Real Results From Financial Coaching
I recently wrapped up a 90 day financial coaching program with Rob. He was looking for help getting his finances under control, and wanted to make some intentional changes to his financial life to set himself up for success in the months and years to come. We started by capturing Rob's short-term and long-term goals, and then over the next three months worked through cleaning up his budget, organizing his cash flow, and creating a strategy for him to meet his goals.
Rob uses YNAB so we met over Google Hangout and talked through how to best manage his finances and what was going to work for him. He did a great job of digging deep inside himself and being honest about what would work for him and where he was going to stumble.
I love that about the coaching process! Pin-pointing hurdles that individuals have and helping to find a way to overcome them... mmm... doesn't get much better than that.
There were lots of wins throughout the coaching process for Rob, but I want to share with you some of the highlights of the process, and keys to Rob's success.
Short-term Goals
- Break the habit of spending: Gain self-control between wants and needs.
- Create a solid plan to pay off credit cards.
- Stop using credit cards all together
- Savings: Move beyond paycheck to paycheck.
Long-term Goals
- Emergency fund of 3-6 months of expenses.
- Grow his consulting business to support himself financially.
- Purchase a home (Rob lives in the San Francisco area where home prices are sky high).
- Retirement: Being able to work when I want and having the finances in place to make the possible.
Process
After honing in on Rob's goals, we went through some principles of personal finance and concepts that need to be understood before starting to set the foundation for strategy moving forward, and sorting things out.
We had 10 meetings throughout our time together, each one building on the one before it. Reviewing victories and discussing action steps from previous meetings, which helped us document progress as we went.
Budget
Every budget is different. That's what makes them so personal! Everyone thinks of money in different ways and has their own set of priorities, and goals.
We worked to set Rob's budget to not only meet his needs, but to ensure he was saving for things that were coming down the road, and helped level out his expenses.
Cash Flow
Since Rob runs his own small business on the side, we talked about ways to ensure that his business finances and personal finances were separated. We walked through what that looked like, the accounts to have set up, and how to manage his cash flow from the business into his personal accounts, and personal budget.
Within his personal budget, Rob not only stopped relying on his credit cards for everyday purchases, but he stopped using them all together. And during our last meeting, he was ready to cut them all up and be done with them forever!
He found freedom with his budget by controlling his own destiny. Rob started using cash for 12 budget categories!!!! There were some challenges with that as we worked together, but he did a great job of sticking with it until it became a habit.
By using cash, he now has tangible control of his money and is spending well within his means. After budgeting for 3 months consistently, Rob's monthly cash flow swung by over $600 per month. That's $7,200 per year he'll by putting toward debt.
He's working the plan we developed and on his way to being debt free in the next two years or SOONER! Sorting everything out and understanding the game plan was key for Rob to see the long-range plan, and helps him make daily decisions.
Big Accomplishments
- $1,000 starter emergency fund.
- Saved at least $600 in cash flow per month ($7,200 per year!)
- Separated business and personal expenses.
- Started using cash envelopes for 12 budget categories.
Taking control of your finances is more than just a one time look at the numbers. It's a process you must invest in. Taking the time up front to understand what's going on will set a foundation to build upon for the rest of your life. And nothing brings me greater joy than seeing the light bulb go on for Rob week after week as we worked together.
His main key to success was that he was willing to learn, and willing to make the necessary changes to achieve his goals.
Ready to Make Some Changes?
If you want to experience financial coaching and all it has to offer, I would love the opportunity to work with you. The typical process for coaching is this
- Free 30 minute consultation: Discussing your situation and finding a coaching package that serves you best.
- 2 Hour Session: One intensive session covering as much ground as we can and setting a game plan to meet your goals.
- 90 Days: Initial budget set up, and on-going meeting to develop strategy, break down habits with built-in accountability to ensure you stay on track.
- 6 Months: Extends the 90 day coaching format over a six month period.
- Accountability: For those that have gone through at least a one hour session. I offer on-going accountability programs to ensure you stay on track with your goals long-term.