She Makes Cents Founder, Danielle YB Vason, will be a featured panelist for a live #CreditChat discussing financial planning how-to’s for millennials and generation Z. The panel, hosted by Experian, the leading global financial information services company, will take place on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at 3:00pm (EST) and will feature a diverse mix of financial literacy enthusiast.

The panel will include: Rod Griffin: Director of Consumer Education and Awareness at Experian; Tori Dunlap: Money + Career Speaker and Coach; AK: Millennial Personal Finance Blogger; Danielle YB Vason: Founder of Personal Finance Blog She Makes Cents; Kevin Matthews: Director of Consumer Information; Joseph Francis: Financial Advisor; Tim: Owner of Life for The Better blog; Kali Roberge: Chief Content Officer & Co-Host of the Beyond Finances Podcast; Jelani Smith: Founder of Bay Street Blog; The Centsables: Financial Literacy for Kids; Melissa Pedersen: Director Of Strategic Partnerships for moneytips.com.

Join the Credit Chat on Twitter & Facebook Live

52 Week Money Challenge from top personal finance blog, She Makes Cents

How To Jump Start Your 2019 Money Goals with the SMC Money Challenge

Published on December 29, 2018December 28, 2019 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

The SMC Money Challenge is back and better than ever. After a successful 2018 run, the SMC Money Tribe, a community of goal-setting women who accepted the challenge to invest in their money and lifestyle goals, is ready to take on a new money challenge. We are shifting mindsets while tackling debt, saving money, and replacing bad money habits with smart money moves. Beginning on January 3, 2019, weekly progress check-ins will open up every Thursday at 7pm (EST) and will stay open until Sunday at midnight in SMC Money Challenge Facebook group and on the She Makes Cents Instagram account. During that time, SMC Money Tribe members are expected to invest in their goals by participating in weekly progress updates, money chats, and mini-challenges with the best accountability partners out there…other women with money-saving goals. Often women are left to fend for themselves with regards to money matters. This is why a community for women to discuss personal finance without shame or embarrassment is important.

Last year, SMC Money Tribe leader, Danielle YB Vason and her hubby, used the SMC Money Challenge to save money for EXTRA debt payments. In doing so, they paid off over $19,000.00 in debt in 2018 alone. Other tribe members, like Victoria from Atlanta, shared a $27,000.00 debt payoff and Angela from Australia saved enough money for a 5-week vacation to Mexico and the US. Regardless of whether you are joining the challenge to pay off debt, save for the future, or save for something specific like a house, wedding, or vacation, the SMC Money Challenge is for you!

How Does the 2019 SMC Money Challenge Work?

At the beginning of the year, a new money challenge guide is created (this is a FREE download for members of the SMC Money Tribe). Each week, tribe members select one number from their money guide with the option to add “bonus” money and save that amount toward their money goal. With the bonus option, the sky’s the limit with one’s saving potential.

Years ago, the 52 Week Money Challenge floated around the internet. It was a savings challenge that dared those who accepted to save the dollar amount that corresponded to that particular week of the year. For example, on week 1 you were expected to save $1.00 and on week 25 you were expected to save $25, and so on. If you were successful, by the end of the 52 weeks, you would have saved a grand total of $1387.00. The thing is, at the time that this challenge was beginning to gain popularity, I knew that it wouldn’t work for me. The idea of saving numbers like $49, $50, $51, and $52…during the holidays was a bit rich for my blood back in 2013. That is when I was inspired to create a “bingo” version where I had more control over my money and how much I saved each week. I selected one number between 1-52 weekly and I saved put that amount toward my debt payoff goal because, at the end of the year, it doesn’t matter how you saved because you will still end up with the same $1387.00. Years later I upped the ante with bonuses that allow tribe members to save a minimum of $1387.00 and a maximum with no limit.

