Check out these five ideas to help you live below your means, and stack that extra paper for a rainy day.  #1 Don’t Rely on Credit Cards Credit cards seem great, in that they allow you to make big purchases if you don’t have the money up front, and they give you the ability to pay off those purchases over time. The downside is the high-interest rate that credit cards charge—if you can’t pay off your bill in full every month, you’ll end up paying more for every purchase just because of interest. Astonishingly, only 35% of Americans have no credit card debt at all. This shocking number goes to show how tempting credit cards are, and how quickly they can get you into debt.  If you are using credit cards, we encourage you to use less than 30% of your credit card limit and pay the balance in full every month—or make extra payments on your debt until it’s done. Using more than 30% of your credit limit indicates to banks that you may be in financial distress, and negatively affects your credit score.  #2 Track Your Spending If you don’t have a firm grasp on your finances from moment to moment, it’s easy to slip into bad financial habits. Once you’ve created a budget, consider tracking your spending to ensure you don’t fall off track.  Tracking your spending can be tough at first, but you can knock it out of the ballpark. By recording each purchase you make in a notebook, a spreadsheet, or as part of your budget, you will have to think twice before buying something. You will always know how much money you have left in each budget category.  This way, you might be less inclined to buy that $5 coffee when you know you have some at home, especially if you’re getting close to your spending limit on eating out. Tracking your spending can be one of the most important actions you can take to live below your means.  #3  Get Your Hustle On If you work a standard 9-5 job, it can be difficult to pick up a second shift somewhere else without stretching yourself too thin. On the bright side, there are numerous ways you can monetize your hobbies and interests.  Everywhere you look, you can find people who are turning their hobbies into an income. Who’s to say you can’t do the same, as long as it’s not costing you more than you make? Entrepreneurship is also a fantastic way to earn more income and help you live below your new, more profitable means. Consider starting a small business, or even working in the gig economy by driving for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, or other organizations.  #4 Reduce Spending Did you know that in 2017, the average income before taxes was $73,573, while the average annual expenditure was $60,060? That is not a lot of wiggle room, especially once takes are taken into account! As you get into the habit of tracking your expenses, you should also start asking yourself, “Do I really need this?” Reducing your expenses is one of the biggest ways to ensure you are living below your means and saving for your financial goals, for emergencies, and for retirement.  Instead of going out for lunch and dinner, pack a lunch and cook at home. Since most gyms are following COVID-19 guidelines, canceling an expensive gym membership and exercising at home could help you save money. Take a look at all of the subscriptions you have, and see which of them you can live without—then save the difference.  You can also save money on debt. For example, if your credit card company is unwilling to negotiate a lower interest rate for a high-interest card, consider a credit card balance transfer. Balance transfers may have a small fee and APR, but these add-ons are typically lower than the rate of the card you’re transferring away from. Sometimes just telling your credit card company you’ve found a lower rate will convince them to give you a better deal!  By finding ways to spend less than you make and save money on your debt, you can get out of debt faster and save up for big purchases and long-term goals.  #5 Save from the Start It can be beneficial to take some of your bread and automatically transfer it to your 401(k), Roth IRA, savings account, or emergency fund before your paycheck even hits your checking account. Saving right off the bat means you’ll never even miss the money.  In most cases, banks and employers allow for automatic transfers. When you get paid, funds can automatically be dispersed to different accounts so you can resist spending more than you should, while also saving for the future.  You can’t spend what you can’t see! Implementing these five simple ideas has helped people keep more money in their pockets—and their retirement accounts—than they ever imagined was possible. If you’re trying to figure out how to live below your means, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal and see if these ideas will work for you! Related: 5 Ways to Make Your Next Budget a Success Let us know which ideas you tried and what a difference it made for your pocketbook! Keep in touch and share with your friends and family. Find us over at IG and Twitter @citygirlsavings, and check out our CGS Facebook group, where community members like you have a safe place to share their money … 5 Ideas to Help You Live Below Your MeansRead More »

