I’m Choncé

Here’s my money story

I grew up in a home where money was rarely talked about in a positive way. By the time I was finishing college, I had developed a very unhealthy relationship with money and racked up a ton of debt. As a young single mom, I struggled to make ends meet would stay up late worrying about how I was going to pay bills and what my future would look like.

feeling stuck and wanting more?

I can help

You want to stop stressing about money, pay off your debt, and have a clear plan for your future that actually works. Maybe you’re tired of living paycheck to paycheck and are looking to simplify your life at the same time.

You’re in the right place! I know what it feels like to be stuck between the hustle culture and feeling the need to work extra to make ends meet and reach your goals. But then also feeling burnt out and unfulfilled with where you are in life currently. I discuss all this on My Debt Epiphany while sharing what I’ve learned about paying down debt, saving, earning extra money, traveling on a budget, and more.

My breaking point or ‘financial epiphany’ as I like to call it occurred when I went to do my laundry one day and realized I didn’t have any money. I only needed some change to use the laundry machines at my apartment, but I was flat-out broke.

Turning point

After checking all the couch cushions and even the parking lot at my apartment in desperation, I realized that I was completely fed up.

I was tired of struggling and living that way. And I was ready to do something about it. Even though I wasn’t making a ton of money, I sat down and made a budget to get clear on my finances. Next, I soaked up knowledge from every financial resource and book around while developing a plan to tackle my debt.

A timeline of my journey…

2013: I was a single mom struggling to make ends meet, but doing the best I could to give my son a good life with fun memories. I did everything from finding cheap and affordable outings to getting food on sale and shopping at thrift stores, but it wasn’t always enough.
2014: Graduated from college and struggled to find a job before eventually finding a position at $15 per hour. I also started this blog that year.
2015: Started budgeting and getting serious about improving my finances. Also started side hustling as a freelance writer and ended up paying off $11,000 of debt while making only around $35,000 that year.
2016: Married my husband and paid for the entire wedding together in cash. We also paid down $14,000 of debt this year too. Then, I quit my FT job to freelance and create content on this blog on September 1st that year!
2017: Paid off my student loans in full!
2018 – 2019: Fully funded our emergency fund after paying off debt! Also enjoyed a lot of traveling together as a family. I became a
Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) during this time as well.
2020 – 2022: Started investing more and maxed my IRA contributions for a few years in a row.
2022: Our family moved from Illinois to Tennessee – The move had a few financial hiccups and we had to rely heavily on our emergency fund.
2023: Our financial rebuilding year.
2024: Continuing to move forward with confidence and excitement about the future. My money mindset has completely changed and I’m still implementing all the strategies I’ve learned over the years to live the lifestyle I truly want to have.

So you’ll love hanging out here if you want to:

Finally view your financial life as something that you have control
over
Develop healthy money habits that allow you to pay off debt, save
money and invest
Simplify your life and your finances – no keeping up with the Joneses
here and no social media FOMO
Enjoy the freedom that comes with living a frugal lifestyle based on
your priorities and on your own terms
Learn how to truly make your money work for you so you can do things you’ve always dreamed about like travel, invest, or start a flexible business
Enter a place of rest and financial stability – not just working to
pay bills all time, never getting ahead and repeating that cycle

While some people don’t like to talk about the inner workings of personal finance, it’s my vice and being open and honest about money has helped me learn so much more over the years. It’s all about finding ways to use money as a tool to enhance your life, gain stability, and go after your priorities.

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