It took a few attempts, but finally, the perfect mix of inspiration, determination, and discipline combined and I was able to make it through 52 weeks successfully. The next year, I added in “bonus boxes” on my money guide and saved a little more. Then I added a way to track the savings. You see, every year I complete the challenge, I find a new way to tweak it and make it better for next year and I must say the 2019 SMC Money Challenge guide is proof of that. Now, I am proud to say that I have successfully completed 156 consecutive weeks doing this challenge. In my three successful cycles of 52 weeks, I have used the money to make EXTRA payments to my debt snowball. I paid off my credit card debt, my student loans are paid in full, and when of writing this post, I am projected to pay off my car loan 4.8 years ahead of schedule (by February 2019)…and that is just a snippet of my journey. I am not a personal finance blogger who sold all of her stuff and lives off rice and beans. I am not rich nor did I come from a wealthy family. I am an “every girl” that woke up one day and decided I could do better for myself and for my future. I made a choice 156 weeks ago to change my financial future. What choice will you make today that your future self will thank you for?

How to Join the 2019 SMC Money Challenge?

Follow @shemakescents on Instagram
Post this image below in your Instagram Story or this image to your Instagram grid (you MUST tag @shemakescents to I can see it).
Join the SMC Facebook Group (this will be your home base for the tribe to ask questions, support each other, and hold each other accountable).
Print your FREE 2019 SMC Money Challenge Guide

The Goal Setting Hack You Should Do BEFORE Starting Any Money Saving Challenge

Published on December 28, 2018December 28, 2018 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

BEFORE THE CHALLENGE

REFLECTION: WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF ONE YEAR FROM NOW?

One of the powerful tools for goal planning is the ability to visualize a goal. Many high achievers use visualization techniques as a practice to “see” their desired outcomes for themselves even before they happen. As we approach the beginning of a new She Makes Cents Money Challenge, I will guide members of the #SMCmoneytribe, both new and old, by providing a weekly roadmap to success. By engaging tried and true success techniques, our tribe will not only reach our goals for ourselves in the new year but surpass them.

Before we begin our new money savings challenge on week 1 of 2019, you need to first take a moment and write a quick letter to yourself.. The letter should be from your future self…one year from now, painting a picture of what you want your life to look like. Make sure you include your big money goals, savings goals, and/or goals for your sinking funds. Be as specific as you can because the more details you include the more you can prepare your mind to accept the image as possible. Also, the challenge will get….well challenging. Many people start out the year enthused and excited and slowly lose focus or discipline along the way. By having this letter for yourself, when times get tough and “life happens” (my version of Dave Ramsey’s “Murphy”) it is nice to have this letter…this promise to yourself to inspire you and get you back on track. Just think how nice it will be when you are looking back on your year, one year from now, and everything that you envisioned for yourself and family have manifested.

Below is a letter to my future self…

One year from now I am… driving around in my BMW that was PAID IN FULL 4.2 years ahead of schedule. This happened back in February of 2019. I feel so relieved that I was able to eliminate another debt so that as a household, we can move on to our FINAL DEBT in Baby Step 2 (BS2). Not only does this get me and my household one step closer to our #debtfree goal, but it provides a little financial cushion/security for when “life happens”. One year from now my hubby and I have put a major dent in his car payoff because we have opted to snowball the money was used to pay off my car and students loans to pay off his car ahead of schedule, add to our sinking funds, and increase our savings. We began the year with $26,176.81 of debt left on baby step 2 (BS2) and we are ending the year having paid over $10,000.00 toward our debt.

See how I am claiming that in advance? When you think positively, write down your goals, affirm your plan, you prepare your mind to accept those positive affirmations as true.

Working on our finances together has strengthened our marriage because it gives us another opportunity to work together as a team. We are better together and making better financial decisions is just one example of that. One year from now, we have funded sinking funds that covered ALL of our holiday expenses, our flights for travel, and those “oh shit” moments like replacing an AC unit or repairs for the bimmer. We are building for a better future one dollar at a time. We are happy. We are one step closer to being 100% debt free (not including our mortgages) before my 35th birthday in 2020.

This exercise may feel strange at first because you are talking about things that haven’t yet happened in the past tense. You are reflecting on things that are not real…yet. It is important, though, because when the financial discipline required for this challenge starts to fade, you will have this vision…this image to inspire yourself to keep going even though the going may be getting tough.

