>>> IT’S TIME NOW FOR OUR SERIES
"START TODAY."
THIS WEEK, WE ARE TALKING ALL
ABOUT FINANCES.
TIFFANY WAS A PRESCHOOL TEACHER
WHO LOST IT ALL AND FELL INTO
DEBT DURING THE RECESSION IN
2008.
>> HERE’S WHY SHE GRABBED OUR
ATTENTION.
SHE PULLED HERSELF OUT OF DEBT
AND BEGAN TEACHING FINANCIAL
LITERACY SEMINARS TO WOMAN.
EVENTUALLY, CREATING THE
BUDGET-NISTA, ONLINE FINANCIAL
EDUCATION WEBSITE.
TIFFANY JOINS US NOW.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING, LADIES.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> DOING GREAT.
LET’S DIG IN HERE.
YOU’RE NO STRANGER TO DEBT.
AT YOUR LOWEST, YOU WERE MORE
THAN $300,000 IN DEBT.
TODAY, YOU’RE DEBT-FREE.
HOW DID YOU PULL YOURSELF OUT
AND BRING OTHERS WITH YOU,
REALLY?
>> I STARTED WITH THE FUNDAMENT
TAMS.
I WAS FORTUNATE TO LEARN HOW TO
DO SO.
I WAS IN A HOUSEHOLD WHERE
FINANCIAL EDUCATION WAS TAUGHT,
VIA MY PARENTS.
IT WAS SOMETHING I KEPT WITH ME.
WHEN I LOST MY JOB IN THE 2008
RECESSION, I ACTIVATED THE
SUPERPOWERS I LEARNED FROM HOME
AND REALIZED THAT FRIENDS AND
FRIENDS OF FRIENDS ALSO NEEDED
THE ASSISTANCE.
I STARTED THE BUDGET NN JNBUDGET
A MILLION WOMEN LATER, HERE WE
ARE.
>> I FEEL SO MANY WATCHING THIS
MORNING, THERE ARE SO MANY WHO
WANT TO START AND GET CONTROL OF
THEIR FINANCES.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP?
>> FIRST STEP, REFLECT ON THE
PREVIOUS YEAR.
2020 ALLOWED YOU TO PUT YOUR
POTENTIAL BOAT INTO THE WATER.
WHAT IT ALLOWED YOU TO DO WAS
SEE, OH, THERE ARE HOLES IN THE
BOAT.
IN 2021, I CAN PLUG THE HOLES.
>> GOOD.
>> ALSO, I WANT YOU TO SET
SPECIFIC INTENTIONS, THEN MATCH
THEM TO YOUR FINANCIAL GOAL.
WHAT PEOPLE DO MISTAKENLY
SOMETIMES IS THAT THEY CHOOSE
THE MONEY FIRST AND MAKE THAT
THE GOAL.
IT TRULY ISN’T THE GOAL.
FIGURE OUT WHAT IS IT THAT YOU
WANT?
TO TRAVEL MORE?
MORE TIME WITH THE KIDS?
MORE TIME AT HOME?
WELL, FIGURE OUT THAT GOAL, THEN
MATCH YOUR MONEY TO THAT GOAL,
SO YOU DON’T OVERWORK YOURSELF.
>> I THINK --
>> LAST, FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY
PARTNER.
MONEY IS NOT A SINGLE SPORT.
IT IS A TEAM SPORT.
SO YOU WANT TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT
CAN ENCOURAGE YAOOU ALONG THE WA
>> I CAN HEAR PEOPLE SAY, THEY
MAKE SO MUCH MONEY.
YOU HAVE SO MANY BILLS.
THE CHECK DOESN’T MATCH THE
BILLS.
IT’S ALMOST LIKE THEY’RE BEHIND
EVERY MONTH, AND THEY DON’T KNOW
HOW TO GET AHEAD, IF YOU WILL.
>> HONESTLY, THAT DOES HAPPEN.
THAT’S OKAY.
I THINK SOMETIMES, WE HAVE TO BE
OKAY WITH NOT BEING PERFECT.
YOU HAVE TO BE OKAY WITH SAY,
I’M GOING TO DO THE BEST THAT I
CAN WITH WHAT I HAVE.
I HAD TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT.
NOT EVERY BILL WAS GOING TO BE
PAID ON TIME.
I COULD FOCUS ON MY HEALTH AND
SAFETY BILLS FIRST.
THOSE BILLS THAT ARE GOING TO
MAINTAIN MY HEALTH AND THOSE
BILLS THAT WOULD MAINTAIN MY
SAFETY.
WHEN I HAD MORE, I WOULD DO
MORE.
THAT’S OKAY.
>> IN ORDER TO BUILD WEALTH, YOU
SAY YOU SHOULD UTILIZE SOFT
SKILLS.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
>> I THINK OFTENTIMES, WE THINK
OF BUILDING WEALTH AS JUST
INVESTING AND SAVING AND
BUDGETS.
THERE ARE SOFTER SKILLS.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE THING I ASK YOU
TO DO IS TO ASK YOURSELF FOR
LESS.
I KNOW IF YOU’RE LIKE ME, I’M
LIKE, I’M GOING TO EXERCISE MORE
IN THE NEW YEAR.
IF I TRY TO FORCE MYSELF TO RUN
A MILE EVERY DAY, IT IS TOO
MUCH.
I MIGHT SAY, GO FOR A 30-MINUTE
WALK.
IT’S THE SAME WITH YOUR MONEY.
INSTEAD OF SAYING, I’M GOING TO
SAVE $10,000, MAYBE SAY, YOU
COOK AT HOME ONE DAY A WEEK AND
SAVE THAT MONEY.
ALSO, UTILIZE A LIST OF CHOICES.
SO BEFORE I BECAME THE
BUDGETNISTA, I WAS A PRESCHOOL
TEACHER.
I LEARNED THIS WITH THE KIDS,
INSTEAD OF HAVING THEM DO ONE
THING MAYBE THEY DIDN’T LIKE,
I’D GIVE THEM A MENU OF ITEMS I
WANTED TO HAPPEN.
IF THEY DID SOME OF THEM, THAT
WAS A GOLD STAR.
YOU CAN DO THAT FOR YOURSELF.
YOU MIGHT SAY, THIS WEEK, IF I
BUDGET, I’M GOING TO TRY TO
SAVE, MEET WITH MY ACCOUNTANT,
MAYBE IT’S A LIST OF FOUR, FIVE
THINGS.
IF YOU DO TWO OF THOSE THINGS,
YOU GET A GOLD STAR FOR
YOURSELF, SO YOU DON’T OVERWHELM
YOURSELF.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MAKE YOUR
MONEY INCONVENIENT.
IF YOU PUT YOUR MONEY IN AN
ONLINE ONLY SAVINGS ACCOUNT, AND
YOU HAVE YOUR CHECKING IN A
REGULAR BANK ACCOUNT, BRICK AND
MORTAR BANK, THAT TRANSFER FROM
THE ONLINE BANK TO THE BRICK AND
MORTAR BANK, IT’S A 24 TO 72
HOUR WAIT.
IT MAKES YOUR MONEY
INCONVENIENT.
INCONVENIENT MONEY GETS SAVED.
>> THAT’S SO GOOD.
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.
>> APPROACHABLE.
>> I KNOW.
WE’RE OUT OF TIME.
WE’LL HAVE TO HAVE YOU BACK.
I ALSO SEE YOU SAY AUTOMATE,
AUTOMATE, WHICH IS WHAT I DON’T