How to save money through budgeting

Yes, You Can Save and You Can Save NOW!

Sincerely AngieLeave a comment

Truth is, it’s 2025, you should already be saving. If Hurricane Katrina didn’t teach us anything twenty years ago, it taught us that we should have a rainy day fund, or in Louisianians case, a hurricane season stash. Everyone doesn’t live in Louisiana, so COVID-19 should’ve taught us that having a savings account with enough in it to get by during a trying time, is necessary. At least six months worth of bills and living expenses.

Don’t believe the lies you’ve been telling yourself. Yes you can save and you can start today. I’m not going to reiterate the millions of ways you can save. I have many posts under the budget tab with tips and tricks on saving. This post is the reality check you need. In the day and time that we’re living in, it may seem hard to save but the reality is, everything is not always what it seems. And our minds are playing tricks on us. We have to have mind control over Deebo! With the state of the world and the economy, having money to spare is paramount.

If you can shop, you can save!

If you can go out to eat, you can save!

If you can go to happy hour, you can save!

If you can buy gifts for yourself and others, you can save!

What you need is discipline and to sacrifice for a few months to a year or more to realize that everything you think you need, is all in your head. You don’t need it, you want it. And everything you really need, is on the other side of your sacrifice. In this season, you’ll have to learn the difference between needs, wants, priorities, your “why” and sacrificing for a bit of time, to get to the future you want. So this blog post isn’t laced with tips or tricks. Just do it. No more excuses, because excuses keep you comfortable. Growth comes when you get out of your comfort zone. Time is not standing still and life can and will life when it wants to. Don’t put off any longer what you CAN actually do today. Save your money now so that your money can save you later, if you need saving. Otherwise, it’ll save you from a lifetime of lack, borrowing and missing out on an abundant life.

Sincerely,

Angie

NBA Angie (Never Broke Again Angie)

Sincerely Angie2 Comments

Vow to Never be Broke Again

Do you have a “broke” number? If you’re not familiar with what a broke number is, it’s basically a number that you get down to in your finances, where you start to consider yourself broke. It’s a number that should scare you. I also talk about this in a recent podcast episode here.

I found out in 2014 that my broke number was $10,000. In 2011, I left a job that I had been on for 7 years and started a new one 4 months later in 2012. During the 4 months I wasn’t working, I was living off of my savings. The new job paid me significantly less than my previous job, so I was still using my savings to supplement the deficit. After 2 years of living off of my savings, I was approaching a number in my savings account that scared the ish out of me. Before reaching that number, I knew that’s where I was stopping. Because as I was approaching it, I would get nervous thinking about it. That’s when I started to make changes. I downsized as much as possible and I was able to maintain my broke number without touching the savings account for a few years.

Slowly but surely and in very small steps, I started to add money to increase my savings. You can see the growth in my blog posts in the budget tab. I went from saving $2, $5, $15+ dollars at a time, to saving $200, $500, $1,500+ at a time. I went from praying to be able to save $10,000 to saving $10,000 in almost two years, then to saving that in less than one year.

Vowing to never get that close to only having $10,000 in my savings, to being able to save $10,000 in less than a year, only came from the feeling of not having that security. I learned a few things during a span of 5 years that helped me to grow. Since then, my “broke” number has changed and that change came in 2018. That means it took me about 7 years or more to learn my finances, grow my finances and to get comfortable with a much larger “broke number”.

Here’s what I did:

  • I started paying the full 10% of my tithes.
  • I wrote down everything and really learned who I was financially.
  • I elevated each time I reached a goal.
  • I took a deep dive into my finances and learned them inside out.
  • I set many goals, big and small.
  • I pushed myself and always strived for a bigger goal.
  • I sacrificed and had to practice discipline.
  • I took advantage of any thing free, points and programs that rewarded me with free money. (Rakuten, surveys, loyalty programs, receipt programs, etc.)
  • I counted every penny and knew where every penny was supposed to be.

If you’re reading this, it’s my hope that this post inspires change if you need it or motivation. This post is not to brag or boast. We all have a journey, and it took me nearly 10 years to get to this place. I vowed to never get close to my broke number again, and if life did happen and I got close to it, I know exactly how to recover it all again. NBA Angie!!! Happy budgeting!

Sincerely,

Angie

It’s Income Season

Sincerely AngieLeave a comment

You read that right. Income season, not income tax season. I pray for the spirit of waiting all year for increase, to be removed from our minds and hearts. You can have increase at any given moment. All you need is the opportunity, expectancy and a renewing of your mind. Renewed mindsets brings about great abundance. Don’t wait all year for tax season to get a quick increase in your finances, income season can be yours all year long!

This year, try focusing on you receiving income and increase on a regular basis. Income, if we’re talking financially and increase when speaking of any and all areas of your life. Increase your self-awareness, self-control, relationships, health, peace, etc. Anything that is in coming, that you can receive is what you can train your mind to think of. I guess I could’ve named this post “Incoming Season” but it doesn’t have the same depth to it. Look up the definition of income and increase and seeing the definition might just change your mindset or life.

If you focus on lack or areas of your life where you are lacking something or there is a deficit, that lack could remain. Focus on increasing any area of your life where there may be a lack or where improvements can be made. This could range from anything like, your response when you’re mad or upset to improving your arrival time at work. Don’t limit yourself! We should always aim or desire to be better as a person not only for ourselves but for those around us.

Since it’s a new year, I have to provide y’all with money tips for the first quarter. Check out the new podcast on money with Eric Lewis from the IKG podcast.

It’s time for increase in your incoming funds. These tips are only here to give examples of how to cash in on some extra dollars. Do what works for you! Income is the key word so the goal is to have in coming funds! Lets start to cash out on some things we utilized last year.

  • Cash out survey or referral programs points for Zelle, PayPal or Visa Gift Cards (ex. Rakuten or Fetch )
  • Redeem your credit card points for cash or gift cards (ex. 25,460 points, could equal $254.00)
  • Any interest that you may have gained on your savings accounts can be used to keep compounding or to move to another account for spending. You earned it. (Your savings account shows $5,138. The $138 is most likely interest earned (check your bank statement for interest earned total). Cash out the $138)
  • Your stocks may be doing well. It’s time to check them and possibly cash out your initial investment to reinvest or use elsewhere. (You initially spent $500 on Apple stock, it’s currently worth $1,200. You could sell the shares that would equal $500(your initial investment) and keep $700 worth of Apple shares.) Remember, stocks are a long game, so only think of cashing out the initial investment if you really need the extra or if you deem it worth it.

Please note that anything that I have ever suggested when it comes to money and saving, I have done it personally or I have seen the benefits of it first hand. Happy saving, investing, cashing out and INCREASE!

Sincerely,

Angie