It’s here, the new Money Files series.
I created this Money Files series to give you the opportunity to join me in a money conversation that is different than any you’ve ever heard before.
Over the next several episodes, I will share candid conversations I’ve had with my clients both past and present about how their relationship with money has changed. I’ve chosen to share different journeys with you because I want you to see just how perfectly imperfect your financial journey can be and how personal it can be nonetheless.
Today, I want to introduce you to April. When April and I started working together she was considering bankruptcy after a recent divorce. She was also grappling with a money story she’d heard for years which she’ll tell you about in the interview.
I invite you to tune into our conversation.
Here are just a few things you’ll learn when you listen in:
- How April went from believing that bankruptcy was her only option to not even considering bankruptcy as an option.
- The habits she’s developed this year that have helped her not only trust herself with money but they’ve also helped her tap into financial confidence she never knew she had.
- The generational change April is excited about because she’s started to have financial conversations with her son.
You do not want to miss this conversation. This episode is for you if you want to stop believing the negative narrative you have about money or truly desire to see what’s possible when you have an accountability partner. I know you will find April’s story to be relatable, real and true.
And if you’ve been on the fence about whether financial coaching is right for you, let April’s story be an example that your life – and your finances – can change in the next month, six months, and beyond. Let’s schedule a call so you can rewrite your money story and reach your financial goals.
Listen to April’s Money Files episode
Inside the episode
In this episode, April told you about how she loves having separate accounts to manage her bills, spending money, and savings and how our work together helped her go from believing that bankruptcy was her only option to not even considering bankruptcy as an option.
Well today, I want to tell you my side of the story because this was about more than getting financial systems in place. Our work was also about helping April shift her beliefs.
When April and I started working together, her money story was heavily defined by previous experiences. Other people frequently told her she was not good at managing money. As her coach, I wanted to help her change this narrative because I knew that our work together was so much bigger than creating a budget and a plan for her to get out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle. April needed to learn to trust herself with money too because her money mindset was at the root of her money problems.
In the beginning of her partnership, she was consistently overdrafting her account, which she used as evidence to align with the belief that she was not good with money. And let me say, this is where my approach and partnership as a financial coach is different from coaches you could work with. I saw her lack of belief as an opportunity to build a list of accomplishments that would support two new beliefs: I know how to manage my money and I can trust myself with money.
We got there together throughout the one month intensive and continued partnership. I coached her around the way she managed her money day to day and helped her build the financial habits that would align with her new beliefs.
Here are just a few of the accomplishments April used to support her new beliefs…
- Automating her paycheck into separate accounts to build her savings and have money for guilt free spending.
- Calendaring out her bills each month so they were paid on time and in full.
- Learning to ask herself the question: Where is that money going to come from?
- Tracking her expenses daily and monitoring how much money she had moving forward for both bills and discretionary spending.
- Choosing to turn off her overdraft protection early on so she didn’t give herself a pass to spend money she did not have.
- Building a new spending plan in advance of a move.
- Creating a plan to eat more meals at home so she was not overspending on food.
- Planning in advance what days she knew she wanted to go out and eat so she could adjust her spending to allow space for things she enjoyed.
Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to listen to April’s story. Maybe some part of April’s story even resonates with you, and showed you the power of coaching. Coaching is about so much more than a budgeting template. It’s about having someone here not only as an accountability partner but also your cheerleader when you can not see the possibilities for yourself because you’re so connected to the result.
Maybe April’s story resonates with you. You don’t know where to start with your finances and you don’t know how to get out of your financial rut. Remember, change starts when you decide to take the first step. Today, I’m inviting you to take the first step and book a 1:1 complimentary call. We’ll discuss what you are hoping to achieve with your money, where you need support, and how I can help you reach your financial goals faster than you ever could alone. Schedule your complimentary call today.
The transcript
Keina:
[00:00:00] Hi, my name is Keina and I am a financial coach with Wealth Over Now. And today I am with one of my clients, April. I am so excited that she’s decided to let you guys into her financial journey that she’s been on. But I think for the light last five slash six, six ish months. Yeah. It’s like from last December.
[00:00:34] And I told her that I was going to let her introduce herself, but I’ll just go ahead and introduce her. Her name is April and she is a teacher. She’s also a grad student. Whoops. She’s getting her doctorate degree and she is also the mother of fabulous son. So April, if you just want to go ahead and one, if you need to introduce further, introduce yourself, feel free, but I would love to just dive in and tell listeners, like, what did you believe about yourself and your relationship with money?
