I am here for money wins. Big, small, it doesn’t matter. Any excuse to send some celebratory GIFs into the world and cheer people on as they travel through their money journeys. Why? Because the journey is long. And hard. And challenging. And boring. And basically everything that makes mastering your money so complex.
Rather than wait until the end of the journey to celebrate, let’s party along the way. You know, to keep the momentum going. Or to regain it if you’ve lost some along the way. Ready to party? OK, I’ll go first.
This week, I spied a slim plain envelope from Chase. I was convinced it was a credit card offer. Because they’ve gotten very sneaky. I used to be able to spot credit card offers a mile away: the glossy finish, the heavy cardstock, the corny stock images. Now, the nondescript envelopes are still just enough to give me pause. Is it important? Can I toss it without looking? Fine, I’ll look.
Sneaky. Very sneaky.
But I’m so stoked that I looked. Somehow, between the time that I downgraded my Chase Preferred Sapphire card to a regular card, I overpaid by a few dollars. So instead of insisting I take out another credit card, they sent me a check for $15.28. Plus, I switched cards before the annual fee. Cha ching, cha ching.
I know, I know. You’re not here for me. Not really. Not today any way. Without further ado, let’s celebrate the money wins of Simplistic Steph, Sarah, Baby Boomer Super Saver, and Tara.
Simplistic Steph
What is your money win?
Usually, any surprise bill causes our stomach to drop, our heart to race, and I run around the house unplugging things, redoing my budget spreadsheet, and crying internally. But this time, my husband showed me the bill, and I just shrugged and told him to pay it with savings. I didn’t freak!
Why are you pumped?
I was pumped because I have such bad anxiety over everything. The fact that we had some money in an emergency fund for these expenses helped minimize it!
What can others learn from it?
An emergency fund is seriously life changing. I can’t stress this enough! Life is hard, stressful events happen, and sadly all these things are expensive. Having 6+ mos in cold hard cash can help alleviate money woes!
Sarah
What is your money win?
I put my tax rebate onto my student loan. In New Zealand, we can opt to have our tax rebates put directly towards paying off our student loans. I opted for this. Why was I pumped?
Why are you pumped?
I’m pumped because I was so close to paying off my student loan.
What can others learn from it?
It is possible to pay off student loan debt. Just keep chipping away at it.
Kathy from Baby Boomer Super Saver
What is your money win?
During a wellness/fitness challenge at my job, anyone who was interested signed up online for the challenge. It was sponsored by my employer, Healthy Habits, and Kaiser. I listed my weight at the beginning of the challenge, and tracked my exercise each day online. Sometimes I tracked my food intake, but that wasn’t part of the challenge.
Why are you pumped?
We were able to see co-workers’ daily activity levels, which inspired others (or at least me!) to get out there and exercise more! I walked more and went to yoga more often. I learned that participating in a group challenge gets me excited and helps motivate me to reach a goal, because I know I’m a member of a group of exceptional people who are all trying to improve themselves. It also taught me that my employer really believes in the concept of wellness at work, as they make numerous opportunities like this available to employees.
What can others learn from it?
I think others can learn that it’s motivating and inspiring to participate in a group challenge if you need an extra push, or want some extra support to reach a goal. I found that taking breaks from working at my desk to get in a walk more often meant that I worked more efficiently, with less stress. I received $15 just for signing up, and another $50 in a drawing for participants who completed the challenge ($65 total). Getting the $15 just for signing up seemed like a no-brainer – no reason to turn down $15 for something so simple! Then following through and winning the extra $50 was definitely worth my participation in the challenge.
Tara
What is your money win?
My money win was getting my balance to an even hundred. So yesterday, I paid $12.60 so that my student loan was $36400. It just feels more manageable when I knock it off in hundreds.
Why are you pumped?
It feels like I can do something small but still impactful and it almost settles my obsession with my debt by just looking even which just feels more manageable.
What can others learn from it?
I think others can learn that sometimes you can’t complete a whole to do list or want but you can do a part of it which still brings you closer to a done list.
Final Thoughts on Money Wins
There are so many ways to win with money. You don’t have to be at the end of your journey. Whether it’s using your emergency fund properly, being smart with a refund, taking advantage of programs to help you maximize your health and your wealth, or figuring out the psychology behind numbers, there’s so much to celebrate.
If you missed any of the past money wins, check them out here:
Volume 1 – Kate, Revanche, Melody
Volume 2 – Jody, Aitza, Little Miss Fire
If you’d like to join the money win party, drop me a line at shepicksupppennies (at) gmail (dot) com with your answers to the three questions. Whether you are a blogger or a reader or both, you are welcome to party here!
These are great. Even the smallest of money wins are representative of something much greater, they’re symbolic of a change of mindset, or a point along a bigger journey. Very inspiring, love that you’re sharing these stories Penny!
YESSS to being able to take bills in stride! It is such a good feeling.
I was about to tailspin into a panic earlier this year when I didn’t get paid when expected but managed to stop myself freaking out unnecessarily, and then it came through the next day 🙂
Hey this a great series you have going on here celebrating money wins. Small wins can build up momentum and can go a long way to achieve your financial goals. I may participate myself.
I would love for you to participate, Kris! You’re always welcome.
I love how you celebrate people, Penny!