From Living Paycheck to Paycheck to Paying Off Debt: The Budget System That Finally Worked with Becky | 620

0:00Becky:In the first session, I was$54 short on my budget. It was negative$54. There was probably 10 debts that I was paying ritually every month. And then I picked up a more consistent side hustle with a delivery service. And I was making about$800 a month. So that was$800 that was going straight to debt payments. December 2025, sold my house, paid off all my debt, except my student loans. Whenever I first started, I felt like my money controlled me. And when that switch happened and I found out that I control my money, it doesn't control me. Do you make good money but have nothing to show for it? Are you tired of living paycheck to paycheck?

0:51Do you have big dreams for your financial future? Do you want to get debt free but you don't want to live on beans and rice? Or you don't want to give up those pumpkin spice lattes? If you don't already know how to budget or if you're using credit cards to get through the month. If you want to seem like you have your finances all together or you're not on the same page with your spouse when it comes to finances. We know what you're doing probably isn't working. But guess what? You're in the right place. We're Shana and Vanessa. We're best friends, business partners, and master financial coaches trained by Dave Ramsey.

1:21We've been in business since 2019, helping hundreds of amazing people like you create budgets, get out of debt, stop living paycheck to paycheck, and know exactly what to do with their money. In this podcast, we'll share with you everything we know plus everything we're working on with our clients so that you have the best chance at reaching your financial goals. We want to help you take the guesswork out of your budget, improve your marriages, and even bring your kids in on the conversation. We can help you no matter where you're at, whether you're the single mom who's never had$500 in her savings account or the millionaire who's paid off four real estate mortgages.

1:53And we're not going to shy away from the tough love. We'll tell you what you need to hear and encourage you at the same time. This is the Financial Coaching for Women podcast.

2:03Becky:So I was excited to schedule a call with you guys because I was just talking to my coworker about budgets. And I, of course, have to cue the podcast and tell her episode 197. And here we are again. And I figured it's been a couple of years. We need an update. I think so, too. I think things are very have had a lot of time to change and extremely where you were. We don't have to rehash everything, but let's talk. Let's give a little bit of context to where we started with our besties relationship and then we'll do travel time travel and see what's happened I know it's so crazy it's funny because I was just looking at the first budget me and Shana had produced back in 2023 I can't even remember August 2023 that's right something like that and I was on I was about to call a debt collector a debt consolidation loan and I google searched a what would Dave Ramsey do or Dave Ramsey plus loan consolidation?

3:10Becky:And you guys popped up and I was like, oh, girls, I can do this. So I clicked on your link, scheduled a call, talked to Vanessa. I think she was like leaving the country the next day. And I think so. It's crazy. And then And she's like, let's get you into like, just think about this. Let us know if you really want to do coaching. And I was like, man, yes. So some bullet points. And then fast forward to coaching sessions with Shana. And the first session, I was$54 short on my budget. It was negative$54. And I'm like, see, I told you I can't do this. And she's like, no, we're going to do this. So then we moved into cauterizing debt payments.

4:05Becky:So the debt payments were... What's that word? Yes. Yeah. So we cauterized the debt payment. You're being very literature girl right now with your synonyms and words and adjectives and verbs. Okay. Cauterizing. Verbs. And verbs. Verbs. Yes. So we needed to get rid of debt, but also I couldn't pay for all the debt. so we stopped payment on debt for the time being i called all the companies and we're going too fast to this i think we got to pause okay so we did your budget and did your budget because you had mostly because of the debt payments that you had to make right yes if you didn't have those minimum debt payments yeah and that's what a lot of people are at they're like somehow these debt payments have become this monster that if they didn't have them their budget it would be fine right and revert to buying essentials like groceries on debt because on your credit card because you have no money yeah because you paid the credit card yeah so no money so we had that conversation and this is you were very willing you were such a good a plus gold star student but a lot of people get tripped up on this they're they don't want to not pay their debts as if as if one it's an option but two as if it's not embarrassing but i don't want to hurt their feelings those poor debt people i don't want to mess with them it's like no that's the right But they don't mind taking your money like at all.

5:30So we have that. And so what you did is you decided, OK, I'm going to call them all and give them all a chance to be nice to me. So explain how that worked real quick.