[00:01:03] When we first started working together. So
April:
[00:01:05] I think you did a great job introducing me, so I don’t need to add anything there, but when I reached out to you originally, I was a newly single mom and was overwhelmed with managing my own finances. And for me, I had a really have just, never had a good relationship with money.
Limiting Money Beliefs
[00:01:29] So. I didn’t believe that I was capable or able to manage money on my own. I’ve always been told that I’m bad with money. And usually those around me are like, well, I’ll just do it because you’re not good at handling money. So I’ve never even tried to be good at managing money because I’ve always been told that I’m not good at it.
[00:01:50] And I was definitely in a space where, because I was for the first time in a very long time. Living on my own and also a parent and trying to navigate and manage the many financial obligations that came with that. I was in a space where I was living paycheck to paycheck cycle and it was exhausting. And I didn’t know what to do.
Keina:
[00:02:14] No, thank you for sharing that. It just makes me think of how many of us. Our past inform our relationship with money. And especially when I think about like our money stories and we all have money stories, they from person to person, but they really come from what other people have said about us or how we managed in the past.
[00:02:33] And it kind of like. For shadows or predicts how we end up managing our finances. One of the things that I would love to dive into, and like I told you, before we hopped on the podcast, feel free to share as little or as much as you want, but like how bad was it really? Where were you when we started working together?
April:
[00:02:53] When we started, when I was talking to you about like retaining you to do like, to work with you, I was like, keener. I don’t even have, I think my account is, I don’t even know how I’m going to pay you because I don’t. Or I might’ve said, okay, well, when I get paid in this next paycheck, then I could pay you in fact.
[00:03:15] And actually I do remember one of our conversations because I said, well, Christmas has been a few weeks. So when I get paid, I need to go backwards and present. And so you and I can talk in January and your response was something like, or we can talk now and I can help you plan for Christmas so that you are not struggling after Christmas.
[00:03:34] And I was like, no, Yeah, that makes sense. I remember that
Keina:
[00:03:38] conversation. And I also remember you saying on our call before we started working together, it’s like chemo, like basically, like this is my last straw. Like I want to do this because it’s important to me. And it’s more than just like, yes, it’s about a budget, but it was also like about this legacy for your son and wanting to be.
[00:04:01] Like the best mother that you could be for him financially. And as you know, like I work with women who I think, identify as being like very hardworking and passionate and professional, right? Like you have your life figured out. And every other aspect, except when it comes to money, like, that’s the thing that frustrates you.
[00:04:22] And it doesn’t align with like, But all of the other areas of my life are eights and nines and tens. I get to my finance,
[00:04:33] we worked together in our one month intensive, and then we are still working together as well in a partnership. So you just gave us a picture of like, when you started working with me, you’re like kina. I like need to wait till the next paycheck before I can even invest in this opportunity for myself.
[00:04:49] But tell us a little bit more about the beginning of us working together. And when did everything change? Like I want to hear probably things you maybe haven’t even told me when things shifted for you.
April:
[00:05:06] Well, prior to working with you, I just think I was making a lot of. Bad financial decisions. And my mentor often says to me like, she’s like, could you live life?
[00:05:20] Like you have endless supplies of money. So when you get there, Hey, you’re like, Oh, I have money. So I’m just going to go spend it without really planning for what that money needs to go to. And I know that when I came to you, I had already, I had convinced myself that the only way to get out of. Debt and out of the space I was in was the file bankruptcy, which I don’t feel like is even remotely something that I need at this moment.
[00:05:47] And then when we started working together, I mean, it was, we would have a whole conversation and I would say, okay, chemo, you’re right. I’m going to do this. And then we get off our call and then I might do well for like two days. Or maybe I won’t even do well. Right? Like I’ll, I’ll put in the notes, bought a milkshake and I, and how did you feel about it?
[00:06:12] I felt really good cause I really wanted it, but then now I’m like that I need their money later and it took until the end of the one month intensive before I was really like in a place where I was almost I think, ready to do the work. And it took you kind of like having hard time conversations with me and telling me I needed to like.
[00:06:33] Set my priorities straight and figure out what it is I needed to do and kind of refusing to work with me until you felt like I was ready and had it together. Yeah.