Understanding Money Scarcity and How it Impacts You According to Dictionary.com, scarcity means, “insufficiency or shortness of supply.” When I refer to money scarcity, I’m referring to the lack of money—more specifically, a person’s thoughts around their lack of money. Understanding money scarcity is key.In this post, I get specific about how a person thinks because we’re often biased. We may think we have a lack of money when we actually don’t. I want to make sure you understand money scarcity and how it impacts you, so you can start shifting your frame of mind and putting yourself in a position to receive more blessings.Understanding money scarcityFirst, what is money scarcity?As I touched on earlier, money scarcity is a  lack of money, or a person’s thinking that they have a lack of money. We’ll distinguish between these two ideas further on in this article. All I want you to understand for now is that a person truly can have money scarcity (a lack of money) or they could just think they have money scarcity (they do have enough; they just don’t think so).Unfortunately, the more you think something is true, the truer it becomes for you. For example, if you’re constantly telling yourself you don’t have enough—whether it’s true or not—you’ll never believe you have enough. This is why the mindset is critical. How you think often dictates how you behave and those behaviors drive you to actions that align with how you think. If you think you’re broke, you’re going to act broke. What actually constitutes true money scarcity?Since scarcity means “shortness of supply,” money scarcity can be seen as a shortness of money supply. Basically, money scarcity is a lack of money.What constitutes true money scarcity is a person not having enough to survive on. Survival doesn’t mean shopping, dining out, or traveling. Survival means having a roof over your head and any kind of food on the table.The best way to determine if money scarcity applies to your situation is to get clear on your numbers. What amount do you have coming in? What amount is going out for your basic bills and necessities? What is left over? If you have a left-over amount, then you’re not money scarce. You’re just not doing the right things with your money. On the other hand, if your income doesn’t cover your basic living necessities, then the money is scarce for you. That has to change ASAP. The longer you’re in a money deficit (i.e. more going out than coming in), the further behind you will get. Start looking into adding additional income streams. Your only focus should be on bringing in more money.Why changing your views around how much you have is criticalAfter completing the exercise above, regardless of what the results show, you need to start changing your views about your money situation. You should no longer think from a place of lack or scarcity. Instead, focus on finding a solution to the problem.If you have a profit each month, the solution is to make sure that profit stays in your account. If you have a deficit, the solution is to make more money. At this point, you should understand whether your problem is one of mindset or of true scarcity. Now: How are you going to fix it?Shifting your view from “lack” to “solution” will change the trajectory of your actions. Like I stated above, how you think dictates how you act. If you think in a solution-based way, you’ll act like a person who solves problems. That’s what you want—especially with your money.Negative thoughts lead to negative situationsContinuing the thought process above, if you’re constantly thinking negatively about your money (or life in general), negative things will constantly happen, whether your actions create the negativity or not. You won’t even be able to see good things happening, because you’re only focused on the negative.Negative thoughts lead to negative situations. As you start shifting to a solution-based mindset, start practicing gratitude for the problems you do solve. More importantly, start recognizing the good things in your life (I promise they exist). Focus on what you can control. Choose to see the good and solve the bad. Money scarcity can get the best of you, but only if you let it!I cover money mindset in detail in the Money Management Mastery for Working Women program. If you’re ready to start mastering the money you make, you don’t want to miss the self-paced online course!Related: The One Thing You Need to Change Your Finances for the Better When you think in terms of “lack”, you’ll never have enough—in any area of life. Start appreciating what you have by expressing gratitude for your money. If you have a job, you have something to be grateful for. You can change your mindset around money scarcity by simply shifting your thoughts. Do you tend to come from a place of scarcity or abundance? What keeps you focused on the positive with your money? I’d love to hear from y … Understanding Money Scarcity and How it Impacts YouRead More »

January 2021 Money Review When it … January 2021 Money ReviewRead More »

