How To Win on the She Makes Cents Money Challenge

Published on January 6, 2017February 27, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason4 Comments

Happy 1^st Friday of 2017 everyone and welcome to the 2017 version of the She Makes Cents Money Challenge! Need a quick overview of the She Makes Cents Money Challenge?… click here. If you know me, you know I LOVE Fridays. It’s the day I eat tacos and drink margaritas with a sugar rim, it kicks off the weekend, and it’s the day I make smart money moves on the She Makes Cents Bingo Money Challenge! bingo-money-challenge

The Benefits

They say you should do something today that your future self will thank you for and that is what this money challenge is for me and the #SMCmoneytribe. As a part of the #SMCmoneytribe you will take this financial journey with the best accountability partners….other readers like you. Last year I paid off my credit card completely and I am still carrying a zero balance (insert angels singing…seriously can you hear them?). While I have used the money from this challenge to help pay down debt, other members of the tribe have used their savings to go on vacations, pay for professional certifications, holiday gifts for family, and to ramp up their emergency funds. By accepting this challenge, you will gain more than the financial payout… you will gain a new sense of discipline, determination, and better money habits overall.

Should you get off track, you can always catch up or start over, we just ask that you don’t give up on this challenge, your goals, or yourself. YOU can do it and you have an entire TRIBE of people cheering you on!

Double the Fun

This year I have talked the Mr. into participating…sort of like a dollar for dollar matching. For every number I cross off and save, he will match it. If we decided to “double of fun” last year, we would have saved almost $4,000.00 together. I’m doing this with the hubby because we have a shared travel goals and an invested goal to reduce my student loan debt. The cool thing is that you don’t need a spouse to double your savings, you can do this with anyone who you know and trust who shares your goal. Saving for a girl’s trip, why not combine efforts with your bestie(s)?

If you share your progress on social media (which I highly recommend), please make sure you use the hashtags #SMCmoneytribe so the tribe can cheer you on!

How to Join the Challenge

Want to join the #SMCmoneytribe to get access to a tribe of goal minded accountability partners who are invested in your success and your FREE bingo money guide? Click here, fill in your info, and we will do the rest.

smcmoneytribe

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{2017 Word of the Year} How One Word Will Guide My Entire Year

Published on January 1, 2017January 22, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason5 Comments

fb-qotd-template I pose this question every year and 2017 is no different. What one word reflects your vision for 2017? So many of you submitted thoughtful responses via the SMC Facebook group and Instagram such as “gentleness”, “perseverance”, “do”, and “focus”. I even had one response that was in line with my word of the year…INTENTION from the Instagram handle @yourlifefinance. By definition, intention is a determination to act in a certain way. I chose “intention” to reflect my vision for 2017 because it adds purpose to all thoughts, words, and actions. To be honest, I have found that haphazard thoughts, words, and actions tend to get me into trouble. Toward the end of the year, I started asking God to guide my words so that I speak with intention and not for the sake of attention. This past year was my year of BRAVERY and even though it started out shaky, I ended the year with one of my bravest moves yet (post to come later on that one…). intention-adds-purpose-to-all-thoughts-words-and-actions Four years ago was my year of BALANCE, 2014 was my year of FOCUS, 2015 was my year of PASSION, 2016 was my year of BRAVERY, and I welcome my year of INTENTION. I am working very hard to make sure that my words and actions are in line with the following criteria: Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it truthful? As each year passes, I take a moment and reflect on why I chose my earlier words, where I was in my personal development for that to be a necessary focus, and how I incorporated the meaning of those words in my life.

What’s Your Word for 2017 and why did you pick it? Share Below!

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{2016 Money Recap} She Makes Cents Money Challenge Success!!

Published on December 30, 2016May 23, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Hello #SMCmoneytribe! It’s the last Friday of the year and I am so happy to hear from you all who are completing the She Makes Cents 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge today and tomorrow. I officially finished mine today! In the past three years I have attempted to complete this challenge, I would accomplish a short term goal and just stop. This year, however, I have made it all the way to the end thanks to my accountability partners in the #SMCmoneytribe, as well as, my will to stay focus on my goals of zero credit card debt (mission accomplished) and snowballing my student loans (current goal in progress). 2016-52-week-money-challenge

She Makes Cents Money Challenge vs. the 52 Week Money Challenge

The She Makes Cents Money Challenge is a variation of the traditional 52 Week Money Challenge. In the traditional version, participants save a specific dollar amount based on the corresponding week. For example on week one you save $1.00 and on week 52 you save $52.00. Doing it this way would have you shelling out the bigger bucks in the weeks leading up to the holidays. No Bueno. Also, doing the traditional version only leaves you with $1378.00, which is not bad for money that you would normally spend unintentionally, but it could be better. With the She Makes Cents BINGO Money Challenge, you have the same time period, 52 weeks, but you empowered to decide how much you save on a weekly basis. You control your own money and have the ability to cross of boxes that correspond to your current financial situation at any given time, which is how is should always be. Plus with the bonus boxes you can save $1900.00+.

