Danielle YB Vason – Page 21

{Donating to My Alma Mater} Why I Give Even When I’m Saving

Published on April 11, 2014April 10, 2014 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

One reason that I have over $20,000 in student loans is because I chose to attend Spelman College, one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges and #1 ranked HBCU. I was offered full music and academic scholarships during my senior year of high school to other colleges and turned them down to attend a school Forbes ranks among the nation’s top ten best women’s colleges. I got a little “something something” based on my academic achievements, but when everyone beside you is a Valedictorian and Salutatorian of their high school class, just being in the top 5% isn’t really scholarship worthy. While I know my parents supported whatever decision I made, I am sure on some level my Dad’s wallet would have been very okay with a FREE education, elsewhere.

Why I ♥ Spelman

Making the choice about where I would attend school was the first major decision that I ever made for myself. It marked the transition from childhood to adulthood and helped shape the course of not only my career, but also my life. In the end, I did not even consider the price of tuition (estimated $120,000) because I knew without a doubt, that Spelman was the right place for me. From the moment I walked onto the campus, so many beautiful, intelligent, and diverse women from around the world welcomed me. For the first time, I was “at home” in an academic space where standards and honor are raised.

Why I Give Even When I’m Saving

Earlier in my matriculation, I noticed the presence and pride of the alumnae. I was told that I was standing on the shoulders of greatness, hard work, and those who came before me. Now is my time to help provide opportunities that help prepare the next generation of women who will change the world. Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum acknowledges in the 2012-2013 Report of Philanthropy that “a college education is a privilege.” According to Tatum, “We live in challenging times when educated women are needed more than ever. The generosity of alumnae, corporations, faculty, friends, foundations, parents, staff, and our current students has secured vital financial support to develop these change agents. [Spelman] appreciates your contributions to scholarships, facility, renovations, innovative initiates such as Wellness Revolution, faculty and student research, and support of Spelman’s Annual Fund- all of which are critical for Spelman women to succeed.” Yes, I have financial goals and a financial plan; but there is nothing like going back and seeing the women who are now standing on my shoulders and in need of support. Giving back doesn’t always have to be in the form of financial contribution, however, I do highly recommend it. Every year, Spelman announces a goal for it’s Every Woman Every Year campaign. This year’s goal, like the year before, is to surpass 50% alumnae participation or 8,667 alumnae donors by April 11, 2014, the 133rd Anniversary of Spelman’s founding. I make my contribution every year on this date and charge every Spelman alumna to show the impact of her voice, by making a contribution to Spelman in honor of our founding. If you don’t give back to your school, I encourage you to do so. If we don’t invest in where we came from, how can we expect anyone else to?

Happy Founder’s Day Spelman College

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{Debt Management} Is This Super Easy Financial Move Worth The Risk?

Published on April 7, 2014January 11, 2015 by Danielle YB Vason17 Comments

You Get Out of Debt The Same Way You Learned How to Walk- One Step At A Time

Dave Ramsey

I am from the generation of instant results. Sometimes this can be a bad thing, but in this case, I think my generational behavior will pay off. I am working toward my next financial goal of having a zero balance on my credit card by August 1, 2014. Once I reach my goal, I plan to only use the card for things that can be paid off before the end of the billing cycle (if I must use the card at all). Last year, my balance reached over $5300.00 and my monthly bill was putting a wrench in my spending/savings plan. That was my “aha moment”. It was then that I decided to take full control over my financial situation by not only setting goals, but dates to meet the goals. Financial coach and author, Dave Ramsey, believes that you get out of debt the same way you learned to walk—one step at a time. For this idea, Ramsey created 7 Baby Steps to help people beat debt and build wealth. The first Baby Step is to start an Emergency Fund of $1000.00. Once you’ve completed Baby Step One, you then move on to Baby Step Two where you start to pay off debt using the Snowball Method. I’m at Step Two and I am trying to pay off my credit card and then move on to my student loan debts as fast as possible. This led me to a thought one day to do something extremely risky….

Playing Russian Roulette With My Finances

In my Week 14 update of my money challenge, I relieved for the first time just how I have gone from balance of $5300.00 to a $1345.00. The closer I get to the $1000.00 mark the more crazy ideas flow through my head.

For instance, I came up with the idea, a while ago, to go against Ramsey’s advice and completely deplete my emergency fund. I would do this only when I got my credit card balance under the $1000.00 mark. The Pro to that idea is that I will immediately have a ZERO balance by using the Emergency Fund to pay off the remaining balance. The CON… well we call it an “emergency” for a reason. It is a somewhat good idea if I had a crystal ball and a glimpse that there would be no financial emergencies soon. No one can foresee when you really need to tap into that fund. Plus, not having the funds at all will send you right back into debt because you will have to cover the “emergency” with credit or even worse, borrowing from someone else.

