Danielle YB Vason – Page 12

{Financial Cents} BINGO Money Challenge Hits MAJOR Milestone

Published on June 18, 2016April 13, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

Hello Lovelies! I have some exciting news to share with you this morning. Yesterday I crossed off $14.00 – doesn’t sound too exciting yet, but wait for it….. – on the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge. That $14.00 put me at the $1,000.00 mark for this money challenge! –INSERT HAPPY DANCE!!!!

On the same day that I hit the $1,000.00 mark in savings, I also hit the under $1,000.00 mark in my credit card balance!!! While I am proud of the financial gains made in the first six months of this challenge, I am even more excited about the about the savings habits I have created for myself. I believe that creating a healthy savings routine is the first step on my journey to DEBT FREE living. I was chatting with a girlfriend of mine who made the observation that I have only been focusing on saving and not making increasing my sources of income a priority. In a lot of ways she was correct. I have placed a serious focus this year on saving because in the past, I would start the year strong with savings goals and plans for myself only to find some of them abandoned by mid-year. That being said, splitting my focus between increasing streams of income and saving would have only created more problems at that point in my journey when I wasn’t steadfast in making saving a priority. The phrase, “More Money, More Problems”, exists for a reason. Without a healthy savings routine and more income coming in, I could have easily created more debt and worsen bad spending habits. I have spent the first six months of this year really focusing on correcting past bad behaviors and replacing them with healthy habits. Now that I have solid saving habits, I can start also focusing on increasing income and using that increase to move on the next snowball in my overall financial plan- student loans debt. I attribute my success to personal will, saying no to social (sometimes), and having accountability partners, like readers of She Makes Cents to help keep me motivated. I would love to hear how you are doing with this challenge… the good, the bad, and the ugly.

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

Please share below or feel free to email me.

{May Recap} 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge

Published on June 4, 2016June 3, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Hey lovelies! I wanted to do a quick check-in this morning to see how you are doing on the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge. I am well on my way with 23 boxes checked off (not including 3 bonus boxes) and step one of my snowball goal almost at the under $1,000.00 mark! Here is how the numbers are breaking down between January 2016- and May 2016.

As of yesterday when I crossed off $22.00 on the BINGO Money Sheet, I have saved a total of $938.00. Since June is the halfway point to the year, it is the perfect time to reset your goals if you have fallen off. The good thing about this challenge is that you can start at anytime and you can use the money for any goal. Right now, I am still using this money to pay down my credit card debt faster. What started off as a $5,000.00 credit card balance at the beginning of the year is now down to $1437.00. After that, I will then snowball that money to knock out my student loan debt. After that…the sky’s the limit. This can be play money, shoe money, vacation money, or by that time… 529 Plan money for a future kiddo.

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

{Time Is Money} Are You Spending Both Wisely?

Published on May 24, 2016May 24, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

It’s safe to say that we have all heard the phrase, time is money. But what does that really mean? When considering the quote above, I would say it means that time is valuable. We can easily recognize the value of money, how great we feel when we spend it wisely, and how annoying it is when we feel that money is wasted. Those same paradigms should be applied to what I believe to be the most valuable currency that we all have- our time.

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

{Every Woman Should Know} 10 Things Your Don’t Owe Anyone

Published on May 20, 2016January 2, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Have you ever had one of those weeks that tested you both personally and professionally? Well, let’s just say that this was one of those weeks. In it I learned that there is no greater peace than peace of mind. I also learned that sometimes it is easier said than done to be your authentic self, but you will always come out better for doing so. I came across this brief video posted by Power of Positivity that breaks down 10 things you don’t owe anyone and I must say that I have been tested by 4 out of the 10 in the past month. Life is gift and you should give everyday the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life; otherwise, what is the point? I hope that the video below inspires you to wake up, be kind, kick ass, repeat. Happy Friday Lovelies.

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

{Derby Fashions} Does Looking Good + Feeling Good = Spending Money?

