The City Girl Savings Podcast Raya Reaves

There’s nothing like an organized life.
I’m talking about an organized home, an organized office, organized finances, and overall organization as a part of your everyday life.
We’ve all been exposed to clutter and can instantly feel the effects.
I know I’ve walked into my house after a long day at work and after seeing a mess everywhere, my mood instantly tanks.
The same can be said for cluttered finances. When your finances are disorganized, you feel the weight of it on your mental shoulders.
In this episode, I’m sharing 6 tips to help you organize your finances so let’s make it a point to get organized once and for all!
 
Here's a glance at this episode:
[02:15] One of the best ways to organize your finances is to create a budget plan. Raya breaks down what your budget needs to be successful. [05:55] Apps can be helpful for tracking your spending, just make sure your app is categorizing your spending appropriately.  [11:52] Create a repository for all your accounts. This will help you keep track of everything in one place and stay organized. [15:10] Get your estate affairs in order now, regardless of if you have kids or not. Simply adding a beneficiary to your accounts could make a huge difference. [19:19] Something saved is better than nothing, when you’re just getting started. A great goal could be setting up automatic savings transfers.   
Rate, Review, & Follow:
Did you love this episode? Are you a fan of the City Girl Savings podcast? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show!
This helps spread the word about City Girl Savings, and hopefully helps more people make the best money moves possible on the way to their dream life!
To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, please make sure you’re subscribed and following the City Girl Savings podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Listen to CGS Podcast Episode 21 – Setting Up Your Own Financial Filing System
Grab your free Monthly Budget Overview Tracker
Listen to CGS Podcast Episode 47 – Estate Planning for Millennials
Get your copy of The Richest Man in Babylon
Learn about Raya’s Financial Focus Coaching Program
Follow City Girl Savings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Join the City Girl Savings Facebook Group
Subscribe to the City Girl Savings Newsletter!

Good or bad, we learn so much from our parents.
Whether we end up being just like them or the opposite, there’s no doubt that our parental interactions shape who we are as adults.
In honor of Mother’s Day and this one being the first one I celebrate without my mom, I wanted to take the time to share some of the biggest life lessons I’ve learned from her.
In this episode I’m sharing the most impactful life lessons learned from my mom.
I was lucky enough to be blessed with two amazing parents who just happened to leave my life earlier than I would have wanted.
 
Here's a glance at this episode:
[02:04] Raya’s mom lost her parents early in life also. Raya shares a little background on how her mom grew up and lost her parents. [06:12] Even though Raya’s mom was struggling with a terminal illness, she never complained or had bouts of negativity. She was a true warrior.  [11:00] Raya shares a memory of her mom taking control of her weight. She got herself on a diet and was able to lose a lot of weight through consistency. [15:55] Growing up, Raya and her brother heard “no” a lot from their mom. Raya’s mom was never afraid to say no to buying things they didn’t need. [19:05] Raya’s mom didn’t need to worry about money or finances later in life. She had what she needed to cover everything throughout her health battle.   
Rate, Review, & Follow:
Did you love this episode? Are you a fan of the City Girl Savings podcast? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show!
This helps spread the word about City Girl Savings, and hopefully helps more people make the best money moves possible on the way to their dream life!
To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, please make sure you’re subscribed and following the City Girl Savings podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Learn about Raya’s Financial Focus Coaching Program
Follow City Girl Savings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Join the City Girl Savings Facebook Group
Subscribe to the City Girl Savings Newsletter!

Managing finances for a single person is hard enough, so you can imagine how managing finances for a household is an even bigger feat!
While I’m currently a household of 2, my boyfriend and I – as our pups have no financial skin in the game, I’m very excited to chat with fellow CSUN alumni Sahirenys Pierce of Poised, who manages a household of 4.
We’re talking all things motherhood, money and managing it all with poise!
Get ready for some amazing insight into managing money in your partnership, having family “all hands” meetings and so much more!
 
Here's a glance at this episode:
[04:00] Sahirenys opens up about her parents’ struggle with finances, which ultimately lead to their family home being foreclosed on. [11:16] For people just getting started with money management, Sahirenys breaks down her “High-5 Banking Method”. [19:32] Having money conversations with your partner isn’t always easy. Sahirenys shares an awkward money conversation with her then-Fiancé. [29:25] Sahirenys shares how she and her husband got on board with meal planning, and remixing it to work for them. [44:04] Keep your focus on a minimal number of goals at a time, so you can ensure you reach every goal you set.  
Rate, Review, & Follow:
Did you love this episode? Are you a fan of the City Girl Savings podcast? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show!
This helps spread the word about City Girl Savings, and hopefully helps more people make the best money moves possible on the way to their dream life!
To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, please make sure you’re subscribed and following the City Girl Savings podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Follow Sahirenys on Instagram
Learn about Raya’s Financial Focus Coaching Program
Follow City Girl Savings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Join the City Girl Savings Facebook Group
Subscribe to the City Girl Savings Newsletter!

