{Week 2 Progress Report} 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge

Published on January 8, 2016May 23, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason15 Comments

It’s the start of the year and people are still very focused with their resolutions. For some, the 52 Week BINGO Money Challenge is another goal on their resolution list. For me, it has to be a lifestyle. For the past few years, I have accepted the challenge to save for a specific amount to help with paying down my credit card, saving for the holidays, or even saving to help out with my wedding to the Mr; however, once I accomplished the goal, I fell off. I was doing well with a zero balance and then I started to swipe my credit card for wedding expenses so now I am back to the beginning of Dave Ramsey’s Baby Step 2. That’s why they call it a challenge because it is challenging.

This year, I am back at the goal of wiping out my $3,886.78 credit card balance completely by or before May 1, 2016. My plan is to pay a set amount every two weeks plus the savings from BINGO money challenge, every Friday. Once the credit card balance is non-existent, I can start snowballing my student loans so I can shorten the length of the term dramatically and reduce the amount of interest I would have to pay back. Today, I marking off number 40 on my Bingo Money Sheet (leave a comment below for your FREE copy of the 2016 BINGO style sheet).

What Are You Using Your BINGO Savings For?

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{Super Charge Your 2016 Savings} 52 Week Money Challenge Like You Have Never Done Before!

Published on January 1, 2016May 23, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason22 Comments

Financial Affirmation: “I am aligned with the energy of wealth and abundance”.

Photo Credit- Colin Anderson (Getty Images)

It’s the first Friday of 2016 which means it is time for the Bingo Style version of the 52 Week Money Challenge. For the past few years, I have used the bingo format to help pay off my credit card debt, save for the holidays, and save for a little extra for a wedding. This year, I plan on using the extra money from this version of the challenge to get my credit card balance back to zero (another story for another day) and start snowballing my student loans.

Here Is How It Works!

I’m sure you have seen the original challenge floating around the internet where you make a weekly deposit that reflects the number of weeks of the year. For example, on week one you deposit $1.00 and on week 52 you deposit $52.00 and so on. However, doing it this way will have you shelling out the big bucks during the holidays when people’s money is the most limited. One year, I even attempted to do the original challenge in reverse by saving more money at the beginning of the year and less the closer we get to the holiday season. The only problem with doing it that way was that I was shelling out a lot of money right after the holidays when… for most people, money is still a little tight. I thought to myself…”Danielle, how can you find a way to honor the challenge in a way that will not hurt you financially”? Then I came up with the idea to create a “bingo” style format. At the end of the year, I would still end up with the same amount of $1378.00 and if I am having a tough financial week, I can pick a lower amount to save. The good thing about the bingo challenge is that you are able to start at any time and if you get off track, it’s easy to see where you need to make it up to get back on track. 52 Week Challenge

What Makes 2016 Different?

The power of choosing how much you want to save is what has always made the Bingo Style different from the original 52 Week Challenge. This year, though, we have upped the ante and included optional bonus+ boxes for those who are able and willing to push themselves further on this challenge. It will take more sacrifice, but it will help you gain more strength and momentum toward your financial goals since you will be saving a minimum of $1928.00 versus $1378.00.

Check Ins

You know goals are more likely to materialize when we share them with others. That being said, check ins will take place on Fridays at noon where I will share my progress on the challenge and its effect on my overall financial goals and I encourage you to do the same. I love hearing your stories of how you are doing in the challenge and the financial milestones you have accomplished by making saving a habit of your daily life. Sometimes doing it with a friend or even a blogger friend like me, keeps you better motivated since you aren’t in it alone. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, shoot me a line below or email me for the latest Bingo Style Money Challenge, free to shemakescents readers!

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{World of the Year} What ONE Word Reflects Your Vision for 2016?

Published on December 31, 2015February 2, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason5 Comments

2016 WORD OF THE YEAR- BRAVERY - from http://wealth-radar.live At the top of the year, many people are thinking about their future and making resolutions for 2016. Since some people have a hard time keeping up with resolutions, selecting a word for oneself could be a more realistic goal for some of my busier readers. Back in 2013, I started asking my readers on the She Makes Cents Facebook page to share one word to reflect your personal goals/resolution/vision for the year ahead and the response I got was inspiring, thoughtful, and honest. For me, the year 2013 was my year of BALANCE, 2014 was my year of FOCUS, and 2015 was my year of PASSION. This year I have selected BRAVERY as my word.

If you could choose one word to reflect your personal goals/resolution/vision for 2016, what word would you choose? Please share below.

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SMC Book Club: Leave Your Mark

Published on December 29, 2015September 7, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Feed your mind or it will starve… – Danielle YB Vason

Back in college my roommate/future doctor, Safiya, diagnosed me with what we now refer to as “Shiny Penny Syndrome”. Shiny Penny Syndrome is when you are focused on one thing and something else steals your attention. It’s exactly what happens when I see pretty shiny things or when dogs see squirrels. Well, let just say that the shemakescents January book selection was my latest shiny penny. I was walking through my favorite book store on the hunt for a Christmas gift when I saw the cutest book cover. Mint green, coffee cup, and red lipstick stains immediately caught my eye! Then I realized the author was Aliza Licht aka @DKNYPRGirl, solidifying the book “Leave Your Mark” as the first shemakescents book selection of the year.

Leave Your Mark This Year

Drawing invaluable lessons from her experience, Licht shares advice and inspiration with a particular emphasis on communicating and building your personal brand. Join #teamSMC as we dive into this sassy, relatable, and knowledgeable guide to the contemporary working world, where personal and professional lines are blurred and the most important thing you can have is a strong sense of self.