Keeping my original idea in my, I considered a tapered down version of my risky plan. Instead of depleting the Emergency Fund completely, I would take out $500.00 and apply it to my credit card balance once I got under the $1000.00 mark. Doing so will help me to reach the zero balance goal, two months ahead of time and stay on track with my financial plan. Once the credit card balance is paid in full, I would then continue my normal $300.00 per month + money from the 52 Week Money Challenge to replenish the Emergency Fund until August 1st. Because I have eliminated interest, I would actually end up with $100.00 extra going back into my Emergency Fund.

If You Were Me, What Would You Do?

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~ Update: Click here to see what Danielle decided to do ~

{Week 14 Update} 52 Week Money Challenge

Published on April 4, 2014January 22, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

It’s Friday already and time for your 52 Week Money Challenge reminder. For those of you, like me, who began on January 3, 2014, we are 14 weeks in for this year! Today, I crossed off $25.00 from the SMC bingo style money sheet , which puts me at a grand total of an extra $344.00 saved thus far. The closer we get to August 1, 2014, my goal date to have a zero balance on my credit card, the more excited I get. In some ways, the feeling I get every time I see the balance drop is becoming stronger than the high I get from shopping. I am planning for big things to happen THIS MONTH by paying my set payment of $300.00 per month + the 52 Week Challenge each Friday + the possibility of a somewhat risky financial move, which I will talk about in Monday’s post. Stay tuned to see how I plan to slash my credit card balance from $1345.00 (current balance) to less than $500.00 by the end of the month by taking of gamble with my finances. If you want big rewards, sometimes you have to take big risks!

{Business Cents} Don’t Give A Damn If They Like You

Published on April 2, 2014June 21, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason4 Comments

“ The respect of those you respect is worth more than the applause of the multitude. ”

— Arnold Glasow

They Like Me, They Really Like Me

Some of the best career advice I ever received came from a magazine. In an archived issue of Cosmopolitan, Mika Brzezinski, Cosmo columnist and co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, suggested that women concerned about being liked at work, “should not give a damn if they like you”. Work as Brzezinski adds, “is not a popularity contest. It is however a respect contest”. It wasn’t until I was sitting in a performance review that I started to understand what she meant by her advice. People can like you for the person that you are and the work that you do but that doesn’t always translate into promotions, benefits, or raises. Sitting there in that office, I was fighting an internal battle and my career was losing BIG TIME! My fear of not being liked was keeping me from confidently asking pertinent questions regarding career progression and compensation. Would they still like me if I challenged the status quo? To this day, I still get embarrassed knowing I was so worried about being liked at such an important career crossroad. I decided to write this, because I know I am not alone and that is evident in my research of women, business, and money. I hope someone can learn from my experience.

Of course I want to be liked , everyone does, but not at the expense of losing sight of my financial and career goals. If you are a good person and you do exceptional work, then you shouldn’t have to worry about not being liked. Oprah once told me (dreaming BIG…let me try that sentence again). I attended the commencement ceremony of my alma mater, Spelman College, where Oprah was the speaker. She told the women to, “let excellence be your brand”. Others will respect you for being focus driven and being the best you can be, and hey, what’s not to like about that?

What’s More Important in the Workplace?

Being Liked or Respected?

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{hello camera} April Photo Challenge from SheMakesCents.com

Published on April 1, 2014May 1, 2014 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Photo Credit: Raw of Beauty {dot}com

This is a lesson that I learned the hard way in my early twenties. I was so busy working to meet a certain status and lifestyle that I was too busy working to enjoy it; thus missing out on that limbo period where crazy “in my twenties” stories are made. Since then I have learned that time is one of the most valuable “things” to have. Time is a currency that no one can really buy more of. When I get to the end of my life, I want to know that I have actually LIVED instead of simply existing.

Let’s Connect!

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{Week 13} 52 Week Money Challenge Bingo Style

Published on March 28, 2014April 4, 2014 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Someone recently asked me “what was the point of doing a money challenge, it’s not like you are saving a substantial amount?” My reply was simple, “every little bit helps me get one step closer to my goals”. I am very serious about having a zero balance on my credit card by August 1, 2014 and using funds saved from this challenge helps me pay off my balance faster. Today, I crossed number 17 off my bingo style money challenge sheet which gives me a grand total of $319.00 additional dollars added to help pay off the balance on my cards. A while ago, I decided that instead of payment the minimum + the 52 Week Challenge weekly payment I would decide on a set payment to make every two weeks and add the money from the challenge on top of that. This has allowed me to chop off interest payments as well.

How Are You Doing On the Challenge?

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{Business Cents} Preview to Like A Girl Series

Published on March 26, 2014 by Danielle YB Vason3 Comments

Last week I posed the question to my female readers, are we [women] losing the corporate game because we are playing “like a girl”? This very question inspired our new Like a Girl series. What does it mean to do something “like a girl”, anyway? As I child, my parents reinforced the notion that I could do anything a boy could do; however, society emphasizes the phrase “like a girl” to describe someone as weak, soft, and less than. Over the next few weeks, we will tackle topics of women, business, and money while rejecting the crippling actions and societal impositions of this “like a girl” behavior. Together, we will redefine what it means to do something LIKE A GIRL…. better yet, LIKE A WOMAN!