So those that know me pretty well know that I LOVE saving, finding deals, and financial planning. I have a closet with DOZENS of books and publications to show my love. I'm not sure why I am so interested in it, but i am, and it has served my little family well. I do know one thing to be true---- there are bound to be stresses in life - emotional, spiritual, physical,---- so why not try to live as financially responsible as possible to lessen that stressor. At a conference, I recently heard some STAGGERING Facts about women and money and KNEW we had to CHANGE THIS!!!! SOOO, my MK Team and I decided to have a Financial Boot Camp! AND with all the EXCITEMENT that comes from women finding $2000 to $5000 in extra annual dollars being wasted on silly things already in the first few days, the NEWS has SPREAD and more people want to JOIN the Financially Responsible Train! YAY!!!!
Once a week we are learning tools, tips, and putting them into action. Disclaimer--- I am no expert, not a certified financial planner, and not a CPA---- just someone that has implemented 15 years of study and reading and sharing my tips. These tips led us to pay off credit cards, student loans, and our first home by age 30. If you'd like to join the FUN--- we'd love to have ya. In January.... it's all about assessing your current financial situation, examining spending habits, creating a new budget that has a minimum 25% decrease in spending, and learning Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps. Some are going for a moderate route ---- cutting out everything unused and a few of the luxuries like maybe decreasing their shopping, while others are going the FAST TRACK Route and cutting everything EXTRA over a short period of time to see their progress even faster.
See below for a few of the tools I have used and shared. The My ONE LIFE assessment is a HUGE part of this too. It actually connects your desires to action because the goal has become more PERSONAL to YOU! To JOIN our Challenge, it's EASY! Download the VOUCHER below and post your SAVINGS NUMBER (the amount you cut out of your monthly budget for January) on Instagram and Hashtag #TrimmingtheFat2018 #SmartSpendingisHotter #BossBabeMovement
Ladies, it's time we feel confident, empowered, and secure about our finances!
Budget Assessment Form:
Print 3 Copies of this Budget. Using your bank statements and card statements, Fill in your totals for OCTOBER and NOVEMBER (Not December bc it not a normal month with gift purchases). With the 3rd Copy, you will fill in the blanks to reflect a NEW BUDGET for January that is a 25% or greater REDUCTION in expenses. This will be your GAME Plan for January!
Here are some fun tips:
Below are tips from those in the first few days in REDUCING Expenses FAST:
One participant called her Satellite and Internet Service Provider and got better rates saving her over $100 a month. She also discontinued a monthly autoship that saved her $50 a month! Calling service providers to get the latest and best rate is huge. Discontinuing unnecessary autoships saves a TON!
Another participant realized she was spending way TOO MUCH on dining out. She made a plan that would include more cooking at home and taking leftovers to work -- saving her over $300 a month ($3600 a year). One of the QUICKEST categories for reduction is FOOD and DINING OUT. We challenge you to cook 20+ meals for dinner, along with more breakfast and take-from-home lunches and stick to a Grocery Bill of $400 or less (for families of 2 -3). Most participants are seeing a $300-$500 Decrease in these categories, ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK!
One participant decided to cut pedicures until summer and not purchase any clothes, handbags, or accessories for herself for the quarter. This would reduce nearly $400 this quarter compared to Oct/Nov. She also became a Beauty Consultant to save 50% off on her skin care and color cosmetics.
Another participant told us about reducing your Credit Card interest rate by calling the card company. Paying these off with a plan comes next week but in the meantime - reducing APR is great! She also talked about a service called EBATES.com. You get kickbacks and discounts for online shopping. The key is to only shop for things you have to have.
ONe thing everyone agreed on--- STAY OUT OF WALMART---! LOL! Make a shopping list according to your meal plans and shop online or pay someone to only purchase what is on your grocery list. It's worth $15 to not go in the store and be tempted by impulse buying.
As you can see, some are cutting more moderately---- they are still getting their hair colored and nails manicured.... in fact from the outside, no one would even know they are TRIMMING THE FAT. While other's might decide to go GRAY and start PAINTING their OWN NAils Soon! LOL YOu get to decide whether you want to cut $250, $500, or MORE from your monthly expenses.
WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU TRIM!!! Be sure to post your SAVINGS NUMBER (the amount you cut out of your monthly budget for January) and share a savings tip on Instagram and Hashtag #TrimmingtheFat2018 #SmartSpendingisHotter #BossBabeMovement
