— Even When I Thought It Was Impossible
If you’ve ever whispered this to yourself in a quiet moment between bills, kids, and grocery lists — I see you. Because just a year ago, I was exactly where you are.
Single income. Living paycheck to paycheck. Praying my car wouldn’t break down again.
And yet — I saved $10,000 in just 12 months.
Not from magic. Not from winning the lottery. But from small, consistent, and almost invisible shifts.
Here’s the real story — no fluff, no unrealistic goals, just what worked for me.
I printed out my last 3 months of bank statements and highlighted every single unnecessary purchase.
$7 here for coffee
$12 for apps I forgot I was subscribed to
$40 Target run I didn’t really need
It hurt. Like, embarrassingly hurt.
But facing those numbers was the wake-up call I needed.
What You Can Do:
Download a budget tracker app (I used Goodbudget) and track every dollar for 30 days. Awareness is power.
Feeding a family on a tight budget is no joke. But I cut my grocery bill by nearly 40% by doing this:
Meal planning every Sunday (no more “what’s for dinner?” panic!)
Shopping only once a week — with a list
Swapping brand names for store brands (Spoiler: they taste the same)
Money Saved in a Year: ~$2,000+
I joined a local Buy Nothing Facebook group.
From kids’ clothes to home décor, I found so many things people were giving away for free.
One woman gave me a barely used Instant Pot. Another gave me 2 bags of books for my daughter.
Tip for You:
Look for local groups with “Buy Nothing,” “Freecycle,” or “Mom Swap” in the name. Total game-changer.
No, I didn’t start a side hustle that took 50 hours a week. I did micro-tasks.
Scanned receipts on Fetch Rewards
Answered surveys on Swagbucks
Sold extra baby items on Facebook Marketplace
Total Earned: About $150–$200/month
(That’s over $2,000 a year — just from my phone!)
I opened a separate savings account at an online-only bank — no debit card, no easy access.
Every week, I set an auto-transfer of $50. When my income was tight, I dropped it to $20.
But I never stopped.
Out of sight, out of mind. But growing silently.
What to Try:
Use Ally, Marcus, or Chime – online banks with no fees and higher interest.
I printed out a “$10,000 Savings Thermometer” and stuck it on my fridge.
Every time I saved $100, I colored it in.
It was silly.
But every time I saw my daughter color another line with me, it became emotional.
I wasn’t just saving money.
I was buying freedom.
I used to swipe my debit card like it had magical powers… especially at Target, coffee shops, and dollar stores.
So I decided to go old-school. I started using cash envelopes for my 3 biggest temptation zones:
Coffee/Takeout
Personal Care (like nails or random makeup)
“Just-because” shopping
Every month, I’d pull out cash, stuff it into those envelopes, and once it was gone, it was gone.
Guess what happened?
I actually started thinking twice before buying things. No more, “Oh, it’s just $5.” Because now, every $5 had a name, a purpose, and a place to go.
Pro-Tip for You:
Start with just one envelope category. Even if it’s just groceries or takeout. Trust me, it’s eye-opening!
One day I opened my bank app and saw:
$15 for a streaming service I didn’t even watch
$9.99 for a yoga app I used once
$3.99/month cloud storage I forgot I signed up for
They were tiny leaks, but over time they added up like a broken faucet.
So I did a subscription audit.
I canceled 7 services I didn’t need — saving almost $80/month. That’s nearly $1,000 a year.
Now I have a rule:
“If I don’t use it weekly, it doesn’t get my money monthly.”
Every month, I gave myself a small “treat yourself” fund — like $20–$30.
Yes, I was saving.
But I was also human.
That $20 kept me from falling off the wagon and splurging $200 in a stress-shopping spiral.
Because saving is smart — but balance is what makes it sustainable.
Got brutally honest about spending
Slashed grocery costs with meal planning
Used Buy Nothing groups for free essentials
Earned $150–$200/month from my phone
Set up a no-touch savings account
Used visual goals to stay motivated
Switched to cash envelope budgeting
Cut subscription leaks and lazy charges
There were weeks I wanted to give up.
There were months I saved just $30.
But I kept reminding myself — every dollar saved is a vote for the life I want.
And slowly, I saw that life appear.
YES.
If I can do it while juggling motherhood, bills, a low income, and zero extra time — so can you.
You don’t need perfection.
You need progress.
One choice at a time. One dollar at a time.
👉 Click here to download it FREE (no email required, because I got you, girl.)
Don’t forget to Pin this if you want to come back to it when you’re ready to take control of your finances! 💪💵
You’re not lazy.
You’re not bad with money.
You’re just not shown how to make money work for you.
Let’s change that. 💖