Pro Tip: Create a She Makes Cents Money Challenge folder and let this letter to yourself be the first thing you put in your folder. The 2019 She Makes Cents Money Challenge will include several prompts and freebies throughout the year and keeping your folder in a safe place that you can access weekly will render BIG results. If you want to be successful, this is one of the very first things you should do BEFORE the challenge starts January 3, 2019.

Is the UltraFICO Score the Best Way To Boost YOUR Credit Score?

Published on October 26, 2018 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

A new credit scoring system, called the UltraFICO Score, is being introduced in the new year and it could mean a boost in your credit score, making it easier for you to get better rates for large purchases like a car or home. Launching in early 2019, this scoring system is designed to validate the score of consumers, but more importantly, it will be used to assess the willingness of consumers to share their personal financial data for a potentially higher score. By opting in and linking with your checking, savings or money market accounts, your UltraFICO Score enhances your credit score based on indicators of responsible financial behavior.

The model, developed by FICO, will be implemented through Experian and borrower data will be aggregated through Finicity. The UltraFICO score is slated to potentially boost the credit scores of 7 million people with financially savvy millennials in one of the best positions to take advantage of the new score system. The UltraFICO score isn’t for everyone, but it just may be a great tool for you.

Is the UltaFICO Score Right for Me?

According to the UltraFICO press release, “Experian, FICO and Finicity estimate this new score has the potential to improve credit access for the majority of Americans and is particularly relevant for those who fall in the grey area in terms of credit scores (scores in the upper 500s to lower 600s) or fall just below a lender’s score cut-off”. The process for applying for loans will remain the same, with loan providers checking your FICO score. If you are rejected from a loan based on your FICO credit score, you may request that they pull your UltraFICO which then takes into consideration the way you handle your physical money in your checking, savings, and money market accounts. If you make more deposits than withdrawal, have no bounced checks, maintain an average account balance and don’t have a history of overdrawn accounts, for example, then it may present you as more creditworthy than when considering your FICO score alone.

Again, this applies best to those who fall in the grey areas of credit scores.

Why the UltraFICO Score Could Be A Good Things for Millennials

Millennials are known for a lot of things, good and bad, but one thing I can say for sure, we learned a thing or two from the Great Recession of 2007-2008 when many of us were in college, graduating college, or in our first job right out of college. I mention this because that terrible time for the US economy taught millennials the importance of putting money aside in savings. A survey from Transamerica found that fully 39% of millennials are defined as “super savers” since they are saving more than 10% of their salary. That’s close to the 15% experts often recommend.

Millennials have delayed several life milestones, like buying a house, because student loan debt is factored into one’s credit score. Now, if someone were to opt-in to the UltaFICO Score for consideration when trying to be approved for a mortgage, it may be into their best interest to leverage their checking and savings account data to access more lending options and better terms. Especially when the access to one’s financial data supports the super savers finding from the Transamerica survey.

Why I Don’t Believe the Hype of the UltraFICO Score

There are several scenarios where I can see the UltraFICO Score as a smart money move, especially for those who are looking to secure an affordable mortgage. If leveraging your data can help get you approved for a mortgage or even a lower interest rate, then by all means, make that smart money move, girlfriend. Like I said earlier, it isn’t for everyone but it just may be the measurement tool for you.

Personally, my mind flagged some of the language used in the UltraFICO Score press release and on the FICO website and my spidey senses (also known as my intuition) were tingling. Both the press release and the website used basic persuasive writing techniques by infusing the announcement with positive power words like “empower” and “control” to give consumers the feeling that they are in control of their own credit score destiny. Yes, in theory, you are in control of your credit score, but sometimes past decisions and life circumstances are a more powerful reflection of why your credit score is what it is. I interpreted FICO’s declaration stating, “you are in control of your credit score” to mean that if you choose to opt-in to this new scoring model then you are controlling the boost that your UltraFICO score may reflect.

The thing is, rarely do we get something for free. In this instance, this consumer empowerment message that you are being sold is for the bartered price of your personal financial data. In a world where personal data is just as valuable as money, if not more, it makes me wonder if we as consumers are being blinded by the smoke and mirrors of a better credit score. Just think of how much your financial data is really worth if they are willing to give you a little credit boost in exchange for it.

