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Jodi Smith
My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for Career day and said he was a big roas man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laugh at me to this day.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Not everyone gets B2B, but with LinkedIn you'll be able to reach people who do. Get a hundred dollar credit on your next ad campaign. Go to LinkedIn.com results to claim your credit. That's LinkedIn.com results. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn the place to Be To Be have you ever experienced a dry, itchy scalp? Or like me, wondered why your hair color isn't lasting as long as your hairdresser promised? Well, unfiltered mineral filled water could be the reason why. Water is in fact a leading cause of damaged hair and dry, irritated skin. And about 85% of the United States uses hard water filled with dissolved minerals and added chlorine. That's why we installed Canopy's filtered shower head in our home. Canopy, known for their beauty hacks and reimagined humidifier, has revolutionized the filtered shower head space with not one filtered shower head, but a handheld version as well. Dermatologists recommended this unique three stage filtration system greatly reduces contaminants and odors in your shower water, leaving you with healthier hair and glowing skin. The Canopy's filtered shower heads are hassle free, installation is a breeze, and its unique filter replacement feature allows for seamless filter changes. Go to GetCanopy Co to save $25 on your Canopy filtered showerhead purchase today with Canopy's hassle filter subscription. And while you're there, use the code so money at checkout to save an additional 10% off your canopy purchase. Hurry. Your hair and skin will thank you. So money episode 1760 how to crush $50,000 in debt while saving for your future. You're listening to so Money with award winning money guru Farnoosh Tarabi.
Jodi Smith
Each day get a 30 minute dose.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Of financial inspiration from the world's top business minds, authors, influencers and from Farnoosh yourself. Looking for ways to save gas or double your double coupons. Sorry, you're in the wrong place. Seeking profound ways to live a richer, happier life.
Jodi Smith
Welcome to so money. You know, I always say, and even in my blog posts, I always say that you can. You can be as frugal as you can. I mean frugality. You can. You can save and save and do all that you need to do. But if you don't have extra money to really fund your Financial future. It's going to be very hard.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Welcome to so Money, everybody. I'm Farnoosh Turabi. It is a bit of a full circle moment for me today on this show. I'm thrilled to welcome Jodi Smith, the creator of the blog Abundance of Jo and a rising star in the personal finance world. But before Jody became a go to resource for money advice, she was like a lot of you, Googling personal finance help and landing on so money. Jody's journey is nothing short of inspiring. She moved from Jamaica, her homeland, to Canada for her MBA, taking on and paying off $50,000 in debt in six years to creating a financial plan that balances debt repayment, saving, investing, and even treating herself. She has been methodical and intentional every step of the way. And along the way, Jody has turned her personal financial wins into a platform to help others. In our discussion, Jody shares how she found motivation through so Money nearly a decade ago, the strategies she used climb out of debt while building wealth, and how her blog is empowering others around the world to live their best financial lives. We also dive into her philosophy on making money negotiation and why compassion is a key to personal finance education. It was an honor to connect with Jodi and I can't wait for you to hear this story. Let's get into it. Jodi Smith, welcome to so money. Can you believe it?
Jodi Smith
I'm very excited, Very, very excited to be here.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Yeah, you're excited? I'm honored. You know, folks, this is what Google can do. The power of Google and the power of having a podcast. But you. Well, let's talk about how you got to know me through your own journey. I know that you at one point in your life became very vigilant about learning about money, educating yourself, getting out of debt, and take me back to those early days because now, of course, a different story and we're going to talk about your successes, but I like to get into the. To the weeds a little and talk about the olden days and where we all started. What was a good story there?
Jodi Smith
Yes, absolutely. And you know it. I'm glad that we're going back to the olden days because it really does feel like that. So a few years ago, a little bit of a backstory on me. I'm actually from Jamaica. You probably pick up the accent. And a few years ago I decided to go back to school and do a master's in business. So I wanted to do an MBA and I decided to study in Canada. So I wanted to get an international education and I Moved up north to Vancouver to do my studies there. Now, in order to embark on this journey, I needed to get some financial aid. I had savings from before, but I needed some help to basically help to pay for my education. And I took out a student loan. Now, the student loan was very helpful. It allowed me to do my studies and get through school. And when I finished, I quickly realized that I needed a way out. I needed a way to pay off this debt. I needed a plan to make it through and get this debt out of my way for a very. I wanted to get out of the way because I wanted to focus on other things in my finances. I wanted to buy a house. I wanted to do other things. And this debt was such a tough. It was very hard to look at the debt every single month. And I took out about $50,000 in loans. And that's a lot of money when you're very young. And at this point, I was in my 20s, and I also realized that I really didn't know how to manage money. So I learned a lot about managing, you know, business and managing, you know, people and all of that, but I didn't really learn how to manage my own personal finances. And the MBA offered that information, but it also didn't go in depth in how you can really build out a financial plan for your future. So I said, okay, I'm young, I have this debt, and I really need to become more financially savvy. So I went on Google, as you mentioned, and I Googled personal finance information. Believe it or not, you were the first one.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Fun fact, I don't pay a nickel for SEO. I just think when you don't give up and you're on the Internet for at least 10 years. Yes, consistently. 15, maybe at this point, 20, actually, my whole career. It, you know, longevity is the best SEO, I guess.