Keina:
[00:06:44] Oh, it was. I know in the board that we made together, it’s on our chalkboard where people are notes. It’s called tough love. Was that the name of that call?
[00:06:53] I remember it. I didn’t deny working with you further, but I was like, you have to, you have to show up for yourself. And one of the things that I always want people to know is that like the process of this coaching partnership works. When you show up for yourself, there’s nothing magical about it. Like, definitely.
[00:07:12] I think you learn tools, but when you come with the space that like, This could be challenging. It is going to be challenging, but I’m ready to put in the work. But yes, I remember our first few calls since like April, if you just, if you just do these things, here’s the path. Stay on it.
April:
[00:07:32] You are right. And then we get on the next one and be like, adding, listen to you at all. But I remember that conversation also. And I really think that that conversation for me was like the mind shift I needed. Like, it was like, you’re right. I’m not showing up for myself. And I appreciate that the Trello card is still there because sometimes I’ll log in and I’ll see that.
[00:07:53] And it kind of just reminds me like, Of all the things I’m working towards are the things that I’m trying to accomplish, but like keep going. And I have a habit of making decisions in a moment versus making decisions and planning out for the future. Right. So I’m often reminding myself, like, I can’t always just make a decision in the moment.
[00:08:13] Like I gotta sit with it. Think about it and figure out where it fits in to the bigger picture, especially when it comes to money. What
Keina:
[00:08:20] would you say? Cause as you’re talking about this, it makes me think about the people that I speak to. And they’re like, I don’t know that I can trust myself with money or I don’t know if I can trust myself through this process.
[00:08:31] What have you learned about trusting yourself?
April:
[00:08:33] Oh, I’ve learned that I absolutely can trust myself, but I feel like it took a really long time. Like I feel like there were. In the very beginning, every time I did something I knew was wrong, I think about, I like could see your face and I feel like, Oh my gosh, well, this Tina’s going to say so then I’d be like feeling guilty about it.
[00:08:53] And then kind of like when I just got into some really healthy habits, I would still want to kind of like text you and be like, can I, and now I feel like pretty confident about being able to just make decisions for myself and knowing that I’m not making a reckless decision or knowing that I can afford to make that decision.
[00:09:14] Because he’s kind of given me the confidence to know that I can do that. Even when you ask me, like, what are the things you’ve accomplished? And I’m like, maybe two things you’re like April you’ve accomplished like 20 things. Let’s look at the flip. Right? So I think in this time that we’ve worked together, I’ve definitely built a lot of confidence in myself and my own ability to.
[00:09:36] Manage money. So
Keina:
[00:09:37] you said a lot of good stuff. You talked about healthy habits, confidence and accomplishments. What would you say are like some of the healthy habits that you developed for yourself?
April:
[00:09:46] The biggest thing for me that I think was life changing was separating my account, having an account that was.
[00:09:55] The only money that is in there is for bills. And really, I don’t need to touch that card unless I’m paying something like paying a bill and then having a separate card that is for the other things that I need, or like going grocery shopping or going to target or whatever the case may be. I think that was life changing for me because I think when all of my money was in one bucket, It just felt like I had money, but I wasn’t thinking about like, so I’m in target and I’m like, Oh, I have $500 in my account.
[00:10:24] I can spend $500 forgetting like, Oh, but T-Mobile is going to come take their bill out at midnight. Right. So that was like life changing for me. And I tell. Anybody who like ever complains about money, if they don’t do anything else, I’m like, let me tell you what you need to do. And you really need to just separate your money because it makes it different it’s you need to look out.
[00:10:44] So that for me has been a great habit. And then like also like just with my direct deposits, splitting them go where they belong. So not even really needing to move money around, although sometimes I still have to, and trying to be diligent about keeping up with like, My spending, she like my money. My budget has been really good.
[00:11:06] I’m still working on that.
Keina:
[00:11:08] And I think the thing that I want everybody that’s listening to hear as well is that I say this to everyone. It’s like progress over perfection. And it’s not a matter if like I’ll mess up. It’s like, when I’m not even perfect, when it comes to like budgeting, there’s things that I forget.
[00:11:24] And I’m like, Oh man. But it’s about having that plan that gets you back on track. Like, do you know what to do if an expense throws you off for like, where does that money come from? Right. Like what are your trade offs?