The Breakdown of Money

This past year, I found myself keeping track of the weekly and monthly savings and comparing the amounts during my frequent progress reports. I saved the most money in the month of January with $286.00 and the least amount of money during the month of September with $76.00. Below is my breakdown of the monthly savings that reflect my grand total savings for 2016… an even $1900.00!!!! 2016-money-challenge-yearly-report

Join the #SMCmoneytribe

Thank you to everyone who did this challenge this past year. It was so much fun. We all cultivated the habit of saving and you might have made a new friend in the process like I did, hi Alysa! Want to join the #SMCmoneytribe to get access to a tribe of goal minded accountability partners who are invested in your success and your FREE money guide? Click here, fill in your info, and we will do the rest. Mark your calender’s for the next round of the challenge starting January 7th!

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

SMC Book Club: The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck

Published on December 27, 2016October 31, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Let’s be real. The title of the shemakescents.com January book selection got your attention, didn’t it? Well, it certainly caught mine when I first heard about Sara Knight’s latest book, The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck. Reason number one is well….obvious, but the second reason…I literally laughed out loud that the title is the play on the uber-popular book by Marie Kondo, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Apparently, we as a people are in serious need of a life-changing magical moment. january-book-selection

Here is the Overview:

Are you stressed out, overbooked, and underwhelmed by life? Fed up with pleasing everyone else before you please yourself? It’s time to stop giving a f*ck.

This brilliant, hilarious, and practical parody of Marie Kondo’s bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up explains how to rid yourself of unwanted obligations, shame, and guilt–and give your f*cks instead to people and things that make you happy.

The easy-to-use, two-step NotSorry Method for mental decluttering will help you unleash the power of not giving a f*ck about:

Family Drama
Having a “bikini body”
Iceland
Co-workers’ opinions, pets, and children
And other bullsh*t!

And it will free you to spend your time, energy, and money on the things that really matter. So what are you waiting for? Stop giving a f*ck and start living your best life today!

How Our Book Club Works

We gave our Instagram followers a sneak peek of the book selection and the buzz was great. The funny thing is… a preacher friend of mine recommended this book and told me that it was a good read (crazy huh?). Click here to order the e-book version (for less than the price of a bag of chips) and here to order the hardcover version. We are starting on January 1st and checking in back here on shemakescents.com on Saturday, January 14th to discuss the first half of the book. If you are in Atlanta, stay tuned for the book club meet up. Info will be posted on our Facebook page, as host a Wine & Read. Event Get your book, get cozy, and let’s get our read on in 2017!

{Mark Your Calendars} The 2017 BINGO Money Challenge is Here!

Published on December 26, 2016May 23, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

I only have one more week of the 2016 version of this money challenge and I am excited for the updated 2017 version that starts in January. This challenge is not meant to make you rich, but it quickly shows you how putting aside money here or there (or actually every Friday/Saturday) quickly adds up to something great.

Want to join the #SMCmoneytribe to get access to a tribe of goal minded accountability partners who are invested in your success and your FREE money guide? Click here, fill in your info, and we will do the rest.

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{BINGO Money Challenge} The Easiest Way to Save Money In the New Year

Published on December 17, 2016January 3, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason6 Comments

UPDATE: Click here for the 2018 version of the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge from She Makes Cents

