Debunking Common Personal Finance Myths: Unleash Your Financial Superpowers!

Published on May 23, 2023May 23, 2023 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Millennials and Gen Z, listen up! We’re about to unleash your financial superpowers by debunking some common personal finance myths. It’s time to set the record straight and empower you with the truth. So grab a seat, buckle up, and get ready to conquer the money game like a boss!

Myth 1: Credit Cards are Evil!

Oh, the infamous credit card myth. It’s time to separate fact from fiction, honey! Credit cards are not inherently evil. In fact, they can be your money-wingman if you use them wisely. They help build credit, offer rewards, and provide convenience. The key is to pay your bills on time, keep those balances low, and avoid falling into the debt trap. With responsible credit card usage, you can slay your financial goals while boosting your credit score. So go ahead, swipe that plastic with confidence!

Myth 2: Investing is for the Rich

Don’t let this myth hold you back from embracing the power of investing. Investing is not reserved for the wealthy elite; it’s a financial tool for everyone. You don’t need a fortune to get started. Start small, be it through a 401(k) at work or a low-cost index fund. Time is on your side, so let compounding work its magic. Educate yourself, seek guidance from experts, and watch your money grow. With patience and smart choices, you’ll be on your way to building wealth and securing a bright financial future.

Myth 3: Budgeting is Boring

We’re here to shatter this myth once and for all. Budgeting is not a mundane task; it’s your money game plan, your financial roadmap to success. It’s about taking control of your hard-earned cash and making it work for you. Budgeting empowers you to prioritize your spending, save for your goals, and avoid financial stress. Get creative with it! Explore budgeting apps, set up automatic transfers, and gamify your financial journey. Budgeting can be fun, empowering, and the key to unlocking your financial dreams. So say goodbye to the myth of boredom and hello to budgeting bliss!

Myth 4: You Can’t Have It All

Who said you can’t have your avocado toast and financial stability too? It’s time to debunk the myth that you can’t enjoy life while being financially responsible. The key is finding a balance between spending and saving. Prioritize your goals, be mindful of your spending, and make room for both splurges and savings. It’s about making intentional choices that align with your values and long-term aspirations. So go ahead, treat yourself to that latte and travel adventure, but also save for that rainy day. You can have it all, my friend!

Myth 5: Student Loans are an Insurmountable Burden

Ah, student loans, the notorious myth of overwhelming burden. Yes, student loans can be intimidating, but they don’t have to define your financial future. Take a deep breath, assess your options, and make a plan. Explore loan forgiveness programs, consider refinancing, and focus on boosting your earning potential. Gradually chip away at your debt by making extra payments whenever possible. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. With determination and a solid strategy, you’ll conquer those student loans and pave the way for financial freedom.

Millennials and Gen Z, you’re armed with the knowledge to slay these personal finance myths! Credit cards can be your ally, investing is within your reach, budgeting is anything but boring, you can have it all, and student loans won’t.

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

Here’s An Easier Way to Save Money with the SMC Money Saving Challenge

Published on January 26, 2022January 26, 2022 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Hey there, goal-setter! I see YOU. You are looking toward the new year and you are ready to make some changes. You recognize what worked for you financially and what didn’t this past year and you are finally ready to do something your future self will thank you for.

If this sounds like you, keep reading because the SMC Money Challenge may be just what you need…

WHAT IS THE 52 WEEK SMC MONEY CHALLENGE?

The SMC Money Challenge is back for its EIGHTH year! This challenge is a weekly savings plan that works for everyone, no matter one’s level of financial literacy or income. Hint Hint: accept the challenge, your future self (one year from now) will thank you! Every week you will cross off a number between 1-52 and apply that amount toward your money goal(s). Bonus boxes are also available for those looking to push themselves to save even more. SMC Money Tribe member, Cari, took advantage of the SMC Money Challenge bonus boxes on her money tracker and saved $15,000.00 in last year’s challenge. In the past three years, SMC Money Tribe leader, Danielle YB Vason and her husband used this challenge to pay off $44,000.00 in debt. Now, imagine what your money success story will be.

WHO IS THE SMC MONEY TRIBE?

The SMC Money Tribe is a community of goal-setting women who accepted the challenge to invest in their money and lifestyle goals with the best accountability partners out there- other women who are also shifting mindsets while tackling debt, saving money, and replacing bad money habits with smart money moves.

Those who accept the challenge are most successful when they also join the SMC Money Tribe Facebook group for weekly check-ins to share their progress, ask questions, and cheer each other on. By saving something every week, you get to practice your saving habit over and over until it becomes a lifestyle. Remember, personal finance is 80% behavior and 20% knowledge.