According to a MarketWatch report, about 49% of Americans are “concerned, anxious or fearful about their current financial wellbeing”.
For a money coach like me, that’s alarming!
The reality is that everyone can have peace in their finances. And that’s where financial wellness comes into play!
Financial wellness is caring for the wellbeing of your personal finances.
It all starts with knowing what to prioritize!
In this episode, I’m sharing how you can complete your own financial wellness check by making sure you have 10 specific things in place.
 
Here's a glance at this episode:
[02:15] Know your situation – this is the first item on your Financial Wellness Check because if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where to go next. [05:04] A budget that factors in your priorities is a true game-changer. Raya breaks down how to allocate your money accordingly.  [08:28] There is no better return on your investment than investing in the stock market, ideally through contributing to a retirement plan. [11:43] You don’t just want to know your credit score; you want to know what’s reported about you in your physical credit report. [15:14] Setting goals can improve your financial wellness because it gives you something to work towards.   
Rate, Review, & Follow:
Did you love this episode? Are you a fan of the City Girl Savings podcast? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show!
This helps spread the word about City Girl Savings, and hopefully helps more people make the best money moves possible on the way to their dream life!
To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, please make sure you’re subscribed and following the City Girl Savings podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Listen to Episode 80 – 8 Things Everyone Should Be Saving For
Let Raya create your custom budget plan
Pull your credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com 
Learn about Raya’s Financial Focus Coaching Program
Follow City Girl Savings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Join the City Girl Savings Facebook Group
Subscribe to the City Girl Savings Newsletter!

No one is perfect with money. Let me say that again for the folks in the back: no one is perfect with money!
We all make mistakes in finances and in life, but mistakes are how we learn, grow, and improve.
Mistakes help us know what not to do in the future. Mistakes can flip the script and change the course of our lives.
In this episode, I’m sharing 5 reasons why you should stop blaming yourself for your past money mistakes, and how you can leverage your mistakes and experiences to move forward and come out on top.
 
Here's a glance at this episode:
[01:55] If you have made mistakes with money, you’re not alone. Raya has been there and shares that if she can turn things around, you can too! [03:40] What good does it do to blame yourself for something you can’t change? The past is in the past, so learn to let it be.  [06:28] Raya made the mistake of getting into credit card debt. Then, after paying her debt off she made the mistake of not addressing the real reason she got into debt. [10:00] All of your money mistakes have led you to this point right here – listening to this podcast episode. [13:15] It’s okay to be a work in progress. We’re all learning, growing and improving…or at least we all should be!   
Rate, Review, & Follow:
Did you love this episode? Are you a fan of the City Girl Savings podcast? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show!
This helps spread the word about City Girl Savings, and hopefully helps more people make the best money moves possible on the way to their dream life!
To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, please make sure you’re subscribed and following the City Girl Savings podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Listen to Episode 101 – Adversity Breeds Resilience 
Learn about Raya’s Financial Focus Coaching Program
Follow City Girl Savings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Join the City Girl Savings Facebook Group
Subscribe to the City Girl Savings Newsletter!

My degree is in finance, but it wasn’t until I had learned from terrible money experiences that things started to improve.
Seriously, from 18-21, I was going to class every day, learning about money and finance and analysis, but after school, I was out spending money and accumulating debt.
I was not implementing a drop of what I’d learned and in hindsight, I’ve realized that there is so much more to money than knowing what to do with it.
Our thoughts, experiences, influences, and society all play a role.
In this episode, I’m sharing why you don’t need a formal education in finance to become financially independent.
I’m also sharing how financial experiences can mold a life of financial security.
 
Here's a glance at this episode:
[02:31] Raya shares her early experiences with money as a child and her perspective on how things were covered back then. [04:57] A money belief that Raya absorbed early on was that if you go to work every day you will come home and have what you need.  [07:45] The money principles Raya learned before college went out the drain when she got to college and had access to credit cards. [11:25] Raya learned the importance of paying her bills on time but only because she almost faced eviction for failing to pay rent on time. [14:41] 9 years after starting City Girl Savings, most of what Raya learns is through financial experiences compared to financial education.   
Rate, Review, & Follow:
Did you love this episode? Are you a fan of the City Girl Savings podcast? If so, please consider rating and reviewing the show!
This helps spread the word about City Girl Savings, and hopefully helps more people make the best money moves possible on the way to their dream life!
To leave a review on Apple Podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, please make sure you’re subscribed and following the City Girl Savings podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube!
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Listen to Episode 1 – Big City Spender to City Girl Saver
Learn about Raya’s Financial Focus Coaching Program
Follow City Girl Savings on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok
Join the City Girl Savings Facebook Group
Subscribe to the City Girl Savings Newsletter!