April:
[00:11:38] But, and I feel like I can do that now in a way I’ve never been able to, like, even when I started doing better with my money habits, I feel like I would still like, maybe.
[00:11:51] The accounts were off. Like I had money, but things were just in different places and it didn’t look right. I would feel like I couldn’t do anything until I talked to you so you can help me figure out where it goes. But now I feel like if my accounts were off, I can kind of go look at the spreadsheet and figure out where.
[00:12:08] Miscalculated or mess something up and I can fix it without having to wait to talk to them. Which, which feels good. Right. Like, I feel like, Oh, I got it. I can do this. What’s coming. All right.
New Money Confidence and No More Overdraft Fees
Keina:
[00:12:20] What are the things that you would attribute to your confidence about your finances now?
April:
[00:12:25] Well, for one, I have not had an overdraft fee and like three, four months.
Keina:
[00:12:31] No,
April:
[00:12:32] not even three
Keina:
[00:12:33] 20. You have
April:
[00:12:34] not. No, I have not paid. PNC, not a dollar towards an overdraft fee. Thank God. Let’s feel amazing because I feel like I was giving, paying so much money in just my account being over Toronto. And the other thing is like opening my account and there’s always, I always have money, even if that money is like for a bill that’s coming out or something, there’s always, I’m no longer in a space where sometimes I’m like, what happens tomorrow?
[00:13:03] If. Actually last week I had a flat tire and I was like, okay, I can go in my emergency fund and pull some money out to get this tire fixed. There was a point when I wouldn’t have ever been able to do that because I wouldn’t have had an emergency fund to start with. Have you. So like, yeah, like I just being able to open, like, look at my accounts and see that there is money in there and not just like $5, but like a significant amount of money.
[00:13:35] I looked at my credit report today and it said like, I’ve been paying my bills on time for the last several months. And like, just like things like that are like, Oh, look at you April.
Keina:
[00:13:47] And I wish you guys could see her right now. Cause she’s shrugging her shoulders.
[00:13:55] Exactly. It comes through which I love because of their first calls. There was like, Keina, if you tell me one more time, I need to track my expenses. And I think, I think it was you, that was like, Keina, why haven’t I been tracking my expenses the entire time. Once you saw this, like it works. There’s
April:
[00:14:11] a reason.
The Importance of Tracking Expenses
[00:14:12] Yeah. Yup. And I mean, really like. The beginning was wrong. Like, remember when I had the track every single day. And then when you told me no, we’re going to move away from that. I was like, scared. Cause I was like, what do you mean? And now I’m like, if you made me track every day, I would be like, Oh, I can do this without it.
Keina:
[00:14:35] Yeah. So in the beginning, April where she was is that we were like really going for like no overdrafts and what was going to be pivotal for her. Was like, she needed to see how her money moves every single day. And I would say like, what is the cause and effect of if I make this purchase, does that play into my bigger financial picture for the deals that we talked about that were upcoming and do when I get paid the next time.
[00:15:00] So I set her up a spreadsheet that was literally, she could track every single day, which killed me because I don’t track my, I don’t track my expenses every single day, not in that fashion, but it was, I think like that was definitely. A thing that got you to the place where you’re like, okay, I can trust and believe that this process works.
April:
[00:15:18] Right, right. That, and I mean, you’re really good about reminding me about my priorities, even when I don’t want to hear it. Right. Like, don’t lie. I’ll be like, Oh, chemo. I got a puppy and like, Oh, okay. so is that coming out of Alex’s activity? Where’s that coming from? Right. But it’s like, They’re really good about saying like April, we have this list of priorities.
[00:15:44] You got to figure out where this fits into the priorities. And if you do something different than that, you need to understand that it’s coming off, that priority list, which is not a bad thing, but you just need to decide which one you want more. Right? Like, is this a priority right now? Is, or is your property requirement?
[00:16:03] Which one? Right. So, and I think sometimes that’s really good to hear. Yeah. Even if I roll my eyes,
Keina:
[00:16:12] let’s talk about like, what are some things that you accomplished? I’m sure that you’ll come up with more than just two, but what have you accomplished since we’ve been working together and it can be like tangible things, how you feel, whatever that, I think you’ve said a lot, but what are some other things that you’ve accomplished?