Jodi Smith
Absolutely, absolutely. So you came up. So money, and it was a podcast. And I said, oh, my God, this looks fantastic. And I started to listen to your podcast. And this is at least, I would say, nine years ago. So it's been a long time.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Infancy. We're now almost at year 10.
Jodi Smith
Exactly. So exactly in its infancy. Exactly. And I started listening, and I was just blown away by the information. And you had people from different areas talking about different things. So investing, budgeting, I listened to. There are so many folks that I've now been following because I found them on your podcast, that they've literally changed my life. So the budget Nista, for example, I love her. She's fantastic. People like Kathy Heller, she's also amazing. She's also helped me chart my course in my life. So I started listening and I started to put together a plan to pay off this debt. There were quite a few podcast episodes where you talked about how to manage debt and even things. Do you manage debt by paying off the debt and just putting all your savings towards it, or do you actually just focus on saving money and then just servicing the debt? So things like that. So based on listening to the podcast and just really taking a leap, I decided to come up with a plan. And my plan was very simple. The plan was, while you're working, save as much as you can, but also make extra payments towards the debt. So I did that for a few years. And I will say I'm not one of those people who paid off my, all my debt in two years. It took me a while. It took me a while because I had to save, I had to learn, I had to also just manage my overall expenses. But I followed that trajectory for a few years and within about six years I was able to pay off all of my debts. So not only my student loan, but also my car loan. So now I'm debt free. And it all came back to listening to the podcast and actually taking that information and making it practical and applying it to my life.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Well, I'm going to give you all of the credit. I think even your dedication to listening to a podcast is something I'm going to give you all the credit because slow and steady, you, that's a, that's a long term commitment. Six years is not a short period of time. How did it feel when you had a zero balance? What did you do? Did you celebrate?
Jodi Smith
Oh, when I went, okay, when that, when that time came and I had a month where I did not have my student loan payment come in. So every month they send you the statement and I take a look at it and I get depressed. When that month came in and there was no debt, I think I almost cried because I was so accustomed to seeing that statement and believing that I would never be able to pay it off. And by the way, I paid off this loan four years early than intended. So it was supposed to be a 10 year debt I paid off in six years. So I was able to save interest by doing that. So when that happened, I was proud of myself. I was also, it was also very joyful to know that I really stuck to my plan. It was tough. These were tough years. Lots of sacrifice.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Tell me about the sacrifices. What were the trade offs? But first Were you able to do other things with your money to build wealth? Like were you able to invest? Were you able to create a rainy day savings? And that's maybe why it took six years, right? Because you were trying to do a little bit of everything.
Jodi Smith
Yes, yes. So here's the thing. So that's why it took me so long, because I had a plan. I have this belief when you're working, and especially when you're young, if possible, always try to save. Saving money is crucial. It's important. So I spend time servicing my emergency fund and you know, typically we say three to six months of your expenses. Right. I focused on doing that. So every single year I would ensure that I'm putting extra money towards the emergency fund. So I set up a separate emergency fund account and I save and I'm still doing that even to this day. I put money towards that. Now at the same time I also made extra payments, maybe about 200 extra on my student loan. And then so that was being serviced. And then at the same time I was also servicing my 401k, so ensuring that I'm saving for retirement. Because eventually you have to have a plan because you know, we won't, we won't be working all the time. So I wanted to have a plan in place to ensure that I have some retirement savings. So I was servicing my retirement. Typically when I get any windfalls, I would kind of make a split. Some of it would go to the retirement account and then the other amount would go to the student loan. Right. And then on a monthly basis I put towards about maybe I would say 5% of my income goes towards my emergency fund. And then I would put a little bit of money towards my fun account so I can at least do something fun. Go out to eat with friends or even travel if necessary. Right. So that was how I was able to basically build a fund full financial plan that allowed me to pay. Exactly. To pay off my debt, but also save money for a rainy day and save for the future. So that was my strategy. So it took a while, but at the end of the day I can look back now, even though I've paid off my debt, but I still have some money because I was saving over the years.