Only time will tell how this will really impact the scores of those who decide to opt-in. As more information is available, the questions that many of us have will hopefully provide more insight in deciding which score, FICO or UltraFICO would be best for you.

Danielle YB Vason & Michael Vason, Black Love

Behind the Scenes from My Wedding

Published on October 25, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason4 Comments

Yesterday, the Mr. & I celebrated 3 years of marriage. This got me thinking about some things like love, progress, growth, goals, and our future. It also inspired me to begin writing a series of personal money and relationship posts that give more insight into my…now our shared money journey toward a debt-free life. Hopefully, both my successes and bumps in the road will help someone else out there make better money, career, and lifestyle decisions.

So this is where I will begin the share fest….our wedding day. Every money, career, can lifestyle decision that occurred in the past 3 years, happened because of this day. If you are a longtime reader of She Makes Cents, you may have seen our wedding photos published in the magazines and on wedding blogs, but there is nothing like seeing all of the behind the scenes photos that documented the private moments of the day.

They say your wedding day is supposed to be one of the best days of your life. Well, whoever “they” are, they are right. Nothing is perfect, but on one special day in October, I experienced the closest thing to perfect. I slept well the night before, danced to Beyoncé while getting ready with my bride tribe, enjoyed being pampered with my mom, and took the best walk ever with my Dad. I met my groom in front of a flower wall that I sketched while lying in bed on Black Friday the year before. A little background about me. for five years I was a member of an award-winning event design team. On that day, everything was exactly how I dreamed it to be. We said our vows and jumped the broom into an adventure called marriage. We ate well, we drank more, and we danced the night away under 14′ tall sparkling chandeliers to the best DJ/live drummer combination known to man. With 15 minutes left in the night, our planner came to us to tell us it was time to stop partying to get ready for our sparkler exit. The dance floor was still packed and people were still having fun so we decided to stay in the moment and forgo our planned departure. Why manufacture a moment, when there was so much beauty and love happening organically? Instead, we danced all night long at our black tie wedding and ended the night with a late night snack at Hooters (long story..and my first time eating there) with some of our wedding party before piling in a car that took us back to the hotel for drinks (the after party wind down). It was after 3:30 am when we finally made it to the honeymoon suite. Seriously, if there was one day that I had to relive on a loop, that would be the day.

Photography: Bri McDaniel Photography

Examples of Sinking Funds from Personal Finance Blog, She Makes Cents

The Beginners Guide to Sinking Funds & Why YOU Need One

Published on March 29, 2018March 30, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason8 Comments

This year, I have vowed to be BETTER with my financial decisions. In order to improve my behaviors and cultivate better money habits, I had to first take a look at areas where I need to focus on for improvement. After the Mr. and I had to take $7000.00+ out of our savings to pay for a new roof and chimney repair on our rental property, I knew there had to be a better way for us to prepare for situations like this. That 7K loss from our savings put a dent in that account and exposed a financial vulnerability that we didn’t realize existed. We were stable enough to not have to turn to credit to cover this expense, but pulling money from our savings was very scary considering that money is there to cover us in the event of job loss or a major life change. I was an unsettling feeling and I knew that we needed to find a solution to our problem. Luckily, we came up with a plan to create a sinking fund so that we would be prepared for something like this. It is something that will help us and I know it will help you too.

What is a Sinking Fund?

A sinking fund is an anticipatory fund that is used to save for a large future expense or the gradual repayment of a debt. More than that, it is a proactive approach to your money. Sinking funds are very similar to the cash envelope system because it requires you to divide your income into categories and assign every dollar a job. The main difference between the envelope system and a sinking fund is that your cash envelopes are for things you are spending on now like groceries, fuel for your car, and clothing. Your sinking fund, however, plans for future money goals. We thought about some of the expenses that caught us off guard in the past, like emergency surgery for both of our dogs last year (that was a couple thousand dollars), or bills that are due all at once like insurance premiums. Then we came up with 10 sinking funds that we believed served our household money goals. Check them out below.

Now it is time to create your sinking fund categories. Grab a pen and paper (yep, we are doing this old school), your significant other (if applicable) and a glass a Rose’ (because it makes the experience so much better) and let’s make a money plan. When you are creating your categories, remember that you don’t want to make too many funds because it will take longer to fully fund your categories. Plus, anything over 10 is too many to keep up with, in my opinion.

