Author: jenninspiration

If you’ve been following my debt free journey on Instagram (@jenn.inspiration), I started at $21K in the beginning of 2020 and ended the year with the balance of $11K. I was fortunate enough to still be employed during these rough times. Along with my 9-5 job, I also resell clothes online as part-time. Here are a few tips that I like to share with you, and also experienced myself.

• I like to snowball my debt. I started off by paying my smallest amount of debt then focused on tackling on my next big amount. This made me feel more motivated to keep going. Baby steps helped me show how far a long I was to reach my goal. Even though I was taking baby steps to reach my goal, I also included deadlines for myself to reach. For example, before I reached to balance of $11K, I was at balance of $12K before 2020 ended. I made sure each week I reached my goal of saving X amount of monies from my paycheck and made a certain profit from reselling online.
  
• I often had trouble saving monies and always thought, “Ok! Let’s save $100,” and later on I’d end up using it. It was a terrible habit of mine. I made sure that from every paycheck I received that I set aside at least up to 10%. Depending on the situation, I tried to meet the goal because it adds up quickly. And also, from reselling online, I set aside a certain percentage to make sure that I am reaching my goal; invest into more inventory to maximize my expenses and profit.
  
• Plan & budget, plan & budget. I’d come to realize budgeting constantly changes. I had to become flexible about how I used my money. I always put aside monies for my regular bills I normally pay. After I paid off my regular bills, I need to consider my other miscellaneous expenses such as going out, buying food, shopping, etc. I tried to reduce my spending from buying take-outs and shopping. Shopping is absolutely my worst spending habit. Since I shop online, I try to find payment plans (i.e. Sezzle, Afterpay, etc) to work around my budget. Or, the best way to figure out if I truly need it is by leaving it in my cart and check to see if I need it again later in 24 hours. Anything can happen in 24 hours! Planning and budgeting kept me motivated and accountable for reaching my financial freedom.
  
• Last but not least, find your money mantra. I repeat to myself everyday: Money is an unlimited resource and it is always flowing my way. The universe works in magical ways.
  
  I hope these tips helps you to work on your debt free journey. Let’s get this financial peace together! I will keep you updated later on this year on my progress of paying off my student loan debt.

xoxo,
Jenn