Farnoosh Tarabi
And those hard moments were like, what did you say no to a lot of things or did you know?
Jodi Smith
Yeah, so the hard moments, I always wanted to get really nice handbags and stuff like that.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Now that you have the capacity to buy handbags, do you want them as much?
Jodi Smith
No. See, no interest.
Farnoosh Tarabi
I'm Sort of leading you down the. No, But I do think that when you and I know, because I experienced this when I had not enough for the L, you know, the wants, I wanted more. Like, I wanted stupid things. I think for me that once I started to make more money and have this, you know, my student loans were out of the picture, my credit cards were out. I was like, I don't know actually know if that's what I want to do with my money first. As it turns out, it's interesting how you change your mind on things. You mentioned also part of your strategy was to earn more. Tell us a little bit about your job and how you were maybe earning and earning more in some cases.
Jodi Smith
Okay, awesome. So the biggest step I took towards earning more was actually going back to school. So my first degree was in communications and public relations and I wanted to round out my skills. So I decided to go back to school and get a business degree to kind of help me develop business skills. So with that, when I was finished with school, I was able to parlay that and move into the retail industry and basically work in E commerce and merchandising. And with that, I've been able to move up in my company right now and develop skills along the way while also earning more money. So the biggest step I took towards earning more was just going back to school, to be honest, and while I'm in school, just gaining new skills. Right.
Farnoosh Tarabi
So did you take on more debt or was that part of the 50,000 that you initially had?
Jodi Smith
That's the 50,000. That's the same 50,000. That's basically it. Yep.
Farnoosh Tarabi
And were you living in Canada this whole time?
Jodi Smith
Yes. So I was living in Vancouver, and I then eventually moved to Toronto where I worked. And this entire time I've been paying off the debt, and that's how I've been able to go through this whole journey while going through the debt payment, but also saving for the future and making sacrifices.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Imagine if you were living in the States and you had to pay for your own health insurance. Now, I know you get taxed differently in Canada, but how do you like living there?
Jodi Smith
It's beautiful. It's a fantastic country. I love it. It's very cold, as you know. It's very, very cold. But it's just a very. I feel the people here are very nice and friendly, and it's just a great place where you can build community. And that's what I miss most. Yeah.
Farnoosh Tarabi
I must ask you, as I have talked to many immigrants on this podcast by now, And a lot of them will say that there is also a pull to. A financial pull to support family back home. Did you have that on your plate?
Jodi Smith
Not as much, I would say. A lot of my family live here in Canada, and I also have family who live in the States. So it was more of. I would almost say that at some point they would probably support me while I was in school, but it was more of just focusing on, you know, improving my career and building wealth for the future. So that's pretty much how it is. And also to give back eventually. My plan is to give back to my country and to develop some form of. And I'm just throwing this out there because that's one of my plans. I want to start a scholarship fund back home in Jamaica to help people go to school and get an education. And eventually, in my plan, I want to definitely give back because I feel like if I've been able to make this step and to be able to work towards my dreams, I want someone else to come after me and do the right thing as well and be on this track as well.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Create a legacy.
Jodi Smith
Create a legacy. That's right.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Well, in the meantime, you're doing quite the work of helping people, and that is through abundance of Joe, your website. Tell us about how this came to be and how it's going.
Jodi Smith
Awesome. So I've always wanted to start a blog.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Remember blogs? I keep telling people, start a blog, it's 2024. We'll be in 2025 soon. And they're like, blog. I said, yeah, what's old is new again.
Jodi Smith
Oh, yes, do it. Having your own website is a different beast. I will say, definitely do it. So I've always wanted to start a blog. And while I was developing my personal finance education and learning about investing and the different types of investment accounts and learning about paying off that, I felt so empowered. And I said, oh, my God. I. If I am in this position where I didn't have sufficient personal finance education because this is not taught in schools, I'm sure that there are so many other people like me who need this information, so many other people who can benefit from this. So I said, okay, I've always wanted to start a blog. I'll just start a personal finance blog. And what this does is it helps me to teach the information that I've learned over the years, and it also helps me to share with people. So share the different insights that I have and just share the information and share the resources that are out there and that's available. So I started a blog in 2021 and so far it's been growing and I've been able to educate people from across across the world. And I talk about different things. I talk about how to manage debt, talk about how to save for an emergency funds, how to save for a house, how to, you know, manage your retirement account. It's just a wide. I focus on different topics because I want to cover your full financial journey and ensure that you have a good financial plan for the future. So that's what I started. And I post on social media and on Instagram and TikTok because I want many people to have access to information that's easy to digest. Information, information that's easy to read, easy to understand, and most importantly, information that has compassion. Sometimes I find personal finance education can be a bit tough and rough and you may feel bad about yourself. But I feel like we can definitely educate people, but educate them in a way where they're empowered and they feel like they can do it and they can really build a solid financial plan for the future.