She Makes Cents Cares: I love hearing from readers, so once you have created your sinking fund categories, let me know via the She Makes Cents Facebook group, Instagram, or Twitter.

How Much Money Should Be In My Sinking Fund?

After you have created your sinking fund categories, now it is time to figure out how much money you need to have saved for each. First, you need to figure out the goal date and total amount needed for each of your sinking funds to be fully funded. For example, I have to pay around $450.00 every 6 months for my portion of the car insurance premium. To determine how much money I need in this particular sinking fund, I take my next due date and I divide my premium by that number of months. It usually breaks down like this for me:

$450.00 \ 6 months = $75.00 per month

I would much rather save $75.00 per month for six months than to have to come up with $450.00 once every six months. Yes, it’s the same amount of money but creating a monthly car insurance fund makes the amount of the premium easier to digest. The example above is an easy breakdown because we know exactly how much money is needed and when exactly we will need the money for this fund. Now let’s look at an example for a type of sinking fund where you don’t have a hard due date and you are not certain of the full price. Hello, Car Repair…it sounds like we are talking about you.

We have all experienced this. You are driving around minding your own business when a yellow warning light illuminates your dashboard. You take your car to the mechanic and you are hit with a $1,200.00 bill. What do you do? More than likely, you charge it to your credit card if you don’t already have some money set aside for this type of expense. CREDIT CARD = BAD IDEA. This is a moment when your Car Repair sinking fund will work for you. Even if your Car Repair Fund only has $800.00, that means you only have to come up with the remaining $400.00, which is easier to digest than $1,200.00. Yes, this may have been an unexpected expense but it is also one you were prepared to handle.

By creating sinking funds you take control of your money. You know where YOUR money is so you never have to ask yourself where it went. You give it a purpose. If you create sinking funds to cover your future needs, you are less likely to be a threat to your future financial self and that is something that everyone can benefit from.

How To Save Real Money With This Money Challenge | February Savings/Income Report 52 Week Bingo Money Challenge from Money, Career, & Lifestyle Blog, She Makes Cents

2018 February Recap | 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge

Published on March 7, 2018March 7, 2018 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

We are approaching week ten of the 2018 She Makes Cents 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge and I must say, that this year’s money tribe is the most committed tribe we have had in three years. For those of you who may be new to this blog, the She Makes Cents Money Tribe (SMCmoneytribe) is an uplifting community of women from all over the world that supports each other’s financial journey and savings endeavors. Every week, we share our wins, big or small and celebrate each other’s progress. At the beginning of the year, it is easy to be motivated by the “newness” of everything, but as the year goes on, many people find it Generally, the month of February is when most people abandon the goals and habits they resolved to attain. In fact, according to Business Insider, 80% of people fail their New Year Resolutions by February so the #SMCmoneytribe is going strong means that we are beating the odds with our money goals and resolutions we made for ourselves at the beginning of 2018. WAY TO GO, TRIBE!

February Recap: 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge

Back in January Recap of the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge, I shared a MAJOR goal to have my student loans PAID IN FULL by October 2019. In order for me to reach this big money goal, I have to aim for smaller milestones along the way. For the month of February, I saved a total of $210.00 on this challenge by crossing off $45, $15, $50, $49, plus a $51 bonus. Every week, without fail, I select a number from the She Makes Cents Money Guide and I send that amount to my student loan provider. Additionally, since the Mr. and I are knocking out this debt together, the Mr.’s contribution of $250.00 helped us to send an extra $460.00 (in addition to the monthly payment) toward student loan debt.

This time last year, I had over $18,000.00 in student loan debt with a goal to get my student loan balance to $12,505.00. Not only did I hit that goal, I surpassed it before the end of the year. By January 2018, I had a balance of $12,505.00 (the extra $5 was because of the daily accruing interest) and I closed the month of February at $11,378.37.

