Never ending budgets

 Ever since my ex was shipped off to rehab in June, I’ve finally been able to save money—money I never could before. He was a constant black hole of needing cash for this, needing cash for that. But that’s not even the point of this post.

The point is: I’m proud of myself.

In the first couple of months after everything changed, I got a new job. I quickly realized it paid better than my previous one and, just as importantly, gave me consistent hours and consistent days. I started tracking everything and noticed I was averaging about 22 hours a week—just under 50 hours per paycheck. With my hourly rate, even after child support deductions, I was bringing in solid income.

But I still struggled to save.

Not because I didn’t make enough—but because I had never really had money of my own before. That led to impulse spending, and no matter how hard I tried, my savings never grew.

So I made a change.

Since I already had a Chime account, I started splitting 25% of every paycheck directly into it. Inside that account, I divided the money three ways: checking, savings, and a credit-builder account. The remaining 75% of my paycheck goes to my main bank, where I pay rent, necessities, and all the important bills.

Smaller subscriptions—things under $10 like Amazon Prime or my doorbell service—get paid out of the Chime account. They’re predictable, low-cost, and easy to manage there.

Slowly, something amazing started to happen.

I went from having maybe $30 left after every payday… to having close to $100 saved, plus money still sitting in checking after bills were paid. That was a huge moment for me.

Recently, I was approved for a credit card. Instead of using it recklessly, I put only small, manageable bills on it—my AI app and Amazon Prime. Then, on the 10th of every month, I pay the balance off in full from my checking account. So now, not only am I budgeting and saving, I’m also rebuilding my credit.

It might sound silly, but every single morning I write down my bank totals when I start the day. I write them down again at the end of the day too. That daily awareness has changed everything.

Right now, I finally have a solid foundation—one I can build a future on for my kids. And hopefully, once tax season passes, I’ll be fully caught up on child support as well.

I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Proud of my daily budgeting. Proud of learning how to look at my bills between paydays so I don’t accidentally spend money that already has a job.

If you’re struggling to save, here’s the truth: it gets easier when you stop thinking “I have money—what do I do with it?” and start thinking day by day. Build a plan. Even a simple one. Adjust it as you go.

You’ve got this.

I’m 22 years old, and I have more money across all my accounts than I’ve ever had in my entire life.

And that didn’t happen by accident. 💪