My Story

Hi, friend! I’m Jaclyn, a math teacher by day and budgeting Jedi by night. I rock everything geek - I literally had braces twice, can solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute, and named our home Wi-Fi networks after Star Wars and Lord of the Rings icons.

But - in spite of my ultra-nerdiness and affinity for numbers - not too long ago, I was in your shoes. I couldn’t figure out my own money.

Six years after graduating college, I couldn’t believe that I was STILL living paycheck to paycheck. I thought that once I finally had a “real job,” money would be easy, but I was still so stressed about my finances.

That was four years ago, and I can still remember exactly how it felt.

I remember feeling so much anxiety when I would pull out my debit card to buy back-to-school (teacher) clothes on the same day as I’d buy my weekly groceries or even a cheap drive-thru meal. I remember almost sweating as I’d rush back home, log in to my online bank account, and make sure I had enough money to float my most recent purchases. This stressful experience seemed to happen almost any time I made a purchase outside of my “normal” weekly expenses.

I remember feeling so jealous of all my friends and family who posted pictures on Facebook of their recent world travels to Hawaii, Europe, and Disney World, and always wondering how they were affording it with their similar salaries.

I remember cringing when the 866 numbers would pop up on my phone to let me know I had missed another payment. I remember feeling so overwhelmed by the late fees and interest charges piling up on my accounts.

I remember feeling like I was never getting ahead, and not even knowing what “ahead” meant. I mean, I literally was afraid to check my bank balance. I felt like someone who had returned home from vacation and was scared to peek at the number on the scale after binge-eating all week. Except it wasn’t vacation, I hadn’t just enjoyed a bunch of food, and it was an almost weekly occurrence for me!

I had to figure out my finances. And I didn’t know how.

My dad had tried to teach me how to balance my checking account back in high school, but his process was so tedious and frustrating. I would see him sit down every month and spend ALL DAY reconciling his bank statement. He would fill up the dining room table with his stacks of receipts, checkbook register, calculator, and page after page of a yellow legal pad filled with notes. While we’d be trying to enjoy our Saturday, he’d be spending hours just sitting at the table, crunching numbers. It seemed so stressful! If that’s what I would have to do to manage my money responsibly, forget it! That didn’t seem worth it.

When my husband John and I got married we had big dreams...

Owning a home large enough to support our future family and frequently entertain our friends.
Buying a more reliable car for my husband’s commute.
Seeing the world by traveling on multiple vacations each year.

BUT even though we had a decent salary we…

Didn’t have the money for any of that in our bank account.
Were stuck at a negative net worth. (Although we didn’t even know what “net worth” means!)
Carried balances on multiple credit cards and student loans.
Felt so in the dark about where to even START with managing our money and no hope in sight.

We thank God daily that we met someone who changed all of that for us. By investing in financial coaching and courses, implementing changes in our money management, and consistently taking small steps until they became money-saving habits, we have made so much progress in four years. I’m so proud of all that we’ve accomplished financially and emotionally, all while enjoying our money too. We’ve traveled to Jamaica, the Bahamas, Iceland, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Disney World & Universal Studios 4x, Boston, DC multiple times, NYC multiple times, Chicago, Louisville, and most recently… HAWAII!

And to think at one point, I didn’t believe most of those dreams were actually possible for us. Not only were they possible - they weren’t even that far out of reach! It really just took the right kind of training to show us how to handle our finances and a commitment to the new habits we formed. It wasn’t always easy to stay disciplined, and we were by no means perfect. But by implementing sound money strategies, we were able to turn our financial situation around while still enjoying our lives in the process. And I want to pay it forward so that you can experience that too! Financial freedom is possible for you!

Here’s the main thing I want you to know: It’s not your fault that you don’t know how to budget. Or that you have trouble sticking to one. We weren’t taught this in school, and our parents might not have known a great way of handling money either. Plus, I 100% believe that the traditional budgeting method doesn’t work for most people because it’s not designed for most people; it’s designed for corporations. There’s NO way over 80% of us have trouble sticking to a budget: it’s that the traditional budgeting system is broken and in need of an overhaul. My method is simple, straight forward, and naturally fits in the ebbs and flows of life. And it will help you fast track your way to the life you’ve been wanting to create with your finances.

Imagine for a minute! How would it feel to…

Stop feeling like you’re living paycheck to paycheck?
Have extra money in your bank account?
Know exactly what to do with your money based on your specific numbers?
Make that final payment on the debt that’s been weighing on you?
Set clearly defined goals for your finances?
Constantly make progress toward those goals without random expenses stalling you or causing setbacks?
Make major purchases the smart way?
Stop spending money on things that don’t really matter to you and start putting your money toward what you value most?
Be as generous as you want to be to the causes and people that matter to you?
Have money saved up for all the irregular expenses that pop up from time to time?
Stay afloat through emergency situations and minimize the stress emergencies cause?
Take vacations on a regular, consistent basis?
Stop the stress you’re experiencing in your life and relationships because of money?
Finally have an organized system and a simple plan to follow?

All of this can be possible for you too! It doesn’t take a career change or hitting the lottery. My husband and I have very normal jobs (math teacher and service engineer) with average salaries for degreed positions in the country. We aren’t millionaires, and I won’t be teaching you some get-rich-quick scheme. (Sorry! Wish I could.) Everything I teach can help you reach your financial goals with money you’re already making. And if you’re not sure what sorts of goals you might want or need to have? I can help you decide that too!

I’m not going to sugar coat this, though. Making these changes at first takes an investment in your time and energy - and for most people, that’s not easy. But by pursuing financial coaching with me, we can fast track the process, get you completely organized within a month of working together with most of the “kinks” worked out, have you living with a budget that actually aligns with your values and dreams, and (I know this might be hard to believe) actually sticking to that budget! Before you know it, you’ll be more engaged with your financial health, actively pursuing goals that matter to you, crossing those goals off your list faster than ever, and excited about what you’ll tackle next!

So what are you waiting for?

Click here to get in touch today to find out how financial coaching can help you escape your money stress and step into the freedom you’ve dreamed of having.