From Broke to Financially Attractive

I have a lot on my plate and in order to be productive, I have to stay organized. Right now, I'm working on building my Financially Attractive platform, while working full-time, chasing my fitness goals and still trying to enjoy life. Here are some apps that keep me on track every day. iPhone Calendar: if it's not in my calendar, I'll forget.😖 Google Calendar: content creation tasks go in this calendar. Alarm: I am that girl with 30 alarms each day. It combats my procrastination. TD app: I check this multiple times per week. I catch every charge and transaction.👀 Capital One: I check this multiple times per week as well. I stay on top of my credit card. My Fitness Pal: this is helping me be intentional with eating since I want to gain 10-15lbs by the end of the year. Instagram: you'll notice that I'll be using this less but I use it to connect with people, consume financial literacy, promote local businesses, spread love etc. All love, always, Shay.💛 Instagram: @...

Super short and sweet: the right financial advisor can change your life! Access: they know the ins and outs of the financial industry Mentorship: I've become real friends with my advisor Information about the banking + credit system Career opportunities What I love about my advisor @harpritgill_  She's honest She makes the financial industry accessible and digestible She isn't pushy and doesn't operate like a pesky salesperson She truly wants the best for me All love, always, Shay.💛 Instagram: @financefortheculture Email: financesfortheculture@gmail.com Book a FREE financial analysis:  https://calendly.com/financefortheculture/financialneedsanalysis?month=2021-07 Book an Investing 101 Session:  https://calendly.com/shaymoneyinvesting101/60min?back=1&month=2021-07  

You have a credit card to build your credit, GREAT! Now what? It is important to know how to use it properly so you can increase your score without experiencing penalties. It's very easy to see a credit card as extra money when it's really not. Use 30% of your limit. THIS IS KEY. My score has decreased because I've been going over this. Pay a little bit more than your amount due. Know your due date and cycle date (due date is when your payment is due. Cycle date is when your statement comes out, usually 5 days after your due date). Make multiple payments per month: one per paycheck at least. Monitor your credit score. What I use it for:  Small purchases like Dollarama or Shopper's  Certain online purchases Lunch or dinner dates Odds and ends Your credit card is not for shopping sprees. You really need to have discipline to consistently raise your credit score. I check my Capital One app multiple times a week and I haven't missed a payment in a year. If you have any ...

Use a cash budget - it's easier to monitor spending Pre-drink - so you buy less alcohol Eat before you leave and/or when you get home Share food / split bills / split Uber Limit outings per month Remember: You're the only one who can implement these changes and boundaries. You have to make hard decisions in order to level up financially but it's all worth it. You'll be fine if you miss a few parties or order an appetizer instead of a big meal. Promise. All love, always, Shay.💛 Instagram: @financefortheculture Email: financesfortheculture@gmail.com Book a FREE financial analysis:  https://calendly.com/financefortheculture/financialneedsanalysis?month=2021-07 Book an Investing 101 Session:  https://calendly.com/shaymoneyinvesting101/60min?back=1&month=2021-07  

It's all a lie! A bad debt or settlement doesn't have to stay on your credit for 7 years! The system is banking, literally, on your ignorance. I got a 2015 settlement removed from my credit in August 2020. Sure, it took almost 2 months but it happened. Back story: I didn't pay my phone bill for a couple of months and it got sent to collections. I agreed to do a settlement and paid about $1050 to close the account. Five years later, a new collections company reopened the account and started reporting it as late. Tip: Make sure you're monitoring your credit score. Check at least once a month. Also, check the details of your report. That's how I knew something was up. My score had dropped and I was being contacted by this new company. Here's how I got this removed: I called Telus to confirm that the account was closed. They said to call the original collections company. I called the original company and requested a release letter stating that this account was paid ...

SMART Goals have allowed me to manifest the dreams in my head into reality. S - SPECIFIC - say it with your chest M - MEASURABLE - can you monitor your progress? A - ACHIEVABLE - make it make sense R - REALISTIC - can you actually do this? *see above* T - TIMELY - give yourself a deadline SMART Goals, Commitment, Accountability Partner(s) Any goal is a good goal but a SMART goal will give you results. We need to be specific with what we want. I can say I want a black matte Jeep and that's cute but if I don't plan how to get it, I won't. They say that writing down goals make them concrete and visible. It's easy to forget about the things we want when we have a life to live. That's why lists are my best friends. I have a weekly to-do list, a daily to-do list, short term goals, long term goals. I write out my workouts, every purchase I make, I plan my paychecks and how to spend them. These lists keep me organized. Maybe you need to write your goals on bright sticky not...

I’m not going to tell you to save money because you’ve already heard that. And by now, you know at least one financial advisor or you’ve seen multiple posts about how to take control of your money. What I am going to share with you are tips I’ve used and continue to use to give me financial freedom. Let’s be honest: shopping is a huge reason why a lot of us have empty pockets. Listen, retail therapy isn’t permanent, it can actually become a serious addiction and there’s no shoe or bag worth thousands of dollars of debt. Stop going to the mall unless you really need something. Next, you can do all the things your friends are doing and treat yourself and enjoy life if you plan better. News flash:  you don’t have to stop spending, just simply shift your spending habits. Identify your needs and wants, figure out what you waste your money on then make adjustments. This takes discipline but you're the only one who can create those boundaries.  So what changed for me? I realized ...

Who Am I? Just a girl who went from constantly broke to financially attractive in about 8 months. A lot of people know me as Coco and I represent many things. I am multi-faceted but I believe I am most known for sharing my confidence, joy, honesty and humor with others. My biggest purpose is to help others develop self love and embrace their natural selves. My biggest passions are writing and speaking. I love teaching adults, travelling solo, exploring my own city and researching everything.  I don't know what made me change my spending habits but I cannot imagine going back to being constantly broke. I have what people would say is an "ideal" living situation, but that same situation is probably what led me to spend 90% of my paychecks on food, never have money to do fun things and rack up a $1500 phone bill. All my life, I've had horrible spending habits and it didn't matter that my parents always told me to "save". It didn't matter that I knew peo...

Knowledge: I learned about the banking + credit systems. I learned how to use a credit card before I got one. I use only 30-40% of my limit. I started off making 2 payments per month, one per paycheck. I make 3 now. I keep my balance low every month, typically under $50. I got a settlement from 2015 removed from my credit report. The biggest thing that helped me was gaining knowledge. We are often misled when it comes to credit cards. I worked as a debt collector where I learned about the banking + credit system. When I got my first credit card, I was prepared and knew the consequences of misusing it. This is key. I do not use my credit like I have extra money. I use it when I run errands and for certain online purchases. I have my due dates and cycle date in my calendar and am constantly checking the balance. I leave my credit card at home 95% of the time.  Something else that is helping me is making multiple payments. I was making 2 payments every month but when I made 3 payments...

10 tips that helped me save 10k in 5 months and that I currently use: I made it a priority: I valued my financial stability over materialism. I went to a financial literacy workshop & found a financial advisor. I track every purchase & identify it as a NEED, WANT, TREAT or BILL. I deleted apps that made me spend money like Uber, Uber Eats, editing apps. I use a cash budget: this makes my spending intentional. I limit how many times I go out. I buy groceries + meal prep on Sundays and Wednesdays. I wait for sales + find cheaper alternatives. I switched my bank account from unlimited transactions to 25 per month. I use the Pay As You Go option for my phone bill. Just like you make hard decisions to stop talking to someone who hurt you or quit a job that doesn't serve you or move countries, becoming financially attractive consists of making hard decisions everyday. For example, I've wanted custom sneakers since May and I told myself I would use one of my work bonuses to bu...