City Girl Savings | Budgeting, Money Management, and Goal Setting Tips for Women

If you're anything like old Raya, the holidays can put a hurting on your budget. Between Christmas gifts, personal gifts, stocking stuffers and sales galore, it's easy to find yourself going into debt during the holidays. Trust me…I was there. Black Friday was my time to buy gifts…for myself! I would buy other people gifts too, but not going to lie – I shopped quite a bit for myself. I want you to...

If you're new to the City Girl Savings community, then I need you to know that while I may be a finance coach and the founder of City Girl Savings, I was an avid spender before City Girl Savings came to be. I put myself in situations where shifting from a spending mindset to a savings mindset was a necessity. That means I know a thing or two about being an overspender. I also know a thing or two a...

Fall is my favorite season! The weather is cooling down, pumpkin spice lattes are flowing, and the holidays are around the corner! There are so many wonderful things that come with the fall season, so it's only right that our budgets are adjusted accordingly. In this episode, I'm sharing 5 budget adjustments to make for the fall season. Since we know that fall and winter seasons come around the sa...

I've been a finance coach since 2016 and since then, I've seen a huge increase in the number of financial coaches offering services. This is a great thing! It means more conversations around financial literacy are showing people that there is outside help for your money, budget and overall financial situation. Financial advisors help you keep and grow your wealth, but financial coaches help you la...

One thing I pride myself on is my ability to manage my time and get things done. I've always been the type of person who does what she says she's going to do, and I keep my word to myself. This has been extremely helpful in my career, but especially when working for myself. Over time, I've identified the things that have had the biggest impact on my time management success. In this episode, I'm sh...

Financial Independence, Retire Early (also known as FIRE) is a movement devoted to extreme saving and investing in the present so that a person can retire much earlier than the traditional retirement age of 65. The Fire movement prioritizes saving and investing 50 to 70% of a person's income, if not more, to ensure early retirement is possible. In this episode, I'm breaking down the Fire movement...

Is it just me, or does it feel like the older we get, the less time we seem to have? Like the time we do have just flies by in the blink of an eye. I don't even have kids yet, but I can imagine that time goes even faster when little ones are involved! While we all get 24 hours in a day, it may not feel like time is evenly distributed. If you struggle with time management or feeling productive with...

If you know me, then you know I love to travel. Long ago, when I was forced to identify my life's priorities, I came to the realization that travel and new experiences would be something I always plan and budget for. It would be something I would happily spend my money on (with a proper budget, of course) but enjoy with no regrets. Since that realization, I've been to some amazing places, includin...

There is absolutely a way to be stylish on a budget. Raya in her 20s would've said "you're wrong". My past self didn't care about a budget when trying to be fashionable. But I should have. And while there is an art and a science to being fashionable on a budget, it's 100% possible. In fact, LA-based stylist Emily Burnette is here to show us how! In this episode, Emily and I are talking all things...

I've been budgeting and managing my money for a long time. I've learned so much about myself along the way, and finally getting into a rhythm with my money and budget has put me in the best financial place I've ever been in. It's hard to imagine anyone's confidence not growing after that! In this episode, I'm sharing how managing my money has boosted my confidence and allows me to take on opportun...

In simple terms, fear is the response to perceived physical or emotional danger. Fear is your brain's way of recognizing a threat and prompting you to protect yourself. If we were in ancient times, our fear response would be necessary to keep us safe. Nowadays, not so much. We're not facing imminent danger like people were back then. Sure, there are other dangers that are present in our current ti...

Money runs our lives. I don't mean that in a bad way, but in a matter-of-fact way. We need money to survive. We need money to enjoy our lives. Everything has a cost. It is what it is! Since we can't escape the capitalist society we live in, it's important we put ourselves in a position to master our money. This starts with some important money principles everyone should be following. In this episo...