SMC Money Tribe member, Cari, took advantage of the SMC Money Challenge bonus boxes on her money tracker and saved $15,000.00 in last year’s challenge.

WHEN DOES THE CHALLENGE BEGIN?

Mark your calendars, the SMC Money Challenge begins Friday, January 4, 2022. After that, weekly check-ins will open up every Friday and will stay open until Sunday night on the SMC Facebook Group. During that time, SMC Money Tribe members are expected to invest in their goals by actively participating in weekly progress updates, money chats, and mini-challenges. Interactive content related to the challenge will also be available on the @shemakescents Instagram page.

HOW TO JOIN THE 2022 SMC MONEY CHALLENGE

Follow @shemakescents on Instagram
Post this image below in your Instagram Story (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).
Download your 2022 SMC Money Challenge Guides– (Challenge Hack: Use the Instagram version to share your progress with the tribe & print the main version to add more private information to track your more personal goals at home).
Set a calendar weekly to save your money & check-in

ARE YOU READY TO JUMPSTART YOUR MONEY GOALS?

Often women are left to fend for themselves with regards to money matters. As an active member of the #SMCmoneytribe, you will no longer have to walk the path toward financial freedom and a fabulous lifestyle alone. 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!

Follow @shemakescents

join the SMC Money Tribe

The Ultimate Guide to Making Your Money Goals S.M.A.R.T.E.R

Published on January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

When it comes to goal-setting, the S.M.A.R.T. goal system reigns supreme in its methodology. According to this approach, goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. To make them S.M.A.R.T.E.R., goals must also be able to be evaluated and rewarded or readjusted.

This year, the hubby and I made the joint decision to focus our financial efforts on making a dent in the balance on his car. In theory, this is a good goal but because it’s vague AF without a clear timeline, among other things, it’s not a S.M.A.R.T. goal. So back to the drawing board we went.

How to Make Your Money Goals S.M.A.R.T.E.R by top Atlanta personal finance blogger, Danielle YB Vason of She Makes Cents

How To Make Your Goals More Specific

Ask yourself these questions: What do you want to achieve? Why do you want to achieve it? Who needs to be on board for this goal to be successful? If your written goal doesn’t address these questions, then revise.

We needed to improve our goal because we didn’t clarify what a “dent” represented numerically. Was a dent $1,000.00, $5,000.00, $10,000 or more? I realized quickly that we were not on the same page. Making a dent in the remaining balance for his car became a more specific goal once we decided we wanted to get our balance down from $17,601.01 to $5,000.00 or less by the last day of this year. To be successful at this money goal, my hubby and I would need to combine forces because our “dent” represented a $12,601.00 reduction. This goal is important to us because the sooner this debt is eliminated, the sooner we will be debt-free (not including mortgages), we can move on to Dave Ramsey’s Baby Step 3, and focus on increasing our savings and sinking fund contributions.

Giving this goal a deadline of the last day of the year OR a balance of $5,000.00, whichever comes first, makes it measurable and timely. It checks off both prerequisites because it identifies how and when we would consider this goal accomplished.

Are Your Goals Realistic & Attainable?

Setting unrealistic goals is a set up for failure and defeat- both of which can kill your spirit and drive to pursue future goals. This is why if you follow Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps the first step is to save only $1,000 because the gratification of reaching your first goal inspires you to move on to the second.

Setting goals that are too easy can also be a set up for failure because an easy goal requires lower expelled energy and effort, which lowers motivation. Finding the right balance is like Goldielock’s breaking and entering to find the perfect porridge. Your goal has to be just right…

In her book, Boss Women Pray, by Kachelle Kelly, she asserts that “a goal can be both lofty and practical”. When I read that, I immediately thought about how the idea of paying off my student loans was a lofty goal but also attainable. The success in that was breaking the BIG GOAL down into smaller goals with specific benchmarks until the BIG GOAL no longer seemed so…well, big.

For the case of our $12,601.00 goal, it is a bit lofty in the sense that it requires us to expel higher energy, intention, discipline, and sacrifice for it to be achievable. Once we set down and figured out how much we could afford to put into this goal right away and then figured out how much we would need to save per quarter to stay on track, our joint goal also became practical. I even went so far as to break the goal down on a micro level to see how much we would need to save per month and per week to stay on track. Seeing those numbers and that information all at once, made the goal that could seem too lofty become feasible with the right amount of effort and action.

Even though paying off $12,601 on the car loan doesn’t eliminate the debt completely, it is relevant because it does link to the larger objective of ultimately paying the car off in full. Once we reach our goal this year, we will only be $5,000.00 away from a debt free life (not including mortgages).

