Vulnerability time! Let’s talk about my budgeting journey.
So a lot of people don’t realize that being financially literate is a learning process. You aren’t born with all the skills, knowledge and tools, but you can gain them over time.
I grew up hearing that I just had to get good grades, work hard, save and I’ll be financially set, but that's not how that worked out. And for quite some time, I felt like a failure.
So let me set the scene for when I knew something had to change. I was a single mom, living in a country where I didn’t know anyone, working a job I loved, but that didn’t pay the big bucks AND I had debt. So I had to figure out how to manage my money properly.
So I sat down one day and created a spreadsheet! I used it to plan out my spending and take a look at my income. I figured out how I needed to allocate my money to ensure I got the most value out of it and that I wasn’t throwing money away. It helped to teach me to take stock of every single dollar.
And using that spreadsheet, I was able to make a proper plan for my money. I set my goals and I used this document as a roadmap to get there.
Now let me make this clear - budgeting alone won't make you finally free. But making a plan for your money is the first step. To this day, I still use that spreadsheet, and I’ve even made it available for free!
Get the free template here.