It’s the season when people begin making new plans to start afresh in the New Year. We make goals/resolutions and we vow to take this great opportunity to reset and do better than the year before. Sound familiar? It’s important that we take time to reflect on this crazy year so we are that much more successful when we start over in 2017. Were your financial goals attained? Did you fall off? Did your goals change? easietway-toavemoney

shemakescents BINGO Money Challenge

This year some of my most basic financial goals included paying off my credit cards, snowballing my student loans, seeing the shemakescents BINGO Money Challenge to completion. For those of you who are new to shemakescents.com, the BINGO Money Challenge is a remix of the popular 52 Week Money Challenge that went viral a few years ago. The original challenge was to make a weekly deposit that reflects the number of weeks of the year. For example, on week one you deposit $1.00 and on week 52 you deposit $52.00 and so on. However, doing it this way will have you shelling out the big bucks during the holidays when people’s money is the most limited. I thought to myself…”Danielle, how can you find a way to honor the challenge in a way that will not hurt you financially?” Then I came up with the idea to create a “bingo” style format. The original version only has a max savings potential of $1378.00 whereas this version has an average of $1900.00+ .

This year, I have been pretty successful with this goal and my other financial goals from the standpoint that I never gave up. There were a few bumps in the road but I pushed through and so many of you did too. In pushing through, I was able to find more efficient ways to work towards my 2017 money goals.

Introducing the #SMCmoneytribe

In reflecting on the past year, I noticed that those of you who participated in the weekly check-ins for the shemakescents BINGO Money Challenge, via Twitter and the Facebook group (click the links to follow), had the highest success rates. For 2017, all those who take part in the BINGO Money Challenge will become members of the #SMCmoneytribe giving you access to personalized check-ins, support of others with similar money goals, and a FREE printable of the 2017 version of the bingo money sheet. Together we will reach our money goals and enjoy the company of other goal-oriented readers. Past members have used their savings for travel, holiday gifts, pay down debt, save for a car down payment, and pay for professional certifications. The sky is the limit with the savings because of the bonus boxes and if you really want to up the ante you can do so by doubling the value of each box.

If you would like the full benefits of joining our #SMCmoneytribe, please click here to download your money card sheet. We would love to have you apart of our group. Did I mention I have saved a little under $1,900.00 with two more weeks to go for the year?? If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@shemakescents.com .

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents

Don’t Let Fear Be A Roadblock To Success

Published on December 7, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

This is the season when people reflect on the past year and pledge to “do better” in year ahead. I promised myself that I would “be brave” in 2016 so much so that I selected it as my personal word of the year. The thing is, I spent a great deal of the year doing what I have always done and was perplexed as to why things were not progressing as quickly as I would have liked. Why is this situation still a situation? In a moment of clarity, I was standing in a mirror of self-reflection realizing that I have made decisions in the areas of my career, finances, and relationships based primarily out of fear. This is why I selected brave as the word of the year in the first place; to push myself out of my comfort zone and accept new challenges. Nothing in my life or yours will ever change if we continue to do what we have always done. As Walt Disney says, “ We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. The opportunity for something new is knocking, are you ready to open the door?

What Does “Being Brave” Mean to You?

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{Monday Motivation} You Will Never View Mondays The Same After Seeing This!

Published on October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

I posted this on the shemakescents Instagram and Facebook pages last week and the response was great!! Sometimes the best motivation one can receive comes from within and often it is as simple as a change of perspective. Glass half empty or glass half full… either way it is a glass of water and it is your own formed perspective that shapes it as positive or negative thing. Have a great week and Happy Monday!

{Money & Relationships} 20 Hard Money Questions For Couples

Published on September 12, 2016September 12, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

{Money Goals} This Money Challenge Beats All Other Money Challenges

Published on September 10, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Hello Lovelies. Welcome to the weekend! It’s time for check-in for the shemakescents 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge (if you are new to shemakescents.com, click here for a recap of the challenge). Today I crossed off $37.00 on the BINGO Challenge putting me at a year to date total of $1498.00. My year to date total is just one example of how this version of the 52 Week Challenge can help you double your savings opportunity. The original version caps your savings potential at $1378.00, which I have already surpassed. From January to July, I used this money to help me pay down my credit card payments faster. From July to today, I have saved $800+ on this challenge to make a principal payment to my student loans once I get to the $1000.00 mark.

How can you save too?

The great thing about this challenge, is that you can start anytime and it works on everyone’s budget. Just email us at info@shemakescents.com for your FREE copy of the BINGO Money Challenge sheet. The best way to stay in the challenge is to join our Twitter/Facebook check-ins so that you have the support of the community of readers participating in the challenge. To join the twitter check-in, simply tweet me!

Tweet: I joined the @shemakescents 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge to help me reach my #moneygoals.

shemakescents{at}gmail {dot}com | Instagram @shemakescents