How to Join the 2018 SMC Money Tribe

The new 2018 SMC Money Tribe Facebook group will serve as a “home base” for the #SMCmoneytribe. There you will be directed to fill out a quick registration form and download the money card. This is a space for active members and as a member of the SMCmoneytribe, you will gain exclusive content, motivation, and financial tips and tricks that will help you whether you are saving to pay down debt like me or saving to take a fabulous trip or two in the new year (also me). This year, you will have the option to do your weekly check-ins on Friday and/or Saturday on all of our social media handles to make it easily accessible to people who are only active on certain platforms.

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE TRIBE & THE MONEY CHALLENGE…

Join the SMC Money Tribe Facebook Group
Complete the registration form to select your weekly check-in date
Follow She Makes Cents on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
Pick a savings goal & get ready to save some $$$$ in 2018

Progress Over Perfection | Ways to Defeat Self Sabotage from Top Millennial Blog, She Makes Cents

Monday Motivation | How to Navigate the Road to Success with a Simple Self Check

Published on February 5, 2018February 6, 2018 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

It’s a new week. You made it through the Super Bowl, but more importantly, you actually went to work instead of calling in for bereavement leave for Jack Pearson after lasts nights’ episode of This Is Us. Congrats, that is a mini win by itself. As we all begin a new week full of promise and progress, I want to urge you to take a deep look at things we unconsciously do as a form of self-sabotage. If we can self-correct these things that we are all guilty of, from time to time, we will be better with how we handle our money, careers, relationships, and lifestyle goals. In order to do better, we must know better and to know better, we must make self-reflection something that we do often. The smart, beautiful, diverse and encouraging financial accountability community affectionately known as the SMC Money Tribe inspired this post and I hope that it inspires a bit of self-love to some really dope women.

Every week, tribe members are encouraged to take part in financial check-ins where they share their weekly wins and progress on the She Makes Cents 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge. In that space, women are not afraid to toot their own horns by celebrating their big and small wins. I’ve noticed though that many of the tribe members have been a little hard on themselves lately and embarrassed by their smaller strides. Maybe you are not as far in your debt free journey as you thought you would be. Or maybe, you haven’t actually started yet. Either way, it is time for a mindset shift toward positivity and abundance. One day or day one? Are you ready? Let’s get started.

Stay in Your Lane

We all remember this moment when the swimmer, Chad le Clos, took his eyes off the prize to see what Michael Phelps was doing. If only he stayed in his lane and stayed focus. How often do we get caught up in what other people are doing? We focus on other people’s money, their careers, their relationships, and whatever else they are doing for the Gram. Instead, we should invest that energy in our own money, career, and relationships. When you take your eyes off the prize to see what other people are doing, you are wasting time that can be spent cultivating better habits for yourself. Le Clos wasted his time and lost. Let that be a lesson to you. What other people do is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!! When you stay in your lane, there is nothing to distract you from the target in sight.

Evaluate How You Measure Your Own Progress

I have noticed lately that members of the SMC Money Tribe get embarrassed when they are crossing off a lower number on the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge, especially when other members of the community are crossing off higher numbers for the week. That is because they are measuring their progress against the progress of someone else. I spoke a little about this on the She Makes Cents Instagram page, but I want to go a little deeper here. Instead of measuring your progress by how far you have left to go, instead, celebrate how much progress you have already made. Think about to your starting point and know that you are in a better place than where you first began. I created the BINGO version of the 52 Week Money Challenge was because I knew that there would be weeks where I could not afford to save a lot of money and in those weeks I could select a lower amount to cross off of the money card. I would rather save a small amount than nothing at all and that fact that the SMC Money Tribe and I save money EVERY WEEK and put it toward our money goals is something worth celebrating by itself. Also, if you wait until you have saved a significant amount of money or are in a place to make a lump sum payment

For this week and moving forward, I charge you to check how you measure your own progress and how you focus you are on your goals at hand. Write your top money, career, and lifestyle goals on a piece of paper and put it up somewhere where you will see it all the time. Stay focus on your goals. Create a strategy to reach your goals and don’t’ be afraid to celebrate your wins, big or small. Have a great week!