April:
[00:16:27] Okay. So, you know, the whole note overdrafting, I have a savings account now, like, which is something I’ve never, I’ve never had a payments account ever. And I have a say on it, right? Like it’s not just like, cause I’ve had savings accounts with my name on it. But they’ve always been zero. So like I have an established savings account and established on an amount that goes in that every time I get paid, I pay my bills on time and it’s not overwhelming.
[00:16:56] Like it’s having them go and pay like rent or something or whatever. It doesn’t feel overwhelming because the money is there. And even if I’m spending this pain, this large bill I’m done, there’s still money left over because I’ve. Budgeted in such a way that there’s that overlap. I do feel a lot more confident in my light spending habits and my ability to manage money.
[00:17:24] And I also feel like I trust myself and I feel like. Even when, for example, when I got my puppy, right. I felt like I know Keene is going to fuss at me, but I feel, I also feel like I could say Latina. I know that I can figure this out. Right. Like, whereas before I might’ve been, like she was gonna kill me and I don’t even have an answer for, like, I might not have an answer in a moment, but I can look at it, look at my spreadsheet and I know how to move it around to make it.
[00:17:58] Make my priorities just right. So. I feel like that is something that is really, really been great for me. And being able to talk to Alex about money, my son, about money. I had on a pair of Crocs the other day, and he knows he put his feet in my crop. I was like, Ooh, can, can you get me some of these products like this with the burns on?
[00:18:19] And I was like, Yeah, sure. Like I have to look and he was like, for the expensive, I was like, probably about 40 bucks. He was like, Oh, okay, mommy, don’t send that. That’s too much money to spend on me. I don’t need these props. But like, that’s like something Alex would never ever say, like, that’s not a thing.
[00:18:35] He’d say he’d be like, okay, well what, when are you going to buy them? Can realize like starting to have a better understanding of. The importance of money and the fact that we have to make sure we hit our priorities and those things first, before we start talking about the fun stuff, right? Like I need to pay you that $40 might be going towards your tuition.
[00:18:57] So 10, just starting to understand that more has been pretty great
Keina:
[00:19:01] and not just like having a general concept that like things are free. Right. Right. And I don’t know if anybody has picked up on this, but April keeps referring to a spreadsheet and she’s not saying she’s looking at her bank account for her spending.
[00:19:15] And one of the things that we worked on together was creating a spending plan. And that’s an intentional shift in language there instead of saying, but really like the thing that she has also accomplished is that she’s using her spending plan to inform her decisions on whether or not she can. Like, is she willing to invest on certain things in her life?
[00:19:36] Right. Like I want to go to brunch with my friends. Do I want to go on this trip? Where can I shift money around if something doesn’t all nicely, but really making sure that she’s using her spending plan as a tool. And it’s not just something that has a layer of dust on it. And she’s like, yeah, I made a budget one time, January, and then
April:
[00:19:56] right.
[00:19:57] And now it’s like, I’ve very rarely checked my bank account actually. Like I probably only check my accounts. If I’m going to balance my spending plan, like, because I’m like, okay, I’ve spent money over the past few years and I haven’t looked at the spending plan, let me go fix some stuff. But other than that, like before I would be checking my account constantly, cause I’m like, well, I don’t know.
[00:20:20] Let me make sure I have money before. It’s like the card is declined or whatever the case may be. And now I feel I pretty confidently can then money and know that my card is not going to get declined because I’m already negative.
Keina:
[00:20:34] like I said, I tell you this all the time, but I’m very proud of what changes you’ve made and how you’ve rewritten your money story for yourself.
[00:20:42] And I know early on, I talked about like, if this is about how you want to show up one for yourself, but show up for your son, these are important moves that you’re making in the right direction. So it’s been cool to hang out with you for the last. Several months. And then one other question that I have for you is like many people would talk about like budgeting is challenging.
[00:21:03]it’s so overwhelming. It’s too much to handle. Why do you think people believe that? And like, what’s a new thought that they should adopt.
April:
[00:21:12] I think that if you really don’t understand the practice behind it, it can feel. Hard and daunting and like a lot, you always say every dollar needs to have a purpose.
[00:21:24] Like you need to assign your dollars. And I feel like that for me is a really good concept. Like, so when I have money, I’m thinking about where are each of these dollars going to, but also I think for me prior to working with you, I have this. Idea in my head that if I have a budget and I say, I’m spending a hundred dollars on groceries this week, and then I spent 105, then I’ve messed up my whole budget and being able to see like, okay, I spent $105.