6 Long Term Beauty Habits to Start Now Isn’t it every person’s dream to not have to worry about their physical appearance? Though society bombards us with messages about how beauty is the most important thing, the team at City Girl Savings knows there is way more to life than the superficial exterior. Long term beauty habits have more value than just vanity!Before you start to go down the rabbit hole of beauty secrets your favorite celebrity shared on Instagram and arguing about how important beauty is, know that we do agree that it’s important to take care of your exterior shell! However, it’s vital to remember that beauty is only skin deep—what’s on the inside always matters more.With that said, here are a few long-term beauty habits to develop now so that your outsides will always match the beauty of your insides.#1 Speak to a DermatologistWhen thinking about beauty habits, you can never go wrong in talking to a professional. We highly recommend making an appointment with a dermatologist who can assist with getting your skin health on track.It’s also important to have a dermatologist do a full body skin check to look for suspicious moles, which can be a sign of skin cancer. This exam should be done once a year, and can help in detecting problems early on.#2 Moisturize + SPFVitamin D from the sun is an important part of a healthy, balanced life, but too much time in the sun can also be harmful. It’s important to use a moisturizer with SPF, whether you’re spending time inside or outdoors.We often forget to put that SPF on when the sun isn’t out, but the harmful UV rays that cause skin damage get through that cloud cover! It’s important to protect your skin, and moisturizer with built-in SPF makes the process hassle-free.Remember that unprotected exposure to the sun can cause premature aging of your skin, and increases your risk of skin cancer!#3 ExfoliateExfoliating sounds like a harsh thing to do to your skin, but it’s actually important to include it in your long-term beauty routines now! Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells, which increases body circulation and allows moisturizer to be absorbed more easily.Some prefer to exfoliate daily, while others prefer to only do so a couple of times a week. It all depends on your skin type.If adding another step to your beauty routine sounds like a hassle, remember that it doesn’t need to be! You can simply add a loofah or a great-smelling scrub to your shower, and they will act as a reminder.#4 Remove MakeupWe know how it feels to be exhausted after a long day, whether that’s working from home and being in back-to-back Zoom meetings, or serving on the front lines as an essential worker. Some days, you just want to fall into bed as soon as work as done.However, not stopping to remove your makeup first is a recipe for disaster! We know that makeup removal can be just one more task at the end of the day, but you’ll thank us in the long run.When you don’t cleanse your face after wearing makeup, you end up going to sleep with impurities on your skin that can cause more problems down the road. Plus, you don’t want to mess up your bedding with day-old makeup smears!Taking the time to wash your face before you go to bed can be a relaxing ritual that signals the end of the workday, and leaves you with balanced, soft, and radiant skin.#5 Toss the Old Stuff OutWe know that throwing things out can feel like a waste of money, but we have to accept the brutal truth: makeup doesn’t last forever. Using old makeup might seem like a good way to save money, but it also comes with the risk of transferring harmful bacteria to your skin!The last thing anyone wants to deal with is a breakout or infection when trying to get their beauty routine in check. Take a glance over your makeup, and get rid of anything that you know is too old to still use.Besides, getting rid of the old stuff means you have a great excuse to take a trip to your favorite cosmetic store! Once you get into the habit of tossing out the old and bringing in the new, you’ll see a drastic difference in your skin and beauty regimen.#6 Treat Your NailsMany people don’t recognize how important good nail care actually is. Whether you religiously paint your nails as self-care, or are constantly picking and biting at your cuticles, most of us long for healthy, perfectly manicured nails.One way to reach that goal is to start massaging vitamin E into your cuticles and nails before you sleep. Vitamin E is a naturally occurring antioxidant found in foods like nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables. It is important for many processes in the body, and can contribute to healthy, strong cuticles and nails.You should also start using a base coat under your manicures! A base coat will protect your nails from the harsher chemicals sometimes found in nail polish, and can even help your manicure last a little longer.Related: 6 Bad Beauty Habits to Stop Now It doesn’t matter how old you are, there are some beauty habits you should start developing now! These simple, effective beauty habits might seem small, but the results will speak for themselves down the road.What are your favorite beauty routines? Be sure to join the conversation and follow us on our Twitter and IG @citygirlsavings, and check out our Facebook group page! It’s always a pleasure to hear from the community!-Tae … 6 Long Term Beauty Habits to Start NowRead More »

