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

O.M.G! I can't believe we've reached 100 episodes of the City Girl Savings podcast! First off, where does the time go?! Second, I'm so glad I bit the bullet and decided to launch the podcast in January of 2022. I had been contemplating a podcast for a long time, but the timing never felt right. I knew that if I was going to commit to showing up every week, I had to be in a space to do it. So, when...

Because the coaching industry is so new, it's no surprise that most people assume they need a financial advisor, instead of a financial coach. I've been a financial coach since 2015 and many people have called me a financial advisor (which I'm not) and sought services outside of my wheelhouse. That's why I'm so excited to have financial advisor Grace Kilgore on the show today. Grace and I are goin...

There's no denying the power of setting money goals…any goals for that matter. Goals keep us motivated. Goals give us something to work towards. Goals help us measure our success towards the things that matter most. Most people, myself included, set goals at the beginning of the year. There's nothing like a fresh start! But if you've never set money goals before, I want 2024 to be the year you giv...

Do you always start the month with a new budget and high hopes, only to forget about it a few days later? Is your problem sticking to the budget instead of creating it? Or maybe you have completely given up on the thought of a doable budget? If your current budget or budgeting process isn't working, it's probably time to give your old budget a makeover! In this episode, I'm sharing some powerful w...

I think there's so much emphasis on improving your life in preparation for or at the start of a new year.  While I'm not mad about it (the Virgo in me loves a fresh start), I do think there's something super impactful about finishing a year off strong as well. If you've let the year pass you by with little motivation, then it's time to think about what you can do to finish the year off strong and...

We're in the final quarter of the year and before we know it, 2024 will be here. While we still have over 2 months before the new year, the time to start planning next years' goals is right now! Waiting until the last minute to plan your goals opens the door for you to set unrealistic expectations, fail to properly plan your strategies or worse – avoid goal setting altogether! I always set my new...

One budget category that usually gets us all in one way or another is the Grocery category. With rising costs of food, the urge to ditch the ingredients in the fridge and order take out, and a premium for healthy, organic food, it's no wonder most of us can't seem to keep our grocery spending in check. Thankfully, Grocery Budget Coach Rachel Coons is here with us to help make sure we stick to thos...

Money management is one of the most important skills a person (especially a woman) can have, but it's often never learned and properly utilized. It's not easy to live a life of frugality – to assess needs versus wants and avoid spending money on things that you don't need. However, it's mandatory if you want to live a life of financial security and freedom. If you aren't a frugal person by nature,...

A common trend in the personal finance community is the notion of living below your means. Meaning, you're able to live on less than what you make. Most successful savers and financially successful people in general have mastered the living within your means phenomena. In fact, they have mastered it so well that they actually live below their means! As for the rest of us, we must crawl before we c...

By the time you're hearing this episode, I'm a newly aged 35-year-old woman. My year from 34 to 35 has been one of tremendous growth. Not from a business or material standpoint, but from an internal one. It's been a year of reflection, trusting the unknown, and having faith. It was a tough year personally and I was forced to do things I didn't plan to. I was forced to slow down when I didn't want...

I think there's a common misconception that if you're frugal, you're cheap. You don't spend money on things you enjoy and you never leave the house. NOT TRUE! Living a frugal life means you're intentional with your money decisions and you tend to only spend on things that matter or spark joy. Let's release the stigma around frugality and work towards leading a more financially-intentional life.  O...

News flash: You don't have to make a lot of money to be good at managing it! In fact, if you can master managing money with less income, you can make some amazing progress when more income eventually comes your way. Hopefully you're thinking "Challenge accepted!" Regardless of how much money you make, I want you to know that you can master it like a pro! In honor of the Money Management Mastery pr...

Great things happen outside the comfort zone, unfortunately it doesn't always feel good there. Being uncomfortable is the first step to change…and change is scary. Fear of the unknown can creep in and make you take a step back into your zone of comfort. But, you can't expect different results when you're doing the same things you've always done. In this episode, I'm sharing how you can get comfort...

You've taken the steps to actually get your budget created, but now that you have, you realize that it just isn't working. Don't give up! The truth is budgeting is not one-size-fits all. Budgeting is all about trial and error. You're not always going to be perfect with your budget. I mean…I'm a budget coach, and I don't always get it right! That means you have permission to let your budget be a wo...

One of the most common goals I see across the City Girl Savings community is home ownership. People reach out to me sharing they want to own a home one day. Clients and I work to prioritize saving for a down payment. Dreams of passive income from rentals or AirBnBs fill people with hope. Whether home ownership is in the near future for you or not, there are things everyone can do right now to put...

When it comes to your finances, it (literally) pays to have the right mindset. How you think about your money determines how you act with your money. How you think about your situation determines how you change (or don't change) your situation. In this episode, I'm diving into why mindset is so important for your life and finances. I'm also going to break down money scarcity, so you can spot the s...

Why should I pay to get help with my finances when there are plenty of free or low-cost options available? Since I'm a coach that specializes in helping people who don't know how to budget, you can imagine how many times I've been asked this question. And it's perfectly valid. The funny thing is, the people who are asking that question, aren't asking questions like: why should I save so I don't li...

Ah, summertime. Beach days. Long nights. Sun rays. Maybe it was the fact that summer vacation when we were little was a great time, but even as an adult, I always look forward to summer. While I no longer get summer vacations like I did in grade school, I still love to make the most of the summer season. In this episode, I'm sharing how you can live your best life this summer (and any summer after...

When it comes to your goals, you can't just set them and forget them. You have to check in on them and make sure you're on track. If you're not on track, you still have time to course correct and figure other things out. Sometimes, things come up and your goals can't be achieved exactly when you want them to. That doesn't mean you should give up though! It just means you'll need to tweak, adjust a...

I can't quite explain it, but every time a new client joins my coaching program and vows to truly change their money situation, God, the Universe, or whatever else you believe in throws things their way to confirm they're on the right track. Extra money miraculously appears. Bills come back with credits. Checks show up in the mail. Family members send blessings. This isn't an anomaly to just one o...

Everyone knows they should be saving money, but most people don't take it a step further and specify what that savings should be for. I've worked with clients who would save money consistently, but never had a strategy around that savings. There are certain things everyone should be saving for, but it's not always clear what those things should be. Don't get me wrong, saving money just to save mon...

Here's the thing: some people are just natural-born spenders. Give them some money and POOF! It's gone! But anyone can change their ways…heck, if I can do it, anyone can! So, if you're a spender, it doesn't mean you can't also be a saver! In fact, there are some easy ways for spenders to get started with saving money, regardless of their habits. In this episode, I'm sharing 5 easy ways for spender...

I'm sure you've heard the term "sinking funds" before, and if you haven't, you'll definitely learn today!  Sinking funds are individual saving strategies for specific goals. Whether you're saving for that goal in a bank account, investment account or a cash envelope, you're contributing to that goal's sinking fund. Sinking funds can be a great way to save for goals, save for expenses that tend to...

You see the thriving City Girl Savings community of thousands, the pretty website full of blog articles and money resources, and the sweet words from my coaching clients…but have you ever wondered what it looks like behind the scenes at City Girl Savings? Are you curious to know what goes into making this business run on a daily basis? Well, let me be the first to share that I'm not doing it alone...

I've been budgeting and saving for many years. With that comes picking up on tips and tricks, and learning what strategies work and don't work. I'm a firm believer in the notion of one savings account per goal. Not only does this keep you organized, but it also keeps you on top of how close you are to reaching that goal. I currently have 7 primary savings accounts. Each of them has a specific purp...