[00:21:56] So I guess that $5 needs to just come out of like my entertainment for the week or whatever. And so like, it’s okay if it doesn’t work a hundred percent out the way you plan, you just adjust and make it work. So that. You can continue to stay on target.
Keina:
[00:22:13] Beautiful. So sometimes people ask me like, how do you know when a client’s ready for coaching?
Preparing for A Financial Coach
[00:22:19] So how did you know when you were ready?
April:
[00:22:21] Told me that I was not right. No. When you told me, like, I felt like I don’t, I think about that a lot because your intake form. You very clearly say, like, I need you to be ready to work if I’m going to work with you. And I was like, I’m ready. And I really still feel like that first month.
[00:22:41] I wasn’t very, I wasn’t ready. Like I wanted to be ready, like. I’ve really had this desire to make the change, but I wasn’t willing to shift my behavior by like actions. Right. And I had to get to a place where I was really willing to change the behavior that was causing me to be in the place that I was in.
[00:23:02] And really, I had to kind of just take a look at where I was and where I wanted to be. I don’t really look at that list of. Priorities and goals that I had for my spending and say, okay, well, the only way you’re going to go on vacation in a few months is if you start saving for it and figuring out how you’re going to put money to the side for that, or the only way you’re going to be able to do this for Alex is this you’re saving in this way.
[00:23:29] I had to have a conversation with myself about what was important to me and. What I needed to do to get there.
Keina:
[00:23:36] What encouraged you to like, just even sign up for a call to talk to me? Cause I think there’s, I think we all are like, yeah, I’m ready. And then you get into the work. You’re like, Oh, hold on. Wait.
[00:23:45] I said I was ready.
April:
[00:23:47] Right. I think that, well, I just think, cause I was because I was in a place where I was like, everything I’ve tried, isn’t working. Right. Like. I tried to make a boat, like, you know, did the little Excel pamphlet for a budget and tried to work it out and was like, this still is failing.
[00:24:07] And then I also felt like, I wasn’t seeing money that you found. I absolutely like I was living well above my means and that I, with just bills, I had too many bills for what I was bringing in as far as my income. And I feel like I was used, showed me like, no, but you just need to figure out how to shift your spending a little bit.
[00:24:33] Can I benefit from a little bit more sure. But I can’t afford it. Right. And I think that for me, it was ultimately like, nothing I have tried at this point has worked. So, I mean, what is this going to hurt? Right. Like, and, you know, as I said, when I came to you, I was Willy considering filing bankruptcy. And to be quite honest, you in bankruptcy kind of cost it up the same.
[00:24:58] So I was like, maybe instead of paying to like, Putting this money into something that’s going to negatively impact my credit. Why not put this money into working with someone that can help me change everything as it relates to my finances.
Keina:
[00:25:15] So what do you believe now about your relationship with money?
[00:25:18] April: [00:25:18] I believe that I am capable of making financial wise financial decisions. Like I believe that I understand. The importance and the value of money. And I believe that it’s kind of like what I assigned my dollars to and how I spend my money is completely up to me. And it’s in my control and how I can make the choices with that.
[00:25:44] That’s beautiful.
Keina:
[00:25:45] I need like a heart.
April:
[00:25:47] Like
Keina:
[00:25:50] those people could, people listening could hear it. So what advice would you give to listeners that are maybe in a similar situation to you? Like when we first spoke, what like almost seven months ago now
April:
[00:26:05] that really taking the first step is all you need. And after that step, Everything else starts to just fall in to place.
[00:26:15] It’s that initial jump. That is the fear and the worry that we have. But after you make that jump, then thanks pull into place and you start to realize like, okay, this isn’t really bad at all. And it’s actually probably one of the best things ever. And like when you make choices with intention, That also makes a difference.
[00:26:39] Like, I feel like every choice I make, as it relates to my spending is with some type of intention. Like whether it is I’m buying this because we need something to eat tonight and this is what we’re getting, or I’m buying. Harry Potter. Cause I want to do my hair at home, but I don’t have to pay money or something like that.
[00:27:01] And you know, sometimes I really just want to have a kina picture.
Keina:
[00:27:11] Is there anything that I should’ve asked you, but didn’t that you want to mention?
