If you are new to the How to Afford Everything series, please go back and listen to the first two episodes so you can get all caught up.

Watch this episode on YouTube HERE

Topic #1: A Savings State of Mind

Having savings gives you freedom of choice, keeps you from relying on debt when something unexpected comes up and can elevate you to the status of having F-you money.

When I was growing up, F-you money meant being RICH!

But RICH is relative and now, to me, F-YOU money means I have a few months of money in the bank and I’m not living paycheck to paycheck. It’s liberating and to me, that feels RICH.

There are 3 types of savings:

1. Oh, Shoot! Fund – a cushion to avoid overdraft fees
2. Emergency Fund – 3-6 months of your living expenses
3. Specific items – setting money aside for a specific purpose

If you are just starting out, you need to find the amount of money, no matter how small, that you can consistently put away without missing it.

Another favorite cheat code is paying yourself the difference when you’re about to change something. For example, you’re planning to move into a new apartment so 4-6 months before you do, start paying yourself the difference between your current bill and the next one. For example, your rent is now 800 but it’s going up to 940, every month put that $140 into your savings account at the same time you pay your rent.

This does 2 things: it pressure tests your budget, can you really actually truly afford to make that change? And gives you a little extra cushion in your savings account for unexpected expenses.

Topic #3: The Art of Saving

Where to park your money. This depends on how quickly you want to be able to access your money. Listen to this episode for different options.

Find opportunities to reduce your expenses. Use coupons, discounts, and affiliations. Plan your meals by checking the weekly ad at your favorite grocery store, or going to the restaurant you like on the day they have a special or discount.

Search for coupon codes before you make any final purchases or use a cashback app like ibotta, rakuten, get upside or one of the dozens of others that exist

I’ll say it in English and Spanish.

“There’s food at home, hay comida en la casa“

“If you don’t need it, don’t buy it…no compras chingaderas”

My book has worksheets to help you with savings too!

You can order my book HERE.

Topic #4: Taxes

Now, we are briefly going to cover a topic that is way less fun than saving money. TAXES! Ah, taxes- the grand stage where the government plays a starring role in your financial performance, But don’t worry I’ve ‘Gotchu’. In my book, I unravel the mysteries of taxes and make you tax-savvy in no time.

But for now, here in this episode, I want to stress the fact that you don’t have to hate taxes and you don’t have to fear that pesky April 15th tax deadline every year. We are going to flip the script on taxes to understand how to plan for them and to understand how they really benefit everyone.

I do have to tell you that I have a bias here, I like that we have a social safety net, and I love that roads are smooth and schools are well funded so this isn’t about hating taxes but making sure that you’re giving a fair share and getting full advantage of any deductions and credits you may be eligible for.

There are 3 things I want you to know about taxes: Listen to find out what they are!

So, Cash connoisseurs, thank you for listening to episode three of the FinanceSIS series. I really hope you are feeling motivated and hungry for more. Stay tuned for the next episode, Careers – Minding the Business that Pays You!

And that’s not all – my amazing book will support all the strategies we discuss here with more insights and helpful worksheets.

You can find all the information at my WEBSITE.

For now, Bestie, I’ll leave you with these thoughts: building your financial cushion is the ultimate act of self-care. Soon You’ll be on your way to cashing in on your dreams, tossing you from Shoestrings to Chanel Chains.

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