Having a finance degree didnt make her immune to money issues.
She had poor spending habits and couldnt stick to a budget.
I got really depressed over my finances, says Love, a divorced mom of one.
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Here I was a financial professional and I couldnt even figure out how to manage my own income.
And for me, that was not only embarrassing but it was really frustrating.
A Budgeting Journey Begins
Loves money management struggles didnt come from lack of trying.
She experimented with a bunch of budgeting methods but continuously found herself giving up on each one.
Love felt disconnected from her money when she recorded transactions electronically with an Excel spreadsheet.
Budgeting for an entire month at a time didnt translate well to getting paid twice a month.
Using cash envelopes for everything, including bills, was too much of a headache.
In fact, I got so frustrated and stressed out I just gave up.
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For about a year, she didnt attempt to budget her money.
Though she paid her bills on time, she wasnt saving money or tackling debt.
It really sparked a new positivity in me, she says.
She picked apart each strategy, focusing on which elements worked for her.
From there, she was on her way.
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The cash envelopes come in handy forvariable expenses categories like food, fun and beauty.
Using cash makes her budget tangible and prevents her from overspending.
As for that mountain of debt?
I am now able to save for the things that I want.
How Becoming The Budget Mom Changed Her Life
Love came up with the budget-by-paycheck method in 2015.
By 2016, she decided to share her story, blogging as The Budget Mom.
I didnt want to just tell people how to budget, she says.
Love says she wants her audience to feel confidence, hope and inspiration when connecting with her platform.
Loves son, James, is the inspiration behind what she does.
Hes the reason she wont give up on budgeting again.
When my son was born, something happened to me, she says.
Nicole Dow is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This story was originally published in June 2019.
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