April:
[00:27:16] Not that I can think of. Don’t know. I just feel like this has been great. I’m like so excited about where I am now as it relates to money. And that feels really good. And I even remember one time, you and I having a conversation in someone I said, Oh, well, I don’t have.
[00:27:37] Money. Right? Like, $50 short here at something because someone needed to borrow money and I gave them $50. And you were like, wow. Remember there was a point when you could not give anybody, you know, because you was probably the one needing the $50, right? Like, so even in those spaces, it feels good to like, be able to help somebody else out the way my friends have helped me or my family has helped me because I’ve made this big shift in my habits.
Keina:
[00:28:04] No, thank you for your reflections. I it’s cool to listen to you. And it’s the reason that I wanted to like, create this little mini series of like talking to clients because I realized we all have our own money stories and just where we start. And if your story resonates with April, I hope the thing that you hear the most is that like it’s possible and that you can like rewrite your money story.
[00:28:27] Like one of the questions that I’ve put in to, to ask all of my clients was like, how bad was it really. And I know that when April and I started working together, she was like, I mean, I’m going to trust you kina, but I like just don’t I just don’t know. And I would say even within like calls two and three of that one month intensive, it was like, look, April, like I’ve laid out the picture and I think you were still like, okay.
[00:28:54] I mean, I kind of see it, but I don’t really know, but like, just even just watching your demeanor. Over the last couple months that we’ve worked together has been encouraging to me to like, have been working alongside you. And I’m excited to see, like, what happens for you in the next year? Like what happens for you when you start earning more money?
[00:29:15] Like all of those things like this, you investing in yourself right now. I know it was like a gift that continues to give back to yourself, tell people like, no, you need to get two accounts. And then you, you know,
April:
[00:29:27] or like,
Keina:
[00:29:29] But I know that you’ve had some dynamic money conversations, just even in your own personal life, because this was like how you chose to invest in yourself.
[00:29:39] So,
April:
[00:29:40] right. And something else that is actually really interesting in thinking about like what we learn about money. I had a conversation with my dad in the past few months about money in a way where. We kind of both had this whole epiphany because my dad has been really good about his money. Like he budgets money very well.
[00:30:00] He always has money. His bills are paid on time. And so when we talked about how I’m not good with money, he’s like, I don’t understand how you’re not good with money because I’m good with money. So you should just know how to be good with money and then realizing, okay, you’re good with money, but you did not teach me how to, like, just because you were good about managing your finances.
[00:30:21] So then paying bills on time. There were never intentional conversations about that at home. So how would I know, like, why would I know that? Or how would I know? So that has really made me reflective of how I am conscious of what I do with Alex and talking to him about
Keina:
[00:30:37] me. And letting him see you. Like I pay bills.
[00:30:40] I don’t, I don’t think it looks the same as like, we probably saw our parents. Like I remember seeing my mom with her checkbook,
April:
[00:30:45] right. No
Keina:
[00:30:47] pain pain. And I even remember one of my like first money memories is like my mom telling me that I had opened up the layaway and it was like for $15, a lot of money.
[00:30:59] It was like in fourth grade I was like
April:
[00:31:02] ever pay this,
Keina:
[00:31:04] but I know like through that experience, Like I learned about money just in like, okay, well, so I think, I feel like I had to break it up into like three payments, which really,
April:
[00:31:15] no,
Keina:
[00:31:17] but it was that. And then in fifth grade I remember like a local bank coming to our school and like encouraging us to open up like these little kids, checking savings, accounts, whatever they were.
[00:31:31] And I, I do remember going home to my parents and being like, I, I need to open up one of these. Because I just need to, and I used to babysit. That’s how I earned money all the way through college. I never had like a, I never had a real job, like, you know, like fast food or anything. So yeah, I liked, I became intrigued, like wanting a bank account and my parents didn’t let me do the program at school, but they did take me to the bank.
[00:31:54] I got my little, like kids move off bank account. Like you gotta treat whenever you deposited, but I have a slew of nieces and nephews and I’m always like, all my brothers are like, Hey, when are my nieces and nephews getting bank accounts? Like this year, I sit my two of my nieces piggy banks for their birthdays, because I do want to start instill that habit.
[00:32:15] Right? Like we have like, A safe bucket, a give, but
April:
[00:32:20] right. But like
Keina:
[00:32:21] teaching kids, the power of when we get a dollar from our birthdays, right? Like these are the things that we can do with it. And every dollar does have a purpose. And so just thinking about you saying that like the intentionality piece, because just because somebody, your family was good or bad with money, It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s
April:
[00:32:38] to be, yeah.
