Where I Started With Money After My Hardest Season — A Gentle Guide for Starting Fresh / 003

There’s a moment in every woman’s financial journey when she realizes something has to change… but she has no idea where to begin.

If you’re in that place right now — exhausted, overwhelmed, afraid to open a bill, carrying the weight of everything you’ve been through — please hear this:

Starting fresh doesn’t require perfection.
It only requires honesty… and kindness toward yourself.

When I walked through the hardest season of my life — a mix of heartbreak, financial collapse, single-mom survival mode, and deep emotional exhaustion — I didn’t begin with a budget, a spreadsheet, or a “10-step system.”

I began with something much smaller.
Something gentler.
Something I could actually do in the middle of my mess.

Today, I want to share exactly where I started…
and how you can take that same beginning step — without shame or overwhelm.

✨ The Moment I Knew I Had to Start Over

My “rock bottom” didn’t look dramatic.
It was quiet.
It was the moment I realized I was living in constant fear of my finances.

Fear to check my bank account.
Fear to open the mailbox.
Fear that one more unexpected expense would break me.

And underneath that fear was a silent belief:

“I should be further along than this.”

But the truth is, I was carrying more than anyone knew.
I had gone through painful changes, deep loss, major transitions…
and I was doing the best I could.

If you’re here, you might be doing the same.

So let me tell you exactly where I started — the first gentle, shame-free step that helped me breathe again.

Step 1 — I Told Myself the Truth (Kindly)

Before numbers, before plans, before anything else…
I had to acknowledge the truth of where I was.

Not with judgment.
Not with comparison.
Not with shame.

Just honesty.

I whispered to myself:

“This is where I am.
This is not where I’m staying.”

That sentence released so much pressure.
It gave me permission to begin.

You don’t have to solve everything today.
You just have to decide you’re worthy of clarity.

Step 2 — I Looked at My “Now Numbers”

Not a budget.
Not a long-term plan.
Just my now numbers — the three numbers that tell the truth of your current moment:

1. what’s coming in

2. what’s going out

3. what’s left (or missing)

Facing these numbers wasn’t as painful as fearing them.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt relief.
I knew exactly where I stood — and that meant I could finally move forward.

Step 3 — I Gave Every Dollar a “Job” (Nothing Fancy)

I didn’t build a full budget.
I didn’t use an app.
I didn’t follow a complicated method.

I opened a simple notebook and wrote:

• groceries

• bills

• gas

• essentials

• minimum payments

• one category for “future me” (even if it was $5)

Then I assigned what I could.

No perfection.
Just intention.

Giving my money a job helped me feel in control again — even when my income was unpredictable or tight.

You don’t need a full plan to begin.
You just need direction.

Step 4 — I Chose One “Stabilizer” Habit

This was the step that changed everything.

My stabilizer was a 10-minute weekly money check-in.

Every Sunday evening I:

• looked at my bank balance

• reviewed what had come in/out

• made one small decision for the week ahead

Even in the hardest times, that simple ritual grounded me.

Choose one habit that feels doable:

• weekly check-in

• a daily glance at your balance

• writing down expenses for one week

• organizing your bills

• reviewing upcoming expenses

One habit is enough to create momentum.

Step 5 — I Let Go of the Shame

This was the hardest part — and the most transformative.

Shame keeps you stuck.
Clarity sets you free.

My financial situation wasn’t a reflection of failure.
It reflected:

• transition

• heartbreak

• survival

• responsibility

• exhaustion

• growth

Maybe yours does too.

When I finally softened toward myself, everything changed.
Because grace creates courage.

✨ You Can Start Fresh Right Where You Are

You don’t need stability to begin.
You don’t need everything figured out.
You don’t need a perfect plan.

You just need a starting point that feels gentle and doable.

If you’re ready for clarity — the kind that brings peace, not pressure — I made something for you:

👉🏻 Download the Financial Clarity Roadmap

It walks you through the exact steps I took to go from overwhelmed and afraid…
to organized, confident, and calm.

This is your time to start again — not with shame, but with hope.
Not with fear, but with clarity.
Not alone, but supported.

You’re not behind.
You’re beginning.