How to Remove Bias from Your Budget When it comes to your budget, the less bias there is, the better the budget will be. Meaning, you’ll want to approach your budget logically. Emotions can cloud your judgement and lead to delayed progress. You can remove bias from your budget and still achieve the things you want! While it’s not always easy to put emotions to the side and look at things logically, it’s an absolute must when it comes to budgeting. Not sure how to remove bias and emotion from your budget? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I’m walking you through how to remove bias from your budget, so you can approach it with logic and reason. How to Remove Bias from Your Budget #1 Start with the basic numbers The one thing I love about budgeting is that it’s completely logical: The numbers don’t lie. You can’t argue with the facts.  To remove bias from your budget, list out your basic numbers, including income and expenses. How much money should be coming in over the course of the month? How much should be going out? When you have the basic numbers written out, you can easily see if they’re realistic or not.  If you don’t make enough income to cover your monthly bills and expenses, you’ll never get ahead. Something will have to go.  If your income covers your bills and expenses and leaves you with money left over, you have a profit. This profit can (and should) be allocated to helping you reach your goals. There’s nothing like solid numbers to work with as a starting point! #2 Think about how you typically spend your money After your basic numbers are defined, think about how you typically spend your money. If you do have a profit each month, are you actually seeing it? If not, then you’re probably spending the surplus. Coming back to the logical side of budgeting, ask yourself if how you spend your money makes sense: Do you often spend without a game plan?  Are you an emotional spender?  Do you stick to your spending limits (and have you actually set them)?  When trying to remove bias from your budget, you need to get clear on how you typically spend your money—regardless of what it’s spent on. When you get clear on your spending habits, you can start pinpointing how logical (or illogical) your habits are. Once you know better, you can start doing better. #3 Be realistic with your new budget allocations As I stated, once you know better, you can start doing better. That starting point comes in the form of allocating your budget categories. Now that you can clearly see where your money is going, it’s time to determine if it should be going somewhere else. As you map out what should be happening with your budget, continue to take that logical approach. It’s not logical (or realistic) to remove all discretionary spending from your budget. On the flip side, it’s not logical to give yourself hundreds of dollars to spend on fun when you only have $100 going to savings.  Find the middle ground. It’s all about trial and error when it comes to budgeting. #4 Identify your spending triggers We all have different things that trigger us to spend money, especially when we shouldn’t. Some people get stressed out and head straight to Amazon prime. Others get excited and head to the department store.  It’s important for your budget that you identify your spending triggers. When you know what causes you to “not care” and spend when you shouldn’t, you can actively seek to avoid those things. Not sure where to start when identifying your spending triggers? Start with mindfulness: Any time you go to spend money, ask yourself if the item you’re purchasing is budgeted for or not. If it’s not budgeted for, go deeper. Ask yourself why you’re buying the item when you didn’t plan or budget for it.  This practice will take some getting used to, but the more awareness you bring to spending, the better understanding you’ll have. #5 Have a game plan for handling things that trigger you to spend Once you’re able to identify your spending triggers, the next step is to handle or avoid them! If certain people always cause you to go over budget, then delay plans until you can afford them. If stress or sadness triggers you to spend, find alternative ways to handle those feelings. It’s not always going to work out as planned, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make positive strides forward. Prepare a plan ahead of time so you’re not caught off guard when the situation pops up. Trust me, something will always pop up. #6 If all else fails, seek an unbiased party to help Lastly, if nothing seems to work or you can’t control your spending, seek help. Work with a therapist or coach. When your spending is tied to past trauma or emotion, a therapist is a great way to start. If you just haven’t found the discipline or accountability to stick to your budget, a finance coach can assist. I work with clients to help them create and stick to realistic budget plans. A lot of times, having accountability until they’re on the right track, is all my clients need to get the ball rolling and see progress with their money.  If you need some assistance, schedule a free financial focus call with me and we can chat about it! Everyone is capable of sticking to a budget. You just have to believe it and then achieve it! Related: 7 Signs You Need a Finance Coach When I talk about removing bias from your budget, I’m ultimately referring to emotion and judgement. Your budget should be approached from a place of logic and reason, not emotion.  While you do want to make sure you factor in the things you enjoy, it’s important to not go overboard. Do you approach your budget with logic? How have you made your budget as unbiased as possible? Share your experiences in the comments section below! -Ray … How to Remove Bias from Your BudgetRead More »