5:39Becky:Yeah, so I called the I was probably 10 in. There was probably 10 debts that I was paying ritually every month. And I called them all and some were willing to work with me, put me on a payment plan where at least it was more affordable. It wasn't we're going to give you some kind of forgiveness. But they did stop the interest rate and interest bearing and turn it basically into a 0 % installment loan, which helped. And some of them reduced the interest. Some of them didn't work with me at all. um so from there i stopped paying those people because they didn't want to work with me i couldn't pay them it was a very disgusting relationship very cutthroat they got serious real fast serious real fast yeah okay and it did not feel good it didn't feel good to stop doing stop paying because you're taught to pay your bills and those are bills right you think they're bills, but they're really not.

6:45They're just stuff you bought before. Yeah. And it's not like we're saying don't own what you got yourself into. That's not what we're saying. We're saying you're owning it. You're calling, you're speaking to them, letting them know, look, I got myself in this situation, but unfortunately right now I can't pay. I'm trying to come up with a plan. I'm asking you to help and work with me and you continue to pay the ones that did and the ones that didn't. We pause, you pause for a moment. So let's fast forward. I know you have an episode out there explaining that story. And so you made some decisions, some hard decisions.

7:19Talk about a year later. So let's talk about 2024, 2025-ish, where you were transition-wise in your life and your finances and how this all helped.

7:31Becky:Absolutely. So from there, I was, you know, just coasting. I had picked up a side job tutoring and that wasn't paying a lot, but it was something. So all my side hustle money, we went straight on the debt, like payments. And so I was snowballing pretty quickly. And then I picked up a more consistent side hustle with a delivery service. And I was making about$800 a month. So that was$800 that was going straight to debt payments. And if I was planning a vacation, part of that would go to that too. So it was really nice knowing I was paying off the bills and also being able to save for the vacations that I wanted to take and not having to, you know, do the scorched earth mindset of I only am paying off these debts and I have to starve myself of joy in that time.

8:31yeah yeah I like going with your sister going to festivals but I think with your bestie and yeah and stuff that was we literally had debt payoff and fall festival or whatever it was in concert or trip or whatever in your budget those were it yes you were on purpose a little bit that was it but you were doing it and you kept on yes making progress and making progress

8:50Becky:yes and then life changed and I ended up in a position to sell my house and move closer to friends and family. And with that house payoff, I was able to completely pay off all debts except for my student loan, which was in forbearance. But I took out of forbearance specifically to get that also rolling into the snowball and get that paid off. So that happened in 2025. December 2025, sold my house, paid off all my debt except my student loans. And And so that's where I was looking. I started renting a house instead of jumping right into another mortgage payment. Just start and also was able to take part of that money and put it towards the house I just bought.

9:40That's another thing I like to speak on.

9:42Becky:I know. I like to speak on that because whenever you first start this journey, your credit score is going to tank. And mine went from barely being 600 to 540. It was crazy. The dip it went. but after paying off all that debt and snowballing all that it was it just keeps climbing and I know a lot of people worry about that that type of thing whenever they're like oh my credit score but I'm not I wasn't in a position where I was looking to buy a car or house I just paid off my car and my house I wasn't looking to buy something right now that was something that you know a little bit further down the road and I think if I didn't have you girls knowing you guys had my back and knowing you guys have been there and set that foundation, it wouldn't have happened like that.

10:32It's time to enter your coaching era because making good money should feel like making good money. Yeah. Imagine six months of private coaching where we'll tell you exactly what to do. No guesswork, no confusion, and absolutely no judgment. It's a done-for-you system that actually works. You don't know what you don't know, and that's not your fault. And that's why we're here. Financial coaching with us looks like two coaching sessions a month, personalized recaps, and after-hour support, you can text and email. So you're never stuck wondering what to do next. Together, we're going to build your budget, set up your system, and tackle any challenges that come up along the way, which by the way, they always do.

11:11If what you're doing isn't working and you're tired of trying to figure it out on your own, sign up for financial coaching at budgetbesties.com forward slash coaching before all of our spots fill up and we will help you go further faster. Six months from now, you'll wish you started today. I think this is actually a really good point. I'm glad you bring it up because we do get a lot of backlash about people's credit scores. That is in the back of their mind, like lurking. It's like a monkey on their back. And we try to work through that with him. Unfortunately, it's all around, right? And to them, what they've grown up with, what they've seen everywhere, it's, it's important.

11:47It's important. You have to keep it up. You can't let it go down and blah, blah, blah, like all this junk. So I really loved how you said, yes, it was at 600 and then it went down, really went down a lot, but it doesn't matter because once you started making payments, it immediately went back up and you were able to purchase a home, which means guys, if you hear that, that means it obviously went up enough for her to qualify to purchase a house. So I think that is, that's a big deal for people to understand and see that it is. Yes. It's going to be a short-term sacrifice that you make for a long-term gain.

