Join our participants as they reduce debt and increase savings with the help of Summit financial coaches.
Join our participants as they reduce debt and increase savings with the help of Summit financial coaches.
Meet the season 15 Teams
Hannah
Let’s hear it for Hannah, 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.”
Hannah's Journey
Follow along to see their progress.
Diana & Greg
With dreams of having more money for what truly matters, like days on the lake and spending more time with family, Diana and Greg 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:
- Trust the process and the tools you have – like Summit’s Climbr®.
- Keep track of your progress.
- 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!”
Diana and Greg's Journey
Follow along to see their progress.
Our coaches, James, Paula and Ed, at the Beaver Dam Summit location did just that – recognized the need for a plan and to act. Along our Project Money journey, we’ve had some health challenges. Greg has been in and out of the hospital with stress tests and other issues, which has kept us rather busy. With the help of our coaches and the plan they had in place, we had only one option – to stay focused.
Kelly & Travis
Throughout their seven months of Project Money, Kelly and Travis 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:
- You don’t have to face your finances alone.
- Meet with a professional – they have the training, resources and experience to help you with your financial situation.
- 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.”
Kelly and Travis' Journey
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It is the last day of 2023, which is a perfect time to reflect upon our Project Money journey. Seven short months ago we found out that we had been accepted into the program and were given the instructions of how to proceed. Thankfully, we were paired with Jess, our amazing project coach, and she never judged us and let us know right away that it was okay not to be perfect. We didn’t realize just how messy our life was because we had been too busy with the business of living. At our first meeting with Jess, she got to know us a bit and it became apparent to her that:
Steph
One word to describe Steph: 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:
- Use Summit’s Climbr® app consistently to see spending in real time and stick to a budget.
- 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.
- 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.”
Steph's Journey
Follow along to see their progress.