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Takeaways From Our Project Money Season 15 Teams

March 5, 2024 Whew – what a journey! has officially come to a close, and these four teams have been impressive. And they’re leaving this program with less debt, more savings and a positive mindset about their financial future. Throughout the course of all 15 Project Money seasons, participants have reduced debt by nearly $611,000 and saved over $649,000! And they’ve done it through seven months of dedication, working with their Summit Financial Coaches and discovering new ways to take financial control. This year’s participants are sharing their top insights and “aha” moments below. Check them out – you just might get inspired to make a financial change for yourself!

DRUMROLL PLEASE…OUR WINNER IS HANNAH!

Let’s hear it for , who’s taking home the title of Project Money Season 15 Winner – and a $10,000 grand prize. Raising her four godchildren plus working extra hours, Hannah lives an extremely busy life, and applied for the program hoping to be able to take a more proactive approach to money. By cutting back on impulse buys and limiting her credit card usage, Hannah was able to boost her savings and her credit score. We’re celebrating right along with you, Hannah! Her top insights:
  1. Create a separate savings account and routinely put a certain amount of money into it, even if it’s a small amount, to reach a set goal.
  2. Take advantage of interest rates, whether it’s low loan rates to help out your budget or higher savings rates to make the most of your money.
  3. Invest in yourself.
Her “aha” moment: “I started seeing how much money I had left between pay periods instead of scraping by because I was carelessly spending. I also started a new account with $0 in it, and I have been able to watch that grow.”

KELLY & TRAVIS

Throughout their seven months of Project Money, learned that successful money management really is a team sport. They used to operate as individuals, but now they’re a well-oiled machine, making smart financial decisions to help support their daughter’s college education and save more while Travis is on the road for work. With the help of their Summit Financial Coach, they made real change by consolidating debt and increasing their credit scores significantly. The sky’s the limit, Kelly and Travis! Their top insights:
  1. You don’t have to face your finances alone.
  2. Meet with a professional – they have the training, resources and experience to help you with your financial situation.
  3. Take small steps to improve, which will help you develop new habits over time.
Their “aha” moment: “When we saw both our credit scores go up so many points after consolidating debt, it made us realize how quickly we could improve our financial situation. It made us want to work even harder to reduce debt.”

STEPH

One word to describe : passionate. She entered Project Money feeling ready to soak up every bit of knowledge from her Summit Financial Coach, in hopes of gaining back her financial security and being able to purchase more income properties. Thanks to her driven nature and crafty ability to pick up new skills, Steph successfully paid off four credit cards and one personal loan and saved thousands of dollars. Keep crushing it, Steph! Her top insights:
  1. Use Summit’s Climbr® app consistently to see spending in real time and stick to a budget.
  2. Use a calculator! I spent a lot of time using my calculator at the grocery store or creating a budget every time I got paid. When money was super tight, I found myself really paying attention to wants vs. needs.
  3. Try a checkbook app – I found one that helps me track how much is in my checking account after I pay all my bills on payday.
Her “aha” moment: “I created a spreadsheet of my expenses. I was struggling to understand how someone like me, who makes a decent living, was struggling financially. That spreadsheet was very apparent – I was clearly overspending. It was then that I realized I was in trouble if I didn’t change.”

DIANA & GREG

With dreams of having more money for what truly matters, like days on the lake and spending more time with family, entered Project Money ready to cut down debt and get unnecessary spending in check. After developing a strong, trusting relationship with their Summit Financial Coach, Diana and Greg were able to develop habits that helped them budget better and spend smarter. The future looks bright, you two! Their top insights:
  1. Trust the process and the tools you have – like Summit’s Climbr® .
  2. Keep track of your progress.
  3. Talk regularly about your spending and needs vs. wants – we actually made a game out of how much we can put in our savings!
Their “aha” moment: “The Summit team did a deep dive into the mortgage company we were using and discovered how much we were spending on interest and NOT on principal. Even though our interest rate was fairly low, we were gaining NOTHING! After looking at some options, our coach, James, and his team helped us eliminate a TON of debt and made our monthly payments really low!” You might also be interested in Whew – what a journey! has officially come to a close, and these four teams have been impressive. And they’re leaving this program with less debt, mo Financial success isn’t how much money you have — it’s feeling good about what you’re doing with the money you have. How can we help you avoid difficult money situations and put you in the best financial position for success? This question is at the heart of so many things we do here as your financial partner – including our decision to eliminate the non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee as of April 1. Are you struggling to come up with the perfect New Year’s resolution? Here are three great reasons why focusing on your finances should be a priority this year! It’s not every day that someone gives you hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of dollars for (seemingly) no reason. That’s what makes getting a tax return so exciting. So before that much-anticipated check arrives, stop and consider what you should do with your tax refund, as well as what you want to do. Simple, everyday choices can reduce consumption and our impact on the environment. Learn ways to be more eco-friendly…and your spending at the same time! Sometimes having a little extra cash is the only thing between you and your dreams. Check out these financial tips to be smart about borrowing money and avoid common mistakes. With a little planning, you may be able to actually save a little money during the holidays. Check out these tips to keep costs down without missing out on the holiday fun. Your home is your castle, your refuge and—let’s face it—a place where it can be very easy to sink a big chunk of money. Which is why you’re always on the lookout for “sweet spots”:  those home improvements that add comfort, safety or a little zing of style while you’re living in your house and will boost the asking price when it’s time to sell. And if you can find a way to save money on those improvements or cut home expenses at the same time, well that sweet spot just got a little sweeter! Featured Products Certificates Checking Accounts Home Equity Loans Home Loans Business Banking Certificates Checking Accounts Home Equity Loans Home Loans Business Banking Financial Education Upcoming Events Programs Tools & Calculators On-demand Webinars Podcasts Upcoming Events Programs Tools & Calculators On-demand Webinars Podcasts About Equity in Money™ About Summit Careers News Community Giving Equity in Money™ About Summit Careers News Community Giving Help & Support Contact Us Member Support Center Schedule an Appointment Find a Branch Contact Us Member Support Center Schedule an Appointment Find a Branch Please read the following before proceeding to: The website you are about to visit is solely the responsibility of the merchant or other party providing the site. The content of this third-party site, including materials and information, is solely the responsibility of the provider of the site. The Credit Union is not responsible for any such third-party content. Any transactions that you enter into with a vendor, merchant or other party that you access through this third-party site are solely between you and that vendor, merchant or other party. The Credit Union does not endorse the content contained in this third-party site, nor the organization publishing the site, and hereby disclaims any responsibility for such content. The Credit Union Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party site, and for further information you should consult the privacy disclosures of the third-party site. NCUA Insurance Estimator Privacy, Security & Accessibility Rates, Fees, Terms & Disclosures Routing Number *  The Wisconsin's #1 Mortgage Lender designation is based on the number of loans in 2022, gathered from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data compiled annually by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The results of the data were obtained through the LEI: 254900NTAC4H10MGSU23 **  SBA Lender of the Year Award for Credit Unions as awarded by the Small Business Administration of Wisconsin in 2023. Copyright 2024 © Summit Credit Union. All rights reserved. If you are using a screen reader and are having problems using this website, please call 608-243-5000 for assistance. Insured by NCUA