Erika has always focused on just making it to the next paycheck.
Rent. Bills. Groceries.
As a 32-year-old single mother of three, every dollar had a purpose. Saving didn’t feel possible.
“I always had just enough for my bills and my car payment, nothing else,” she said.
Then a flyer at Vista Cascade, the National CORE affordable housing community where she lives, caught her attention. It promoted Hope through Housing’s Money Match savings program, where participants save money each month, attend financial education classes and receive matching funds at the end of the program.
“I remember getting the paper and thinking, ‘Oh my God, they’re going to match my money,'” said Erika. “This is a great way for me to see if I can save money.
At first, she planned to save $100 each month.
She wasn’t sure she could stick with it, but after talking with Money Match staff, she decided to challenge herself by saving the maximum amount of $200 a month.
“I thought, ‘You know what? I can,'” she said. “I just cut down on some things that were unnecessary that I didn’t realize I was spending money on.”
Over the past three months, Erika swapped coffee runs for homemade coffee at work, reduced restaurant visits and canceled subscriptions. The small changes quickly added up.
“Now I know, OK, I can save money,” she said. “I never was able to do that before.”
Saving money is only part of the program. The real focus is on monthly financial education classes that challenge Erika to think differently about every dollar she spends.
“Now my friends will say, ‘Let’s go to a concert,’ and I think, ‘Do I really need to?’ she said. “I have goals I need to prioritize.”
Three months into Money Match, Erika has saved $600. And the financial education classes are reshaping how she thinks about money. She is even sharing the lessons with her three children.
“I want my kids to grow up knowing things I didn’t. If they can start where I’m finishing, then I’ve done my job,” said Erika.