[00:32:40] Even talking about this made me think of just even another like accomplishment almost. Right. Because I don’t even own a checkbook. I like, I refuse to get a checkbook because I hate writing checks. It takes forever for them to clear my account. And then I end up over overdrawn. Cause I don’t remember that I wrote this check, but it’s like now I would probably write a check and not even.
[00:33:03] Give it a second thought in a way that before I was like, very intentionally, like, no, but now I need to check because I feel like it’ll be fine. Like, it’ll be okay.
Keina:
[00:33:13] Which also speaks to another accomplishment, which like you automated all your bills. Like, you’re not like, Oh, I don’t know if it’s going to clear.
April:
[00:33:19] Right. Cause like, even
Keina:
[00:33:20] that is in the same, they were like, hold on, you can get $5 at the beginning of the month. And let me give you another 10 on the next paycheck,
April:
[00:33:30] right? When you will ask me if we like checking in and you’re like, well, are all your bills paid on time? My hesitation more so comes. Cause it’s like, Oh, I don’t remember if I paid it, but it’s more so because they all just come out and I’ll go look and be like, Oh yeah, it came out yesterday or like, Oh, it came out today.
Keina:
[00:33:50] You didn’t know when your bills are due.
April:
[00:33:52] Right. I was like, I don’t even know.
Keina:
[00:33:59] Yeah. And I was like, okay, we’re gonna, we’re going to get into rhythm.
April:
[00:34:04] How much is the bill? I don’t know. Yeah.
Keina:
[00:34:08] And April can tell you, I also don’t like rounding. I’m like, is it $48? And how much? It’s just, no, there’s some change on that. What is
April:
[00:34:15] it?
Keina:
[00:34:16] Okay. It’s $48 and 12 cents kina. I’m like, thank you.
April:
[00:34:22] And if you like insist that it is, he’s like, Oh, that’s interesting.
[00:34:26] I’ve never seen a bill that doesn’t like a little bit of time for that.
[00:34:32] I’ll go look it up. Yeah,
Keina:
[00:34:33] but it’s like too, you spoke to it early though. It earlier it’s like the intentionality behind it. And you get in a rhythm where even if you’re not like I check all my bills and not because I’m worried that there’s not money in the account, but I want to make sure, like what I told you, you could take out, you took out take out anymore or that you remembered to take it out because I had a situation.
[00:34:56] A couple of years ago where one of my utility bills, they had a faulty system and they weren’t withdrawing my auto-pay. Did they notify me? No. And it happened for like three months, but if I wasn’t someone who managed my finances that potentially could have thrown me all the way off. And now I’m in the hole, two, $300 because I’m thinking it’s on auto pay.
[00:35:22] Right. So take it from April and I check your bank accounts and stuff on auto pay, still check and make sure that it cleared just because you set it up doesn’t mean it comes
April:
[00:35:32] out right.
Keina:
[00:35:36] Well, I know I was pretending like we were ending earlier, but now we really are going to end and thank you again, April for just hopping on and sharing your story.
April:
[00:35:47] Oh course,
Keina:
[00:35:48] I’m glad that you enjoyed it. And I’m so glad guys that she said yes, because I was like, I don’t know if April’s and she’s going to be like, no, cause usually in the beginning, when people start working with me, I asked them like, do you mind if I share your story? They’re like, no, but I’m like thankful that you were courageous and vulnerable and just sharing like where you were, because I know that there’s a lot of people that are going to listen to this and this story is going to resonate with them because I know one of the.
[00:36:15] Biggest fears that people have before working with me, it’s like, is this possible for me? Right. Like, okay. I heard about April or like, yeah, that worked for Lordis or it worked for Lauren, but you don’t know my situation like different.
April:
[00:36:28] Yeah. But he can then will work and. Yeah. Now I don’t care. Like now I don’t mind Sandra before I used to be like, Nope, I’m not.
[00:36:36] Nope. Now I go look, when you put the little highlights on Instagram, me,
Keina:
[00:36:46] I always, I always want to make sure that I respect people’s space and know that like over time, Like come to like, they’re like, no, I need people to know, like, this is what happened and this was a shift in a chain. So thank you.