Farnoosh Tarabi
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Jodi Smith
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Farnoosh Tarabi
And celebration this holiday season. I love that one of your top your sort of verticals within your blog is making money.
Jodi Smith
Yes.
Farnoosh Tarabi
You know how hard I've tried to get traditional websites that cover money to have a section called how to earn or how to make money. Because we seem to forget that that's such that's the first thing. Right. It's like how much you make sometimes you don't have a spending problem. You have a what you earn problem.
Jodi Smith
Yeah.
Farnoosh Tarabi
And you know, beyond even just like taking on side hustles. But how to negotiate how to create ownership in what you do and how to leverage your assets and your skills and more entrepreneurially even if you do still have a 9 to 5. That's my honestly, that's I think that's my favorite topic in this world of personal finance. What's your what seems to be like the topic that either you keep going back to because that's what your audience is requesting, or you're just as you know who you are. It's sort of what you love to write about most.
Jodi Smith
I would say there are two things. One, saving money and the second one that I find that, and that's based on my analytics, the second one is basically how to make extra money. So those are the two things that I find that people resonate towards. So saving money. I find that a lot of people, they have the will, but it's just hard for them to make that, that move. And I focus a lot on giving practical advice like here's how you actually save money. You go to the bank and you open a high interest savings account and that's what you need to do and then you automate your savings. So I focus on the practical things. That's one of my favorite things because I feel like when once you're able to make that step and you automate and you commit to it, you really can make a difference. Right. So that's the biggest one. And then the second piece as well is the whole piece around earning extra money. You know, I always say, and even on my blog posts I always say that you can be as frugal as you can. I mean frugality, you can save and save and do all that you need to do. But if you don't have extra money to really fund your financial future, it's going to be very hard. So you have to focus on earning more money. And it can come in different ways. You can start a business. So many of us have talents and skills that we can harness to build out a good business that people can benefit from. And you'd be surprised that people will pay you for, for the talents that you have. Focus on that, build out the talent. And don't I you sometimes people say, oh God, I don't know, I don't have any talents. Nobody's gonna do anything or if even if I put anything out there, nobody's gonna buy. You don't know know unless you try. Right? So I focus on outlining the different things that you can do to earn money and build out a business. Maybe you start as a side hustle and then it eventually becomes something that you do full time. I love to focus on that and people gravitate towards it, especially in the time that we're living in with inflation and cost of living is so high. So people focus on that. One of my favorite topics as well, especially for people who are in a 9 to 5 and you're in corporate America, is negotiation. I find especially women, a lot of people do not negotiate and they leave money on the table. And I focus a lot on teaching people on how to ask. No, the thing is, it's not even how to ask. The very fact that you should ask when you're an offer, you should ask, is it appropriate? Yes.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Yes.
Jodi Smith
Yes. Is it appropriate? No. They might rescind the offer. But then why would they. They want you. Right. So I focus on that and giving practical skills that they can apply, like the best, you know, asking questions or pausing during a negotiation. Simple things that people can do so that they can earn extra money and live the life that they need to live.
Farnoosh Tarabi
So I want to ask you a personal question. What do you want your wealth to afford you, let's say five years from now? You're a planner, I can tell. And you're very methodical and intentional with your money. Have you thought about sort of your vision board, you know, in the future, in the semi soon future, and what it will feel like to be that person and how you've afforded it with your money?
Jodi Smith
Great question, Farnoosh. A very good question. And I'll start with a book that I read a few years ago, and I think she's been on your podcast as well. We should all be millionaires. Oh, yeah.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Rachel Rogers.
