I am writing this article because I believe it, not because we are sponsored.
My Intro to Finance.
I listened to Dave Ramsey and I subscribed to that for a while. I read his book and I read some others. I listened to Graham Stephen and read articles and learned about the FIRE Movement. I took bits and pieces from each of these talking heads and came up with my plan for personal finance. I don’t think we should just have one “guru.” In our finances or our philosophies in general, we have to keep exposing ourselves to different ideas to truly understand if they stand up to the tests.
Getting Perspective
The Mint App might be where you need to start for taking hold of your personal finance. I’ve always utilized the free version and it’s helped me get a better picture. I started by attaching my checking accounts, savings, credit cards, and my student loans. I’ve also attached a personal loan and my favorite of all, my work retirement account and my personal retirement account. I love looking at those retirement accounts.
Prior to using the Mint app, I was trying to get organized and get the total picture of my finances. I had a spreadsheet that had my current credit score compared to all of the current balances I owed. For a while, seeing that total debt balance come down with each payment inspired me to overpay. I will say sometimes, seeing the balance left was a little depressing. Paying aggressively but still feeling like you’re in a hole can get really tiring. The Mint app, however, has helped me see the total picture of my financial life. It’s inspired me to set goals for my finances beyond just debt repayment.
The Mint App Has Helped Me:
- Save More and Spend Less by showing me month-to-month trends in clear graphs and captions
- Inspired me to sell my car to pay a debt and buy a cheaper one
The resulting boost in my net worth was a spark that lit a fire in me. Net worth feels kind of like a joke when you don’t own a house and aren’t the definition of “wealth.” However, after years of focusing on my debt and the literal negatives, seeing myself portrayed positively felt really refreshing. It helped me acknowledge that I wasn’t actually that far off the path. I was beginning to make the right moves and decisions to set myself up for the life I wanted.
But what if my personal finances are ugly?
You might load up the Mint app and be hit with a different realization about your finances. It might make you realize you’re off track, but don’t get down, and do not get discouraged, this is amazing. Once we are aware, we can change. It’s when we are unaware that we are vulnerable. I know that I don’t want to come to the end of my life and kick myself for not acting sooner. You’ll find that by taking a peek regularly at the app, things will begin to turn around. As you slowly make steps toward the financial goals you want, you’ll start taking bigger ones.
The Mint app has helped me commit to putting more into savings, spending less, contributing more to my personal Roth IRA, and paying off debt. The Mint app has been the peace of mind I was seeking for so long in the gurus. The voices in the finance world can be so intelligent and so correct but none of it matters if you don’t apply it. With each goal I achieve using the Mint app, I lay out another big or small one ahead. Each goal feels more achievable when you can see the full landscape and picture.
Again, this wasn’t sponsored. I’m just hoping you can find the same freedom I’ve found in the Mint app. If not Mint, I hope you keep looking and find your tool. If you’ve got other resources you use to track your finances, I’m all ears, I love this stuff. Shoot me an email through our contact page.
Best,
Mike