Money Makeover Series: Introducing Our Four Participants

After a fun late-in-the-workday brainstorming session, Nicole and I started to think about how we are all battling something in our financial lives – and how we usually feel completely alone in this battle. But we’re not! At one point or another, we all face financial situations that we may never have expected – but we usually know that many others have dealt with that same problem. However, since it’s not always easy to talk about finance, we tend to keep to ourselves and end up missing out on valuable support and advice. That’s why we’ve decided to start the Money Makeover Series.

We’ve handpicked four fantastic girls to help them build a stronger future and help you see that you’re not alone in your struggles. I’m not a financial planner, but I work for a website that helps people automate and track their debt payoff and through this have learned a lot about personal finance. I’m going to use this experience to help each girl shape a new relationship with money and share each step of their journey with you. Don’t miss a second – you just might find a story that resonates with you!

Kayla: In Need of a Money Plan

Kayla is a young professional with years of writing and social media experience and is currently running the blog at Colorado PERA. While Kayla was lucky enough to graduate without student loan debt, she’s made a lot of changes in her personal and professional life and with these changes she needs to create a new money plan.

At this point, Kayla battles anxiety over unplanned purchases and wants to take steps to feel in control of her financial situation. Does this sound like something you’ve been through? Give her some words of encouragement on Twitter! Then, stay tuned to read about her:

Mimosa: Ready to Launch

Mimosa is a relatively new college graduate working for the Toronto Public Library Foundation. Now that she’s in the first year of her job, she’s in a position to start thinking about money in a way she never has before. Mimosa is working full-time while obtaining a masters degree, but she wants to close the chapter on school debt and prepare for future possibilities – like traveling abroad.

Previous to this, Mimosa was what she calls a budget “tweaker”.  Always with the best of intentions but not the best habits, she’s now ready to find a plan she can stick to. Are you a reformed budget tweaker? Send her a tweet to share your own methods for ending the madness. Then follow her:

Krystle: New to the Workforce

Krystle has struggled with unemployment after obtaining her master’s degree in a saturated job market in Illinois. When she and I first spoke, she was working as a temp to make ends meet. Now, just weeks later, (and after saying she was afraid she may never get that first professional job) she just landed her first job!

With this new beginning, Krystle is ready to change lives in her position as a substance abuse counselor for adolescents, all while getting her finances under control and moving out on her own. Are you new to the workforce yourself? Check in with Krystle on Twitter to send her words of encouragement and even ask her for advice as she goes. Then, stay tuned to read about her:

Pamela: Future Financial Leader

Pamela is a first generation college graduate who is ready to pave the way for her financial future – and help other women do the same! Pamela has a job in Chicago that requires a lot of physicality and was excited to beat out several men for the position (go girl power!). With this money makeover, she plans to use that same drive to eliminate debt. Stay tuned as she organizes her finances and tackles her debt one credit card at a time!

We couldn’t be more excited about this series and hope you enjoy it as well. And remember, this is about you too. So let us know if you have questions or advice to share in the comments below, and don’t forget to send these girls words of encouragement as they embark on this financial journey. Together, we can all help each other reach our financial goals!

Shannon Mcnay

Shannon McNay is the Community Outreach and Customer Support Manager at ReadyForZero, a website that helps people get out of debt faster on their own. Shannon loves to share her own experiences and tips she's learned along her own path to help people optimize their finances for a brighter future. You can follow Shannon on Twitter at @shannonmcnay.