12:21Becky:Absolutely. Yeah. And so when you think about what I was listening to was you said that without us, you wouldn't have been there, which we always know that it's the hard work that you guys are willing to do, the sacrifices that you are willing to do. Making those phone calls was like literally nobody's favorite thing to do, but you did it. You did it. But what do you think, what changed about your mindset to be from the person that was $57,$54,$47, whatever you said, short,$54, short to I saved. I took my loans out of forbearance so I could pay them. That's where I'm at now. And I put money down on my mortgage.

12:55What mindset shifts or what did you start to do differently or think differently to get to be this person?

13:02Becky:It's just nice knowing that you guys preach it every episode. You don't have to live on beans rush you do not have to do scorched earth it is what you want your which i don't have a glam fund because look at me i'm beautiful anyway it's that's right girl but yes you are anyway but allowing yourself to have that glam up budget allowing yourself to have the vacation fund allowing yourself to you know give into your pour into yourself gives you to have the confidence in that you can do this. You can make it happen. It's just what you limit yourself to do is bound by you yourself. Yeah. No, I think that's really good.

13:53I think proving to yourself that you can do this, the small changes that you made, because it wasn't, and we like to say this all the time, nothing about this is a quick fix, and it shouldn't be, because that's not going to last. But you started in 2023. That's when you found us. it's now 2026 when we're airing this episode yes and you've you're on this three-year journey but it's gotten better every single month every single year to get you to the point now where you have all of your debts paid off except your student loans which you purposely took out of forbearance like you said to pay them off and you've bought another house you bought a new house for yourself and a new location because you moved and a new job like all of that i think that's really admirable

14:33Becky:and it's not my my budget and my paycheck plan is still pinned to my browser it's every month we're in it and even if it's hard even if it's like man I know I'm struggling this month but it's not going to be like that forever let's see what we can do this month too and it's to me it's like a game what can I do what can I put into my travel fund what can I put into my savings buckets How, because I just bought a house on last month and I'm going to California tomorrow to go to BlizzCon that I've been wanting, that this was on my things to save for Liz back in 2023 was BlizzCon, which is a nerd game convention.

15:16I'm going to be so great.

15:19Becky:You're invited. Come on. Let's go. Anyway. So yeah, it's going to be, and I have money put aside specifically for this that I've been saving for eight months, nine months now. You can't just expect it to happen overnight. It's not going to happen overnight, but trust the process because it's a great process. I'm hearing you say all this and I'm thinking, get it, girl. And then the other thing is I'm watching you say it with a smile on your face. And I want to ask you, who even are you, Becky? Can you, do you hear yourself saying all of these things that you're able to do and accomplish in the stuff that you dreamed about?

15:55Yes. You wrote it down and you made it happen. Tell me about how does that make you feel?

15:59Becky:It makes me feel really good, too. So the next thing on my list is a Harry Potter castle, Lego castles. But I was like, hey, are we playing the castle? Come on in. That's the next level. Okay. It's really escalated. But yeah. Like the one that you build? I know, really. One that you build? Absolutely. Or is it more? gonna have a it's gonna it's a thousand bucks i'm gonna i'm gonna build it and put it in its own little case and it's gonna be beautiful and it's gonna be in my brand new house but anyway all of our kids will help you build that yeah because they are all harry potter fans so yeah it's just it's just really good knowing that that money's there when i need it that it whenever i first started i felt like my money controlled me and when that switch happened and I found out that I control my money, it doesn't control me.

16:47Becky:And to take it off of those apps that you're tracking through your bank, because that is not productive. You have to pre-plan for this. You have to pre-plan your budget for the following month. You have to every month, even when it's hard. Yeah. It's just, it's good to know that. It's good to have, keep that mindset and know that it's just it's good it's a good feeling well your mic drop moment right there was going from your money feeling like your money controls you to controlling it and when we're in that backward like we're in the back seat it's driving us it's driving our emotions it's driving our decisions it's driving whether we can go to blizzcon or not and that's not cool bro that is that cool um but instead of the busy work because that and like you said all of these not many of these other things are just keeping you busy they are not helping you get and get moved to being in charge or telling your money where to go and i think it's you can gamify it so i was actually gonna ask you becky because you are a numbers whiz you are a excel expert whiz what's being able to tell your money where to go the numbers and assigning it i think it's actually fund.

