Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

by Hope

I am in a “tighten your belt” phase as I continue to search for new streams of income. It’s pretty much a no spend February. But I was inspired by something my friend said at family dinner during my reset this past weekend.

She was talking to Princess about investing and she brought up the round up method. I remember several years back several banks offered this as a method of savings and I know some stores still offer it at checkout as a way to donate. My friend was encouraging my daughter to round up every purchase and put that money in a ROTH IRA. Good advice.

Baby Steps to Saving

I have always done best with my money when it’s kind of a game so the round up method is a great way to keep myself motivated. For February I have decided to continue some of my on going games, but also add this new one.

• Don’t spend $5 – this is an ongoing game I play with myself. Although I don’t deal with cash very often, when I do, I never spend a $5 bill. It goes in a shoe box, like a rainy day cash savings account.
• Rounding up – inspired by my friend’s suggestion, and a constant user of my debit and credit card, I am going to round up every purchase to the nearest $1 and put that change into a savings account. I have an extra one just sitting with $10 in it, so it will be easy to track what effect this one has.
• De-clutter and Sell it – Most of the time when I clean things out, I give them away, mostly because I just want them gone. But this time around, I will be making a point to sell the items I can as I do another round of purging. I have a second savings account just sitting with $10 in it, so this one will also be tracked.

I know this isn’t much. But when the cards are stacked against you again. Keeping your focus and your mind focused are important. Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best! I know a new job and new income stream is right around the corner!

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.