She Makes Cents Blog Named in the Top 40 Women Financial Blogs on the Web

Published on January 22, 2018January 22, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

The future is FEMALE and that future is NOW! In the past year, I have seen an increase of women taking the reigns over their money and careers with a never seen gusto…at least since I have been an adult. Women are investing in themselves, their money, their careers and their lifestyles and are encouraging other like-minded women to do the same. Last week we learned that She Makes Cents, the premier money and career blog for goal-setting millennial women, was selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 40 Women Financial Blogs on the web. The list, which was announced early January of 2018, features a mix of content producers who share similar goals- bringing personal finance to a female audience. She Makes Cents Founder, Danielle YB Vason shared her experience with her #SMCmoneytribe. “I am thrilled to be recognized amongst the list of well-known financial influencers and brands that I both follow and admire,” Vason admits. “As a blogger, it is easy to feel like you are talking to yourself out there on the web, so when you have your hard work recognized, it’s a very humbling feeling”. So where did She Makes Cents rank? Well, we are pleased to announce that She Makes Cents the blog came in the top 20 ranking at #19.

Other bloggers included on the list were some of our favorite reads such as City Girl Savings, My Fab Finance, and the brand Daily Worth, which topped the list at number one. According to Feedspot, “This is the most comprehensive list of best Women Financial blogs on the internet” and the blogs that made the list were reviewed under these criteria of Google reputation/search ranking, influence on social media, quality of posts, and Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review.

A word from our founder

I am so thankful for the SMC Money Tribe for joining me on a shared financial journey. Your stories and questions have helped to shape the content that is created for this blog. When I created She Makes Cents, my goal was to help millennial women become more financially literate. I wanted to inform and inspire readers to use their “cents” to live the fab life. I wanted to encourage the community of goal setting women to define what the fab life means to them. I hope that I have done that and I will continue to do just that… inform, inspire, and encourage. Congratulations to the SMC Money Tribe because this recognition is a reflection of your debt free journey too.

SMC Book Club for Millennial Women | Girl Code

SMC Book Club | How To Get the Most Out of Your Power Word of the Year

Published on January 10, 2018January 10, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

On the first day of the year, I asked readers to share their 2018 power word that reflects their goals and visions for themselves. The response to that one question, which was posed to all of our social media networks, was both inspiring and eye-opening. It occurred to me that in place of resolutions people are looking to find a purpose that flows into multiple areas of their lives. As people responded with words like happiness, growth, self-care, and consistency, I couldn’t help but think of books I would recommend to inspire people based on their chosen word. The power of choosing a word that you hope will define your year is that it forces you to reflect on areas of your life that you want to be better or that deserve your focus. Once a word is selected and claimed in advance, you prepare yourself to receive all of the good things that come with that word. My inspiration for the next SMC Book Club read comes from the idea of one taking an active step toward applying one’s own word to one’s life.

February Book Selection

This is the year to do better and be better and I resolve for our group to be great, supportive, consistent, and a place for goal setting women to come together. The energy in the SMC Book Club during our last book, Boss Women Pray, was so amazing and I want to build on that and I want to inspire you to be successful with your power word or else it will lose all power over your life. For the month of February, we are going to do something a little different. Instead of reading the same book together, let’s take the month of February to read a book that is inspired by the word of the year that you chose yourself. My hope is that each of you follows through and make the time to find a book that relates to YOUR word; a book that inspires you toward your self-mandated purpose to you have selected to help guide you this year. According to U.S. News, 80% of people give up on their resolutions and New Year goals by February. Let’s be the 20% together by starting our new book on February 1, 2018.

How Our Book Club Works

Every other month, we select a new book from a mix of editor and reader’s suggestions. For reader suggestions, we ask that selections embrace subjects such as power women, money, career, and lifestyle that informs and inspires us. We then announce the book selection here on shemakescents.com before the start of the month to give you time to opt-in and get your copy of the book from the She Makes Cents store on Amazon. Discussions for the book take place in our weekly book chats in the SMC Book Club group on Facebook as well as the She Makes Cents Instagram page. Trust me, the dialogue in the group is LIFE!

Since everyone will be reading different books for February, the book chats will be tailored to this unconventional reading experience. If you would like book suggestions based on your power word, let me know. I can be found on social media at the @shemakescents handle.