Published on May 7, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

A few weeks ago I was low key stressing about Derby Fashion….I know, it’s just the Derby and people have real problems, but when I don’t look good, I don’t feel good. I wasn’t even planning on attending until the very last minute so things became a mad dash for me to find the a complete get up, including the dress, cute wedges for the grass, and of course, the hat! The Mr. and I were here, there, and everywhere and I even employed the help of my mom in the search for the perfect hat. I was swiping left and right (my bank cards not Tender) when it hit me…Danielle, you have hit one of your shopping triggers. In the past few years I have noticed that I tend to spend more when I feel something is “lacking” in my appearance. I will over shop when I probably didn’t need to as a way to try to correct something that may be off in my life. On the second day of running around Atlanta I forced myself to just stop and really think about what is currently in my closet. This is after the Mr. treated me to a very cute new dress and I bought new shoes. I was out looking for THE HAT when I thought about switching things up. Actually, it was after I saw this picture that I began to rethink my entire approach:

My original plan was to go traditional Derby in a more dressed up way, but I loved how pretty and comfortable she looked (no comment on her Beau). “Oh wait”, light bulb moment, “I have a very similar dress in my closet”….but still no hat. In my final half hour of stress before we had to leave, I told myself that whatever hat I found, be it for the dress we bought or the dress I have, would dictate my Derby look. Fed up and feeling a little defeated, I went to one final store and found a hat. We attended Atlanta’s version of the Kentucky Derby and had a blast with new and old friends.

Check It Out!

Through the experience I learned that I have to start making time to take better care of myself, that way I don’t have to get ready, I will stay ready. I learned from a mix of packing up my closet for the big move (another post for another day), that it is time for me to reinvest in my wardrobe. At (insert cough here) 30 years old, I shouldn’t be trying to wear the same staples from college. My style has evolved and so has my body. I also learned that along the line, I had replaced an updated wardrobe with things to make my new house a home. I was a girl with a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear because I had not taken the time to properly edit, purge, and organize. For Derby Day, I wore a dress from my own closet, shoes I already had, and a hat that, unlike the more traditional style, I could see myself wearing again. After I complete my Edit, Purge, Organize, which I will blog my way through, I will be able to make better decisions like that in the future.

Editors Note: I took the new shoes back because they worked for the new dress but weren’t really my style. With that money, I bought six new classic wardrobe must haves. Special thanks to Event Rentals Unlimited for VIP access to the beautiful air conditioned glass tent!

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

{Monday Motivation} Rich vs. Broke

Published on May 2, 2016February 27, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

Rich People Stay Rich By Acting.png

Today’s #MondayMotivation will hopefully inspire your thought process. It is so hard to get caught in stuff….consuming “stuff”, showing off “stuff”, and being wasteful with “stuff”. If you spend like you are wealthy, you will never be wealthy because you spent it all. Instead of “acting” rich, why don’t you make positive changes to actually get to that status? Like the word freedom, the word rich has so definitions. Remember, rich doesn’t always have to describe someone’s financial state. I motivate you to act broke with your spending and be rich in the things that really matter…like people and experiences that….FEED-THE-SOUL. Take this week and do things that make you feel like your best you. Wishing you a great start to your week!

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

{Week 17 Update} 52 Week BINGO Money Update

Published on April 24, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

Well hello lovelies. Certainly, I could not let the week go by without at least giving you an update on my progress. Last week I was so pleased by the kind reception and celebration of shemakescents reader, Alysa, who saved a total of $515.00 so far (read her spotlight here, she is pretty awesome). Her dedication to her goals is inspiring and she agrees that this challenge is an easy way to save money! Today, I wanted to close the week letting you know that I have crossed $31.00 off of my 52 Week Bingo Money Sheet, which puts me at $143.00 saved so far this month. Year to date I have saved an extra $621.00 toward my current financial goal.

The great thing about this challenge is that you can alter it to fit your personal goals and lifestyle. I start every year on the first Friday of the year, but you can start anytime.

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

Quick Tip: If you have a larger savings goal, you can double up the numbers for a minimum of $3800.00 before you even cross off the bonus boxes!