Jodi Smith
Yes, Rachel Rogers. So I read her book a few years ago, and I'm gonna get back to your question. And she had said in the book that you should picture the life that you want to live, the income that you want to earn. And I think she gave an anecdote of. Of writing down that she wanted to earn $300,000. And she basically listed out what her monthly amount would be and her yearly amount, and that's exactly what happened. I am doing that exercise right now. And in the future, I want to be able to own a beautiful home where I feel at home and at peace. I want to be able to travel. I love to travel. I want to see the world. There's just so much in this world that we can explore. And I want to be able to do that freely without worrying when I come back from my travels that I have a massive credit card bill. I want to be able to travel and see the world. I want to be able to help people. Right. The scholarship fund I mentioned, that's something that's on my radar that I want to focus on. And I also want to give back to my family and my friends, the people who've helped me be where I am today. So that's the focus. And just being in a financial position where I don't have to worry anymore. I can just focus on Living my life and living my abundant life and my best life. And that's what I'm envisioning.
Farnoosh Tarabi
I think the reason we attracted each other is we have a lot in common. I gave my financial advisor almost that same exact answer years and years ago when she sat my husband and I down and said, what is your goal? Like, what do you want money to be for you? Or when you think about your life and the role money plays in it, what do you want? And I said, I want to not have to really think about it. And I guess what I meant was, obviously I will think about it. I. This is my business and my passion is to help people with their money. But I don't want to have to think about it in the context of tension and friction and stress. Right. I want to be able to move through the world.
Jodi Smith
Yes.
Farnoosh Tarabi
And be able to understand my options and be able to afford them and come up with my own options if I don't like what I see in front of me. And I guess just to be a free woman to the extent that this world and this country will allow me to be.
Jodi Smith
Yes.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Because I know that's a loaded word, freedom, and it's relative. And you mentioned that. Maybe you didn't mention this, but I read that your blog is read by people all over the world. So, you know, you've got these people in India and Uganda and of course Canada and the US Reading your words. What do you see as some of the common struggles or questions across your diverse audience?
Jodi Smith
A lot of things. And it just makes me realize that it money problems, it transcends where you live, everyone. We're just all having the same issues. Some of the things that I usually get questions, even on my comments and DMs, I've gotten questions about how do I pay off my credit card. I have a lot of credit cards and they all have balances and I don't even know where to begin. So credit card debt is also a big issue. And I have a lot of information on the website on how to pay off multiple credit cards, how to manage credit cards, how to be able to use them and not rack up a lot of debt. So that's a big one that I consistently see. Another one is the same student loans. Student loans. I almost feel like it's becoming a big issue because so many people.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Internationally.
Jodi Smith
Internationally it's a big issue because so many people just cannot afford to get an education without taking out a loan. So that's a big one that I get questions about. And then the other one is how do I save when, you know, I have a low income? Or how do I save if I've already. After I pay off all my bills, there's nothing left. That's another one. And that's where the making more money comes in and, you know, exploring side hustles or starting a business or just looking at ways to make extra money, that's where that comes in. But that's another one that I tend to see. And that came up a lot during the pandemic and during, you know, the times when we had high inflation, a lot of people were simply struggling.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Yeah, we forget that outside of our borders, many countries experienced a similar economic struggles as we did. I mean, if the United States isn't doing hot, chances are many other countries aren't either because we tend to be a bellwether economically across around the world. You mentioned debt repayment and you, of course, having gone through that and this now being a major concern for your audience, what's your first piece of advice for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed?
Jodi Smith
Great question. And I've seen multiple approaches. The first thing I would say just depends on your situation. First of all, that's where I would begin. And I think that the number one way. First, the first thing that. So you. It depends on your situation. And the first thing you need to do is know your debt. A lot of people simply do not know how much they owe. They don't know the interest rates, they don't know what the structure of the debt is. Like, you know, how much is going towards your principal, how much is going towards the interest, know how much money you actually owe. So first understand the debt. And this is important because you need to know how your debt is structured. And once you have a plan, and I would say, as you mentioned, I'm a planner. Write on paper or if you have an Excel sheet, if that's how you prefer to, you know, you know, deal with information. You can do that. But write down how much money you owe, what's the interest rate, the timeline that's on the loan. If you have a credit card, write down the interest rate for that credit card when the statement comes out, when it's due, that kind of a thing. Figure out what your debt looks like, how it's structured, and then once you know how your debt is put together and how it's structured, how much you owe across the different, you know, types of debt that you may have, then you make a plan. And what does a plan look like? If I have multiple credit cards, that I'm paying off. As an example for me personally, I would say start with paying off the debt that has the highest interest rate so that way you can save money. The more interest you're paying, the more money you're losing. So I always say pay off the most expensive debt first. So if you have multiple debts, say you have three different debts and the first one is 20%, which is typically a credit card. The other one is 15% interest and the other one is 2% interest, I would pay off the one that's most expensive. So that's one strategy. And then once you settle that debt, then you focus on the next one and you focus on the other one. And then that way once you're paying off the debt, then you start to be empowered and you can keep going. That's one strategy that I would definitely recommend.
