wow ya`ll. every post always starts with how inconsistent i am, lol. i won`t even lie... i have not even been thinking about this blog. i have been so busy *insert kim k crying meme*. i always say i`m so busy, too, right? lol. i`m the worsttt. i decided to finally write this post because i am so proud of myself. your girl published a book—broke girl budget: a broke girl`s guide to financial stability + building credit.
the idea for a budget journal has been brewing in my head for a long time now... a really long time. i kept telling myself to wait until it`s perfect. that kept me back. i had to learn that now is the perfect time. i gathered all of my ideas and finally started working on them in photoshop. after a few weeks, i just felt like it was ready to go and i ordered a sample. once the sample came in, i reviewed it and tweaked it to my liking. now it was really ready to go live. i was nervous and i didn`t really have high expectations because you know those lead to disappointments. i just created some content, built up some momentum and made it available for preorder.
a little about the book before i continue... basically, ya`ll know i struggled with saving, spending and all of that in between and if you didn`t, i`m not sure what you thought this blog was about lol. anywho, i started taking this financial journey of mine more seriously in my late 20`s because it just became so overwhelming to always be broke even when i was taking all of the right steps to not be broke. i started to use a tiny notebook to track my due dates, deadlines, payments and credit score. i shared that a long time ago here: BROKE GIRL TIPS: BUDGETING + ORGANIZING. my book was truly nothing fancy at all, but it kept me on my toes. i started to really see progress in my savings, my budgeting and my credit score (which has always been pretty good). i was able to pay my car off a bit early (not always a good thing but my goal is to get out of debt). i paid off a student loan and got some other debts down.
i was also able to purchase my dream car with no money down, move into my first apartment and still have money after cashing out on my security deposit (lol) and just feel comfortable without having to think about my account at all. so the book is really just a fancier version of the basic methods i used to help myself become better at organizing my finances.
now... the feedback was really good, but i just take it all with a grain of salt. after having my small business for about four years now, i haven`t really established a true loyal market. for me, i just haven`t felt the need to really go out there + market it until now. plus, people aren`t as true to their word as they say they are so i don`t really bank on them to spend any money, lol. however, i am still happy with the reactions from people on my posts. it made your girl smile a bit, lol.
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i`m starting to elevate my brand because, although it is just an idea that came to life from my blog, i think it could be something bigger. i`ve been working on a few other small projects for bbhm that i`m excited about and can`t wait to share, but for now, my journal has the spotlight.
this week i`m shipping my preorders out and preparing for another launch. i want to plan a cute little broke girl pop-up for like a back2school event but i don`t want to get ahead of myself. i just think that would be super helpful and beneficial to teens and young adults entering college. not many schools teach financial literacy and when they do, i`m sure it`s not easy to follow or understand. my book is written from the lens of a person who had to learn it as they went. i didn`t have someone really teaching me how to save money. i had my mom who kinda taught me what a credit card was and my dad who always spoke about saving, but we never sat down and had a real, in-depth conversation about these things. i learned the hard way: experience truly taught me everything i know. this is why i think my book is worth the money. not to mention, every page was designed by me :)
i`m just really proud of what this book represents. i`ve come so far in this journey and everytime i look at this book, i`m reminded not only of where i am but where i started. chile, i was in the trenches LOL. no savings, no checkings, no rainy day accounts... just barely getting by with a bachelor`s degree, a job that paid me $13/hour, credit card payments, student loans, $400 car payment on a bmw that wasn`t worth it and on top of all of that... i had to eat and survive. it was hard ya`ll, but i am making it through and i just want to help others get to where they want to be as well. no one wants to carry the burden of debt. it sucks and it drains the life out of you. i just want us all to be great!
next, i`ll be learning more about investments but that`s a whole `nother ball game. come check out my book on my instagram: @imthebrokegirl and if you want to see when we launch again, please sign up for my newsletters to be notified. they will be available here very soon!
the broke girl