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{The Countdown Begins} She Makes Cents Returns

Published on December 17, 2015January 7, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

Engagement Photos & The Hidden Expenses I Didn’t Think About

Published on July 6, 2015February 2, 2016 by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

About a year ago I announced my engagement to the Mr. and since then, it has been full steam ahead. I started by pinning inspiration pictures and decided that one of the very first vendors we pick should be the photographer. After the wedding day has passed, all you are left with are the memories and the photographs, so I believe this is a good place to invest your research and money. When coming up with the budget, we wanted someone who included the engagement photos in their package. What I didn’t think about was all of the other expenses that I hadn’t included in the overall budget. For example, finding the perfect outfit, hair, makeup, and sometimes even location fees depending on where you take them. All of these things are luxuries that anyone could live without, but enhance the overall experience. I stressed for weeks about buying the perfect outfit but after all was said and done, I ended up wearing a mix of new stuff and timeless pieces already in my closet. I found my shoes on sale and asked a friend/makeup artist to do my makeup. Instead of paying for a fancy location shoot, we decided we wanted our photos to reflect our lives together. We started in the neighborhood where we will be living as husband and wife, paid homage to our Atlanta University Center (AUC) roots, and ended in the heart of Atlanta, where both of us are from. Our engagement photos and story were even published in MunaLuchi {check them out here}, the leading multicultural wedding publication catering to women of color.

Here is a Sneak Peak of the photos no one has seen yet!

brimcdanielphotography_danielle+michael_engagement-117

Photography by Bri McDaniel Photography

Let’s Get Social!

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{Woman to Watch} Misty Copeland

Published on July 3, 2015July 2, 2015 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

For years I have followed the career of ballet dancer, Misty Copeland. Beyond her killer legs and amazing stage presence is a woman who encourages young dancers of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds to be the best they can be on the stage and off. This week, Copeland was promoted to principal dancer of the American Ballet Theater, making her the FIRST African-American ballet dancer of the A.B.T. to lead the company, a goal that she set for herself years ago.

At the beginning of every year, I ask readers of SMC the same question: What ONE word reflects your vision for the year? Back in 2013, I selected the word “BALANCE” and framed the picture above as a visual reminder of the balance I so wanted in my life at that time. She has been an inspiration to me and an example that hard work and the belief in oneself is the most powerful prerequisites to accomplishing one’s goals. She is unstoppable, she is glamorous, and #shemakescents!

5 Skills Every Person Should Have

Published on April 14, 2015January 7, 2016 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

SMC Book Club: The Woman I Wanted to Be

Published on December 31, 2014October 31, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light. – Vera Nazarian

I am an avid reader and every year I set out to read at least 12 books a year. It’s a resolution that when of making, seems simple. But yet, as the year goes on I find myself getting caught up in things that pull my focus away. That 12 book goal starts feeling like 1200 books. Last month, in a few moments of downtime, I took a pink post-it and made a list of books that I have been wanting to read. I then took it a step forward and bought the first book on my list. It was an autographed copy, at that! Afterward, I told my girlfriends from work who also seemed interested in some of the reads on my list and [insert angel choir here] the birth of the She Makes Cents Book Club was born. For the past month, I kept going back and forth about whether I would present it to the world as a monthly book suggestion, book review, or a book club and then I remembered about why I love books in the first place. Reading and discussing books with other people allows you to understand the same material, often time from a different point of view than one’s own. That is one of the things I miss about college… the ability to have an open dialogue about a multitude of subjects.

So Here Is How It Will Work:

Every month we will select a new book and announce that selection a week before the start of every month. This will give you time to go to your local bookstore, library, or download to your device. Selections for the books will come from readers suggestions and the list I started on the post-it. We ask that selections embrace powerful women, business cents, fictional favorites, and anything that informs and inspires us to be the people we aspire to be. With that being said, I am happy to announce the SMC Book Club: January Selection to be The Woman I Wanted to Be by Diane von Fürstenberg. I have always been a fan of her as a woman and I was so happy to see that she is exactly who I hoped her to be when watching her reality show “House of DVF”. This book explores the subject of her roots, love, beauty, and business; thus, making it the perfect choice for our January Selection. I hope you pick up the book and join the SMC team as we read our January selection. Discussions for this book can be found in the comments below starting Monday, January 5th.

Mint Interviews Danielle Y. Boler of She Makes Cents

Published on July 30, 2014June 29, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason5 Comments

Back in March, I was contacted by an Editorial Assistant for Mint asking if I would be interested in doing an interview. I interview people all the time, but rarely am I on the other side of questions. Excited and a little nervous, I agreed. Yesterday, they contacted me to let me know that the interview was published.

Danielle Boler hopes to start a conversation about how women can make smarter financial decisions and live a fabulous life on her blog She Makes Cents. When it comes to how women view money compared to men, Danielle says she believes women are more cautious – which can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, saving more creates a good cushion for emergencies and other unforeseen events, but it can also prevent big financial gain. “Some believe it’s because women are not confident in making big financial decisions. I’m inclined to disagree,” she says. “When armed with the proper tools to make sound financial choices, women prove to be confident, powerful and commanding in their financial choices.” In the end, diversifying your financial portfolio (no matter what your gender) is important on every income level to make your money work for you, she says.

We recently checked out with the sassy blogger to learn more about her site and get her take on personal finance. Here’s what she had to say:

Click here to read the full interview and find out financial freedom is important!