{Reader Success Story} A Shockingly Easy Way to Save Money for Fun

Published on April 15, 2016April 15, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

In my posts on this site, I share my progress toward financial freedom sort of like a diary to the world. Sometimes the stories reveal my failures and the things I learned from the experience so you don’t make the same mistakes. More often than not, my stories are transparent accounts of gained confidence in regards to my financial literacy. Every week, I have diligently crossed off numbers on the 52 Week BINGO Money Sheet and I update you on how those funds are being used. As of week 15, I have saved $590.00 extra dollars that I have put toward my credit card debt. I am proud of myself but I am equally proud to know I haven’t been on this journey by myself. This week, I wanted to shift the focus off me and begin to share the stories of other smart women who are kicking debt’s butt and redefining the “fab life” for themselves. Our very first reader’s profile is from Alysa T., a 28 year Marketing and Communications Manager out of Washington, D.C. A friend referred Alysa to shemakescents.com about 3 years ago and interestingly enough, the BINGO Money Challenge was the first article that she read.

When asked why she decided to join the challenge, Alysa explained, ” It’s a very simple and kind of fun way to put aside a little extra money each year! I think checking off all the boxes appeals to my organizational side too. This year I’m putting [my savings] towards a vacation. I am recently SCUBA certified and want to explore the underwater world more! It is awesome to know that she is using the money saved for things that (if you follow the blog, you already know what I am going to say) FEED-HER-SOUL! Over the past few years, Alysa has become more than a loyal reader. She is my Twitter pen-pal/accountability partner who sometimes sends me her progress updates before I have the chance to check-in. I LOVE THAT! I love knowing that we are on this journey together. “In past years”, Alysa reveals, “I used it for a new computer and a down payment on a car”.

The journey towards financial freedom isn’t a easy one…if it was, no one would have debt and everyone would be building wealth. Alysa’s biggest financial goal is to get her emergency fund to a healthy level so she can put more savings towards fun things. I’d say with a savings of $515.00 year to date, she is well on her way.

How Much Have You Saved on the BINGO Money Challenge? Share Below

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

{World Recycle Week} How To Save On Purchases By Donating Unwanted Clothes

Published on April 14, 2016February 17, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

“90% of textile waste is recyclable”

Yesterday after my outdoor yoga class, my friend Dana and I found our way into H&M where the window featured signage about World Recycle Week. During the campaign period, April 18-24, H&M aims to collect 1,000 tons of unwanted or worn out garments from customers worldwide in its more than 3,600 stores. The initiative is part of H&M’s goal to close the loop in fashion, recycling unwanted garments to create recycled textile fibers for new products.

Woman Closet

The timing could not be more perfect because I have started a Purge, Edit, & Organize (post coming soon) overhaul for my closet. My plan is to sell the clothes that I no longer wear or fit properly. Whatever doesn’t sell will be split between the Goodwill and women’s shelters in Atlanta. Everything else, that I would have normally tossed, will go to H&M for recycling. I’m not sure if this is the case for all locations, but my local H&M is offering 30% off your entire purchase if you bring in items for recycling. This could be a win-win situation if you are in the market for a trendy new piece to add to your wardrobe or home.

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

{Time Management} How to Find More Time in Your Day

Published on April 14, 2016October 31, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

People are so into time management tips and tricks which is evident by one of our most popular posts, {Quick Tips} How to Be More Efficient. If you had an extra 5 or 10 minutes in your day, how would you use it? Would you hit the snooze one more time? Spend it doing something you love? How about 30 minutes? Would you try something new? Work later? I live my life according to an ever-changing color coded to-do list that keeps me organized in my 9 to 5, that helps organize 2 home renovations and of course, SheMakesCents.com. With a day packed with things that have to get done, I sometimes find it difficult to schedule time to do things I want to do.

Getty Images/ Digital Vision/PeopleImages.com

Admittedly, I am one of those people who wishes for more time in the day to do the things that “feed my soul” or at least keeps me from losing my marbles. Tuesday night Google launched “Google Goals” as a new calendar feature that finds unscheduled time in your schedule and devotes that time to work toward personal goals, such as pilates, updating your financial plan, reading the SheMakesCents Book selection, or girl’s dinner/date night with the boo. I’m more of a traditionalist with my paper calendar; however, I am open to using Google Goals as a FREE life coach for time management. It’s worth a try, especially for all of you whose phones are permanently attached to their hands.

Check out this video to see how it works!

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