Credit, when managed the right way, can help anyone take control of their money. Leveraging credit can give you access to cash, save you money, and help you purchase things you otherwise wouldn't be able to have. That's not to say that carrying balances and accumulating debt that you can't pay back is a wise move, because it's not! However, there's a difference between credit and debt. That's why...

The rise of real estate investing in social media has been a popular topic of conversation…and for good reason. There are a lot of amazing things that can come from real estate investing. There's a lot of work that goes into it as well. My brother and I have been managing rental properties since 2015. For me, the goal is to build out a rental property portfolio. In this episode, I'm sharing my per...

Where are my fashion girlies at?! This one's for you! 15 years ago, I didn't budget or plan for anything. I would buy a new outfit every week, in preparation for going out on the weekend. I'm so happy to say those days are over! I may buy new clothes 1-2x per year, and I always have a plan and budget for it. As I've been perusing my closet, I've come across a few fashion statement pieces I want to...

Over the years of budgeting and managing my money, I've come across a few key indicators of growth in my situation. Now, I make it a point to monitor those indicators on a regular basis. Tracking these specific indicators helps me quickly gauge if I'm making progress or trailing behind. That information allows me to know if I should keep doing what I'm doing or switch things up. In this episode, I...

There was a point in my life where I would set big goals and not check-in on them. I would keep them top of mind but only assess my progress once the goal time frame (typically one year) ended. Not anymore! Now, I make it a point to assess my goal progress along the way. This helps me course correct, make changes, or keep doing what's working! At the end of 2023, I shared my personal and business...

Depending on where you are in your financial situation, buying your first rental property (or any property for that matter) may seem light years away. I've got news for you. It may not be as far away as you think. There's a specific process behind purchasing your first rental property and using that property to create instant cash flow. That's why I'm so excited to have Antonio Cucciniello of Inve...

No one actually wants to live paycheck to paycheck, but they also don't want to stop the habits that are keeping them in that vicious cycle. When it comes to your money, the last thing you want to do is waste it! Being fully aware of what bad habits are making or keeping you broke and working to fix them can help you better manage the money you do have. In this episode, I'm sharing 7 bad habits ke...

Have you heard of the term "travel hacking"?   If not, you're not alone.   I was introduced to the concept of travel hacking over two years ago by a Travel Rewards Coach who came on the podcast.   I was mesmerized – not only because I love to travel but because there's a way to do it for free, essentially!   While I won't be breaking down travel-hacking in detail, in this episode, I'm sharing how...

While saving money just to save is better than not saving any money at all, you could be missing out on opportunities to maximize your savings efforts. When it comes to saving money, you'll want to implement a strategy that sets you up for success. You may already have that strategy, or it may need to be tweaked. In this episode, I'm sharing 5 ways you can take your savings strategy up a notch and...

While making a lot of money may seem like the answer to your problems, if you're not managing it well, you won't have anything to show for it. Just ask my friend and City Girl Savings client Rachel. When Rachel and I first started working together in January 2021, she was making well-over six figures but didn't have a clue about where it was going. Fast forward 3 years later and Rachel is making m...

As hard as it may be for you to believe, money doesn't have to be complicated. Sure, there are complexities with anyone's money situation, but there are always opportunities to simplify. Don't make things more complicated than they need to be, especially your money! Wherever you can simplify and reduce complexity with your money, take full advantage. Not sure where to start? In this episode, I'm s...

There's nothing like an organized life. I'm talking about an organized home, an organized office, organized finances, and overall organization as a part of your everyday life. We've all been exposed to clutter and can instantly feel the effects. I know I've walked into my house after a long day at work and after seeing a mess everywhere, my mood instantly tanks. The same can be said for cluttered...

Good or bad, we learn so much from our parents. Whether we end up being just like them or the opposite, there's no doubt that our parental interactions shape who we are as adults. In honor of Mother's Day and this one being the first one I celebrate without my mom, I wanted to take the time to share some of the biggest life lessons I've learned from her. In this episode I'm sharing the most impact...