5 Reasons Not to Blame Yourself for Past Financial Mistakes Accountability is an important trait to have in life. However, do not let the weight of taking accountability consume you to the point of no return. More times than you might imagine, we blame ourselves for mistakes, whether those are bad investments, financial mistakes, or pride. To improve and grow, we shouldn’t blame ourselves for past financial mistakes. As long as you recognized the mistake and corrected it as much as you could, you should also forgive yourself. Check out these five reasons why you should not beat yourself up for any past financial mistakes. #1 Mistakes Happen If there has not been one mistake you have made in your life thus far, I am reporting you to the artificial intelligence committee because there’s no way you’re real. We’re all human and whether we had full control over the financial situation or not, the mistake happened and it’s important to grow and learn from it.  Of course, that is easier said than done—but trust us when we say we have been there and done that. It’s human to blame ourselves. We blame ourselves because we have some guilt for not following our instincts (or the little voice in the back of our head that saying, “No, don’t do that, hold off”), even when our instincts were right.  Once the mistake happens, the only thing left to do is correct it to the best of our ability and walk away with our head held high.  #2 Mistakes Teach Resilience  Failure builds character, and if you have never failed, then you are not living. We’re not promoting failure, but we do want you to understand that failure is just part of life.  When you make a bad investment and lose more money than you anticipated, it teaches you to dig deep and not let the situation become a bigger problem.  Resilience can’t really be taught: it is learned when you find yourself in that moment when you must sink or swim.  The key is not to blame yourself, but find the healthy space of taking accountability while making positive changes.  #3 Mistakes Shaped Your Financial Path  Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, it is important to know all the decisions you’ve made—both good and bad—have brought you to this very place in your life. That bad financial mistake had to happen to bring you to where you are now, in this very moment, reading this very post.  As the saying goes, everything happens for a reason – sure, that financial mistake might have caused a domino effect of other unforeseen things to happen, but somewhere there is a silver lining.  Although that mistake hurt at the moment, stop hurting yourself now—because you only have one life to live, and you can’t change the past! Use what you know now, that you probably didn’t know back then, and make better decisions for your future.  #4 Do Your ResearchAll too often, we tend to go off of someone else’s words or results and never take the time to do our own research. That alone is the number one recipe for the disaster of making a bad investment.  However, it’s important to stop blaming yourself for your lack of understanding and learn from the situation. Doing your research will help you understand the risks of any investment you’re considering.  A rule of thumb that I have always found helpful is receiving confirmations in threes. One: I have done the research for myself but might still have some concerns or questions. Two: I have spoken to someone who has made a similar investment and heard their results. Three: randomly coming across the subject during my research! #5 You’re Human  We are not a database that is programmed to do no wrong. We are human and because we are human, there is room for error.   If you made a decision that ultimately ended in failure, don’t regret it. No one likes to make mistakes and we are confident that if it were up to us there would be none! But the reality is, we all make mistakes. After making a mistake, we can ponder our inefficiencies, our shortcomings, and look for ways to enhance our results. Learn to understand mistakes. Allow that learning to fuel you rather than defeat you. Allow it to make you into a better version of yourself, because that’s just what it will do. Hollywood portrayals might promise a life full of bubblegum, glitter, and glamor—but that’s not the reality most of us live in. In fact, success comes from failures and having doors shut in your face.  Related:6 Mistakes to Avoid When Paying Off Debt   There is no reason to constantly blame yourself for things that have happened in your past. Let today be the first day of many of freeing yourself from those negative thoughts.  Check us out on Twitter and Instagram @citygirlsavings. Also, join the conversation with the City Girl Savings team via our Facebook group. We always l … 5 Reasons Not to Blame Yourself for Past Financial MistakesRead More »

