Disclosure: This post was sponsored, and paid for, by SunTrust. All opinions are my own.
The older I get, the more I value easiness, tranquility, and security. My interests of course still remain the same—I don’t think I’ll ever NOT be into clothes and makeup but the way I consume them has. For instance, I no longer have a bad shopping habit–of course I still shop, I just don’t do it as impulsively. Instead I like to evaluate how an item is going to really do the most for either my closet or makeup stash. I want to do more with less: instead of the like 10-15 eyeshadow palettes I have (and only use like 1-2 at any given time), I want to have one, MAXIMUM two that I use all the time. Ditto with my closet. I want fabulous pieces, but I don’t want a closet full of things I only wear a small percentage of the time. This line of thinking has kept my finances in better order. I still have some financial goals I want to achieve but at least I’m not standing in my own way by shopping out of control.
Earlier this year I wrote about the onUp Movement, an easy-to-follow, judgement-free (and complimentary!) online service from SunTrust Bank that helps you keep in line with your financial goals. Now as someone who writes about fashion and beauty for a living (and who has a decade of experience in the financial services world) I like to also talk finance from time to time to keep some balance around these parts. So I’ll start with me.
I’m 36, single, no children, and I’m self-employed. I’ve talked about how this year has been difficult for me in terms of cash flow and I’ve had to be creative with tapping into additional streams of income. I started a content creation and social media managing service and have started to write for other outlets again for extra income to counter my cash flow issues. My current financial goals are to be able to live like a queen for very little money, increase the amount of money I’m socking away for retirement, have extra money to finish making over my apartment, and to pay off debt. In a few years I want to start a family so my financial goals will flip again soon.
So then I headed over to the onUp Challenge site and did the Values Challenge. Here’s what I got.
After you do the Values Challenge, you can explore seven “lands” where you’ll learn tons of tips related to your financial goals, take quizzes, watch videos, and more. One thing I really loved about the Confidence Clearing land is the “Make the Leap from Spender to Saver” article which I think is something people like us really need to read. For instance, I don’t think any of us are blowing huge amounts of money recklessly all the time BUT we are making smaller purchases (i.e. lattes, a lipstick here and there, car service trips, etc.) that we may not think of as being a hindrance to our financial freedom as a single transaction, but they can really add up.
Like for instance, say you spend $15 a day on breakfast and lunch during the workweek. That totals to about $3600 for the year (give or take for vacation). Now I know you have better things to spend $3600 on. You can use a fraction of that money to buy groceries that can get you three meals a day and some snacks, and then put the rest away in savings or towards debt. And while we’re on this subject, what I love about the onUp Challenge is that they give you room to treat yourself. So it’s not like they’re saying you can’t buy things you love like makeup or clothes (imagine how that would go down…lol) but instead nudges you towards making smarter decisions and allowing for the occasional treat.
Beyond that I also like that there’s a section on understanding your credit, a section on understanding insurance and estate planning, investing, the home buying process, and much more. It’s always a great time to take the steps towards reaching your financial goals. And you can do this one without having to pay any fees or be obligated to any services. You can check out the onUp Challenge and try out the tools for your own financial goals here.
What are your current financial goals? Do you use financial tools to help you reach them? Have you checked out the onUp Challenge yet? Tell me all about it in the comments!
This post was sponsored, and paid for, by SunTrust. All opinions are my own.
What a great analysis!
Definitely on board with this plan as well. I’m swimming in makeup products that are just collecting dust…time to make a change!
Great post! Definitely never hurts to reevaluate goals! Great job!
The goal is important to achieve something in life.When you work with goal and vision you know what you need to do to achieve the goal that you set.
Thank You!!