18:00Like you said, even if it's$50, it can go into my Harry Potter castle fund. That's exciting. And that's me telling my money what to do instead of being so stressed out, not know what's happening. It's all over the place. And then maybe someday I'll get to it. But now I know I'm on the path. Right.

18:16Becky:Absolutely. And that's the thing. It's like knowing that there's an end goal, or not even an end goal, but a continuing goal. Because I had a specific goal that I wanted to me to be able to pay my closing costs on my house. And now that money's gone. It's nice to have another goal. And I'm not sure what that is yet. We haven't. It's probably another car because my car is a decade old. But it's just one of those things where I'm going to save for a new car and be able to pay cash for a new car. To me, that's just mind boggling that I won't be paying the bank's interest for that. That's going to be mine.

18:54Becky:It's going to be mine to own. Think about that transformation. Yeah. From not being able to pay some of the debt payments to paying cash for your car. That's huge. It's crazy testimony. Yeah, for sure. Okay. I'm going to let the audience in on a little secret. Becky is our backend formula girl. So all those amazing, all the amazing ways that your budget system works, Becky has helped us out with that. Your debt snowball, your avalanche, the debt tracker, the asset tracker, all that. Becky, so, and that's not how we met though. You found us and wanted to work with our system. You worked with Shana and then you were like, I love this so much.

19:33How can I help?

19:35Becky:I do. We, you have helped us. We made this system originally with a designer and then we need, we knew it needed an upgrade. And then that's where Becky came in and she really helped us make a lot of changes in the backend for our budget. So you guys, Becky is phenomenal. And so she's your tech girl. She's our tech girl. But I want to ask a question too, because I think this is important because you are a tech person and you love numbers. You're a nerd. You're budgeting, bookkeeping, accounting, all that stuff. You've seen budgets before. You've used other budgets in the past. And apps and everything.

20:07And apps and all of that. So can you explain why and how our budget is different than the$17 Etsy budget that you find on the internet?

20:17Becky:I love the one thing I really love about the budget is how it all the tabs seem to tie into each other that you can start with your January budget and so now you know if this is the all the money I make this year this is what my budget is going to look like for the entire year and then you can manipulate the numbers to your specific needs for that month and you could put a line on the budget for the festivals that are coming up in September. And you can do that in January. You know it's coming. You don't have to wait until September. And school supplies, you have what you probably just spent on school supplies this year, which may have gone somewhere it didn't need to go.

21:04Becky:Now you can put that in your annual bills and start saving it for next year. Your annual bills, that annual bills tab, well, I mean, I put my, I'm not going to lie, I put my trip in there and then I knew exactly how much to save every month for my trip. So I had enough spending money because Lord knows we're going to be buying some merch tomorrow. Merch! Some merch. But anyway, that's in the, and it's just, it's one of those things where it's so interactive and tells you exactly what you need to know. and also customizable to your life and not have to follow specific guidelines that I've seen other places.

21:47Yeah, we love that as well. And I think that was one, and again, this isn't something that we were going to create at the start of our company. No, it wasn't even in the vision for us, but it's what y 'all needed. It's really funny you say that, Vanessa, because, okay, so we are besties and Becky's one of our besties too. But when we started our business, we didn't even know we were going to specialize on budgeting. Let's be real honest. We were teaching you and we were just trying to go down the path that our mentor had put us on for financial to be a financial coach. And then we realized no one is actually teaching them how to specifically budget their money, like all the things that you said, Becky, individual and all of this.

22:24We realized that. So then we had to change. We had to pivot or like we really honed in on that. And then the next thing was, okay, we built a budget. We were making it work. Okay. It was not cute. It was so not cute. It was so ugly. And at some point we're like, can we have to do this every day for a job? Can we have a better budget? So again, not something that we were trying to go into. And then as we've done this, there's just been a lot of pivots just for everybody else. Then we're like, we are not, I am done telling people rice or not that we ever really did, but I don't, we don't want to tell people rice and beans.

22:54We don't want to tell people we don't want to tell people that they can't go on vacation or they can't have healthy food and or whatever, because their budget and they have to get out of debt. And that's the only thing So we're all learning and growing. We're all learning and growing. And what we know is everybody's version of bougie on the budget is different. And I love yours, Becky. It's so unique. It's so you. Yes. BlizzCon. I know.