7 Habits of Highly Effective People If you haven’t read Stephen Covey’s national best-selling book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, hop on over to Amazon and order it right now…then come back! In the book, Covey shares 7 interpersonal principles that can and should be adopted to become a happier and more successful person. He explores each of the habits to how you can change from the inside out. It’s a great book for anyone looking to lead a more purpose-filled life. I’m going to give you a high-level walkthrough of the 7 habits of highly effective people, but I strongly encourage you read the book to really feel its power! 7 Habits of Highly Effective People #1 Be proactive The first habit shared by Covey is, “be proactive.” This means not just taking initiative, but taking full ownership and responsibility for your own life. Don’t blame outside individuals, influences, or circumstances for things that happen to you. Make a conscious effort to take responsibility for the things that happen to you, good and bad. Covey dives deep into the proactive versus reactive life. Reactive people only focus on things they can’t control, where proactive people focus on what they can control. Sticking to goals and commitments is one of the best ways to focus on what you can control and live a proactive (not reactive) lifestyle. #2 Begin with the end in mind Covey’s second habit requires people to think about what kind of life they want to be remembered for, then moving in that direction each day. This requires you to do things and take action in line with that end result. Knowing what’s important to you means you can live your life doing what matters most. Covey states that the most effective way to begin with the end in mind is to create a personal mission statement. Your personal mission statement should focus on the following: What you want to be (character) What you want to do (contributions and achievements) The values upon which both of these things are based I created my own personal mission statement while reading this book. I even made it into a pretty PDF format, so I can always refer back to it! I don’t review it as often as I’d like, but I do my best to live my life in service to my personal mission statement. #3 Put first things first Habit three focuses on the importance of managing one’s self by sheer, independent will. This means that an effective person knows what needs to get done and begins with the end in mind—and then they get those things done before anything else. Highly effective people put first things first…and the right things come first. This habit dives deep into specific actions a person must perform on a regular basis. These actions have particular criteria (for example, actions must be principle-centered and give balance to your life). The way the actions are aligned maximizes results and relationships, not just time. #4 Think win/win Covey stresses that win/win isn’t a technique, it’s a philosophy of human interaction. It’s a frame of mind that seeks out a mutual benefit for all parties involved. This means that all agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, and everyone involved feels satisfied with the outcome. To become effective with win/win, Covey describes five “independent dimensions” that must be embraced. These dimensions include: Character Relationships Agreements Win/win performance agreements and supportive systems, and  Processes Covey explores these dimensions in detail for true understanding. #5 Seek to understand first, before making yourself understood Habit five refers to the importance of clear communication in becoming a highly effective person. Covey stresses the value of listening, as opposed to speaking and hearing, and urges people to make it a point to understand before trying to be understood. It takes patience and empathy to truly understand someone, and it takes courage to speak up in order to be understood. An effective person seeks to master both ends of the spectrum. #6 Learn to synergize When synergy is operating at its fullest, it incorporates the desire to reach win/win agreements with clear, empathetic communication. Covey believes synergizing is a habit of true leaders that unleashes great power. Ultimately, synergy is a creative process that requires a person to be open, vulnerable, and able to communicate clearly. It means balancing the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between a group of people and, in doing so, influencing a new chain of thinking for all involved. #7 Sharpen the saw The final habit involves enhancing yourself through the four “dimensions of renewal.” These dimensions include: physical, social/emotional, spiritual, and mental. Again, Covey goes into each dimension in detail but stresses that each area needs to be a focus for true effectiveness. To “sharpen the saw” means to work on all four dimensions on a consistent basis. This is the most important investment you can make in your life, as you are the instrument of your performance. It’s essential to focus on each area with balance. Covey believes if you focus too much on one area, you inevitably neglect another.  If you’re ready to become effective in your finances, then register for the Money Management Mastery program today! Related: 7 Things Successful People Do that Most People Don’t  If my walkthrough of the 7 habits of highly effective people leaves you feeling empowered, then make sure you pick up Stephen Covey’s book! There are so many great tools and examples in the book that will ensure you have everything you need to become a highly effective person.  Have you read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? What did you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! … 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleRead More »