Another exciting season of Project Money has come to an end – but it’s just the beginning of a healthier, new relationship with money for our four teams! Over the last seven months of working with a Summit Financial Coach, they’ve made huge strides in growing their savings and reducing their debt. They’re taking everything they’ve learned and their new financial confidence to keep their success on a roll! But first they’re sharing their tips and insights to help all of you win in your finances, too.
And the winner is...Robin & Evan!
Congratulations, Robin and Evan, on winning Season 14 of Project Money and the $10,000 grand prize! This experience helped them identify monthly expenses and create a solid household budget for the first time, which now guides their family’s money decisions and provides a holistic look at their finances. Having “all the pieces” and working with their Summit coach showed them where and how to make the most of their money, plus the importance of adapting those strategies as life happens. They’re excited to keep saving for retirement and their kids’ education and to invest in property they plan to live in when they retire. Way to go, Robin & Evan!
Their advice for taking control of your finances:
- Use Summit’s Climbr® tool to understand where your money’s going, set a budget and hold yourself accountable.
- Set regular family “financial check-ins” to make sure everyone’s working toward the same goals.
- Instead of a “set-it-and-forget-it” mindset, keep reviewing and updating what you’re doing with your money.
Total Savings Increase: $48,896
Total Debt Reduction: $7,971
Megan & Dom
Megan’s and Dom’s goals for Project Money? Improving their credit score, cutting back credit card use and overall debt, saving more and buying their first home – and they did it all! Working with their Summit coach led to a whole new way of seeing money, where saving and following a budget (like the one they post in their living room) will forever trump unnecessary purchases. They finally feel financially secure, and with their new money confidence and skills, they plan to pay off personal loan and credit card debt this year and keep saving – a bigger house is the goal when their oldest son gets to high school. Congrats on your first home and keep up the great work, Megan and Dom!
Their advice for taking control of your finances:
- Make big purchases only with money from savings! You’re most likely to say “no” to purchases if you can’t just charge it to a card.
- Put money in a high-yield savings that will maximize your wealth (and that you can’t easily draw from).
- Make money and credit work FOR you, not AGAINST you – we learned how from Summit.
Total Savings Increase: $12,286
Maiya
Maiya can already tell her financial approach to 2023 is totally different than 2022. Before Project Money, she felt overwhelmed by finances and money decisions and wrestled with impulse spending. But now she’s eagerly planning this year’s goals and knows she has the problem-solving skills and tools to achieve them! With every strategy she learned and every goal she reached (even small ones), her money habits and financial confidence gained momentum. That led to paying off her private student loan and car, and now she’s allocating those funds to save for a big down payment on a home for her and her pups. Yes, Maiya, your momentum’s still going strong!
Her advice for taking control of your finances:
- Take a day to think over potential “impulse” purchases. If you’re waffling on a decision, you don’t need it.
- Automate everything – your savings, paying your bills, etc.
- Start with one small financial change and see where it takes you! It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Total Savings Increase: $7,629
Total Debt Reduction: $10,484
Krystal & Alisa
Padding their wedding and travel funds were priorities for Krystal and Alisa when they started Project Money, but they also wanted to feel relief from less debt and credit use. They stayed open-minded to new strategies and found a healthier relationship with money through a multi-prong approach: Routine budgeting (and talking openly about money), monitoring their spending with a budget tracker and paying themselves with each paycheck. In growing their savings, they were able to explore higher-yield options and maximize that savings while wedding planning. Cheers to the future newlyweds and your amazing progress, Krystal and Alisa!
Their advice for taking control of your finances:
- Every time you get a paycheck, pay yourself first by allocating money toward savings.
- Even if you can’t put away a lot of money, start small to create a savings routine that makes it add up over time.
- It’s never too late to start – whether you want to build healthier habits, save more, get free of debt or just learn about financial success.
Total Debt Reduction: $2,313