Going the Extra Step from S.M.A.R.T. Goals to S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals

The difference between the S.M.A.R.T. and S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals acronym is the “E” and the “R”, which represents evaluated and rewarded or readjusted. In your goal-setting journey, it is imperative that you evaluate your goals on a regular basis to make sure you are on track. This is why the #SMCmoneytribe check-ins occur weekly (join the SMC Money Tribe on Facebook). If you find yourself off track and constantly dodging obstacles, then it is time to revisit the goal, tweak where it is necessary, and get back on the goal-setting journey. If, however, your regular check-ins reveal that you are on track for the timeline for your goal execution, take a moment and celebrate that! Taking the time to acknowledge where you started versus how it’s going, not only honors your hard work, but it may also inspire someone else in the process.

GRAB YOUR S.M.A.R.T.E.R. MONEY GOALS PRINTABLE?

join the SMC Money Tribe

FREE GOAL PRINTABLE

{Money & Friendships} The Real Cost of Being a Bridesmaid

Published on June 25, 2017January 1, 2019 by Danielle YB Vason5 Comments

It starts with a question that leads to a ring, which ends up as a picture on Instagram, and is shared on Facebook. Yep, he asked and she said yes! Weeks later, you find a charming note in your mailbox asking you to stand beside her on the most important day of her life. You, my dear, are a chosen one… also known as a bridesmaid. Since 2010, I have been in seven weddings and I witnessed at least twenty of my girlfriends walk down the aisle toward wedded bliss. In fact, when the Mr. and I got married in 2015, we were the 13th wedding that year of our friend group. Like many of you, I have taken off work and flown clear across the country in support of LOVE. Too bad that the support of LOVE often comes at a hefty price tag.

She Said Yes, But Should You?

It is truly an honor to be asked to be in someone’s wedding, but before you say “yes”, you need to understand what you are getting yourself into before you make that commitment. Just like in a romantic relationship, money can throw a major wrench into your friendship if you are not honest with yourself and the bride about your financial situation. As a bridesmaid, I have paid for gowns, shoes, hair, mani/pedi, makeup packages, jewelry, liquor, plane tickets, hotels, car service, chipped in for engagement parties, hosted bridal showers, lingerie parties (apparently that is different from the bridal shower and the bachelorette party), oh yeah…bachelorette parties, bridal teas and even décor elements for the actual wedding. Nowadays, you have to add the matching bride tribe outfits for the bridal party photoshoot to the list of expenses you have to think about when saying yes. Did I even mention the wedding gift…eek? Once you accept the invitation to become a member of the bridal party, you are committing to this experience for richer or poorer.

I will admit, that years ago I declined the request to be in a friend’s wedding because the costs of being in the wedding would have been a strain on my finances. That bride thankfully understood. I often think, if we didn’t have that conversation and I participated in her bridal party, she could have very easily interpreted my reluctance to spend money as a lack of support and enthusiasm for her big day. Not having that conversation would have cost me more than financial security, it could have cost me our friendship.

How Much Does It Cost To Be A Bridesmaid?

Back in 2011, the Wedding Channel estimated the cost of being a bridesmaid averages around $1695.00. Based on this estimate, I could have very well spent almost $12,000.00 on other people’s weddings. Can you imagine what the average is now? It always makes me wonder how Katherine Heigl’s character in 27 Dresses could afford to be in 27 weddings, plus her own, on a personal assistant’s salary. To pay for my expenses as a bridesmaid, I used the envelope system before I even knew exactly what that meant. I set aside a certain amount of money each check for each bride.

Brides, be nice to your bridesmaids…your “chosen ones”. They are the ones who are holding you down during one of the most beautiful and possibly stressful times of your life. They do far more for you than you realize. Bridesmaids, remember that your bride is a bride only once (fingers crossed) and she has a vision for her day. If you are both honest from the beginning, then you lessen the chance of unrealistic expectations from both sides. Bridal Party Costs

Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps Explained

Published on January 18, 2017February 23, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason9 Comments

Hey #SMCmoneytribe! Yesterday I took a little time out of my day to create an infographic for you that provides a quick overview into Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps. I wanted to do this for you because I reference these steps in a lot of my writing because they have become the meat and potatoes of my financial plan. If you are a long time reader of She Makes Cents, you might remember when I was so excited to get to the second part of Baby Step 2 that I tried a risky financial move of playing financial Russian Roulette. Let’s just say the outcome was not what I expected when my car broke down one week later and I only had half of an emergency fund to help me out. (P.S. According to Ramsey, car maintenance is not an emergency and rather something that should be budgeted for).