Farnoosh Tarabi
We call that the debt avalanche.
Jodi Smith
Yes. Yes.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Smart. Thank you so much for coming on SO Money. I'm so happy that we're actually connected now, face to face. And I want everyone to head to your blog, abundanceofjo.com you also do personal coaching. You have a YouTube and much more to come. I'm positive of it. Thank you so much and thank you.
Jodi Smith
For having me for Anush. This was fantastic.
Farnoosh Tarabi
Thanks so much to Jodi for joining us, links to find her work in our show notes and if you have a story to share about discovering this podcast, picking up a piece of wisdom or two, incorporating it into your financial life, a story that you want others to hear, please get in touch. I'd love to start featuring more of your success stories on this podcast, especially as we enter our 10th year. You can email me Farnushowmoneypodcast.com or you can just direct message me on Instagram at farnushtarabi. Thanks so much for tuning in everybody. I'll be back here on Friday with a fresh episode of Ask Farnoosh. Tackling your money questions I hope your day is so money. We all have dreams. Dream home renovations, dream vacations, or sending our kids to their dream colleges. But finding straightforward ways to turn those dreams into realistic goals, that's where things get tricky.
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Podcast Summary: So Money with Farnoosh Torabi Episode 1760: How to Crush $50K in Debt While Saving For Your Future Release Date: December 11, 2024
In Episode 1760 of So Money with Farnoosh Torabi, host Farnoosh welcomes Jodi Smith, the creator of the personal finance blog Abundance of Jo. This episode delves deep into Jodi's inspiring journey of paying off $50,000 in debt while simultaneously saving for her future. Listeners gain valuable insights into effective debt management, wealth-building strategies, and the importance of financial education.
Background and Origin Jodi Smith shares her personal story, originating from Jamaica and moving to Canada to pursue an MBA. This decision led her to incur significant debt, which became a pivotal point in her financial education and eventual success.
Inspiration from So Money Jodi credits the So Money podcast for providing the knowledge and motivation to tackle her debt head-on.
Balanced Financial Plan Jodi emphasizes the importance of balancing debt repayment with saving for the future. Her strategic approach involved:
Understanding Debt Structure
Debt Avalanche Method
Emergency Fund and Retirement Savings While paying off debt, Jodi also prioritized building an emergency fund and contributing to her 401(k).
Saving Strategies Jodi highlights practical saving techniques, such as automating savings and utilizing high-interest savings accounts.
Increasing Income Beyond saving, Jodi stresses the importance of earning more to fund financial goals.
She discusses various methods to increase income, including starting a side hustle or leveraging existing skills to create additional revenue streams.
The Power of Negotiation Negotiation is a critical tool in maximizing income, especially in corporate settings.
Practical Negotiation Tips Jodi provides actionable advice on how to effectively negotiate salaries and raises.
Future Aspirations Jodi envisions financial freedom that allows her to travel, own a beautiful home, and give back to her community.
Creating a Legacy Her long-term goals include establishing a scholarship fund in Jamaica to support education.
Global Financial Challenges Jodi acknowledges that financial struggles like credit card debt and student loans are universal issues affecting people worldwide.
Saving on Low Income She addresses the difficulty of saving money when income is limited and bills are prioritized.
Know Your Debt Jodi advises listeners to fully understand their debt, including amounts, interest rates, and payment schedules.
Create a Plan Developing a structured plan is essential for effective debt repayment and financial stability.
Debt Avalanche Method Using the debt avalanche method is recommended to minimize interest payments and accelerate debt clearance.
Empowering Through Education Jodi's journey underscores the importance of financial education and proactive planning. Her blog, Abundance of Jo, serves as a resource for others seeking financial independence.
Encouragement to Listeners Farnoosh and Jodi encourage listeners to take control of their finances through informed decision-making and disciplined planning.
Resources Mentioned
Episode 1760 of So Money offers a comprehensive look into overcoming significant debt while laying the groundwork for a secure financial future. Through Jodi Smith’s personal experiences and actionable strategies, listeners are equipped with the knowledge and motivation to take control of their own financial lives.
For more information and resources, visit abundanceofjo.com and consider joining the So Money Members Club at SoMoneyMembers.com.