My name is Heather and I am from Las Vegas. I'm a freelance video editor and director. Being a freelancer is interesting to say the least when it comes to receiving payments (if you're a freelancer too I'm sure you know what I'm talking about). I invoice clients through a program (quickbooks is my go-to) which is a bill that is emailed to them with a date they must pay it by (usually within 30 days). So, you can imagine sometimes it is like jumping through rings of fire to try to get your payments on time.

I would often have to wait longer than the 30 days on clients to actually finish paying me, which leaves me having to pay a few months of bills with the money in my savings. You're probably thinking "How did you save then...?", you're right! I did not really save much at all. But was I really trying to save?

I would easily just grubhub on those days I was too tired to cook, buy random things from Target, or Amazon Prime my little heart out. All those "very tiny" spends add up. I realized I was often buying extra vegetables or fruits that I didn't even get to eat because I was just grubhubbing (that's a verb now right?). Anyway, I realized something wasn't right. I saw Jacent's success and paying off debt and saving money and I wanted to do the same.

Jacent really taught me to think about what I was doing before I was doing it. She suggested I look through my bank statements to see what I was spending money on. It was almost like a walk of shame, I was spending my hard earned money on absolutely nothing. I imagined if I just DID NOT do that all of the time, how much would I have saved?

I really learned to think before I buy. To not fall into all the little money traps that lay around stores like Target. To make simple and healthy meals at home like my life depended on it. Was I really too tired to cook? Was I just being a little lazy? Don't get me wrong, there are days when I am exhausted and I will allow myself to get that delicious curry delivered to my home. But now I do it FAR LESS. I genuinely enjoy cooking at home and making some healthy meals. It feels amazing.

The greatest challenge was honestly overcoming and changing my impulsive and silly buys. Sometimes I put things in my Amazon cart and then slap myself on the hand and realize...I don't need that. I really don't need that.

Jacent has been such a positive, amazing, and impactful human being. I started following her practices in January 2020 and was able to quickly start a legitimate savings account which was an absolute miracle because the pandemic hit my household very hard. As a freelancer the work dried up. If I hadn't started saving and following Jacent's program, I would have been so insanely stressed out.

I've been able to save up $18k and pay off $6k off in debt so far. I am so excited to see where this new road of savings takes me and I am so grateful to be on this road.

Jacent really understands that we all have unique situations. She knows how to help you understand yourself. That in itself is a priceless gift of knowledge.

Heather

Film Maker

Hi, I’m Jasmine and I am 32 years old. I currently live in Las Vegas, NV. I have been very blessed to graduate from college without any student loans. However, I struggle with credit card debt. When I was 28, I was completely debt free. I paid off my all of my credit cards and my car loan. Last year, at the age of 31, I reaccumulated $6,000 of credit card debt. To be honest, it was probably more than $6,000 because I was making payments on the card as I was spending. I just remember seeing a $6,000 balance and realized that I needed to do something about it. I couldn’t stand having it over my head.

I knew I would be successful on paying off this debt because I have done it before. I did it four years ago and I knew I would be able to do it again after creating a plan. I think the hardest part was taking some time to evaluate my spending habits and creating a budget.

I have always had the money mindset of not being in debt. This mindset was developed from my parents because they always had a negative view about debt. Even though I knew being in debt was something I did not want, I kept spending anyways. My paychecks were used to pretty much make payments on the credit cards. Because I would use majority of my paychecks to pay the cards off, it caused me to continue using the credit cards. In a way, it felt as though the credit cards were extra money, when in reality it really wasn’t because I had to pay it back. It was just holding me over in between paychecks. It was a continuous cycle of paying the card off and spending. It got the point where I was unaware of what I was doing because it became a routine and I had no idea where my money was going.

I still have the mindset of not being in debt, however I am more in control of finances. I am now aware of where money is going. I track every dollar. I am obsessed with tracking my money because I no longer what to be in that continuous cycle of paying off my credit card, being broke, and then using my credit card again. After discussing this issue with Jacent, she told me to take myself more seriously and to stop playing around. She knew that I had got out of debt before and that I could do it again if I took myself more seriously. After that discussion with Jacent, I have decided to take control of my life and it started with being in control of my money.

The most important skill that I have developed on this path is discipline. It takes discipline to create a budget, to stay within budget, and to track all your expenses. Every paycheck, I create a budget and I stick with it. I have noticed that being disciplined with my finances has also rolled over into other aspects of my life, such as, fitness.

The greatest reward for me is having a peace of mind. I no longer have to worry about debt being held over my head. Not only did I gain a peace of mind, but I also gained more self-confidence. Being able to stick to a plan and accomplishing a goal really boosted my self-esteem. In the words of Jacent, I took myself more seriously.

I paid off about $6,000 of credit card debt within a month!

Jasmine

Nurse

“I call her my accountability partner/mentor. I started her 30 day money challenge in January and saved $1,000 before the 30 days was up. She helped me realize I made good money, but I was a reckless spender. I spent money on things I didn’t need just to make me feel better."

Sophia

CEO & Founder of Laree Sweets

"Last summer, I had an epiphany. I make decent money and I have no dependents. Yet, I felt like I never saw any of it after bills. It wasn’t until I sat down and calculated my own debt (which was more than I thought) that I realized I too needed to get with the program. I started off my debt snowball by paying off orthodontia, then the remaining balance on my car followed by $15,000 in credit card debt. In one year I made roughly $25,000 in debt payments. I am officially at my halfway mark, the remainder of which is in student loans. Whenever I paid something off I would talk to Jacent about it. She would question my feelings surrounding my latest accomplishment, and help me establish my next milestone. Jacent kept me goal oriented, and encouraged."

Camille

Real Estate Agent

“Jacent is so inspiring when it comes to living life to the fullest. Her dedication to the debt free journey is the motivation I needed to start mine. Her consistency and positivity has greatly impacted my life. She was the key that unlocked my door to true happiness. Her journey inspired me to start my journey to independence. Debt was a large part of why my situation wasn’t changing. Living paycheck to paycheck is something that most millennials experience. With the lack of communication surrounding finance, Jacent was not afraid to share her journey of becoming debt free. Saving and living within your means might sound like a simple task however, it takes mental strength and discipline to follow through. As of 2020 I was able to pay off $3500 in credit card debt and it hasn’t stopped there. I plan on paying off my student loans and moving out on my own. I am so grateful to have met such a wonderful soul who has helped me to stay on track to financial freedom. I aspire to have more of these values but I am also grateful I have a mentor who cares enough to spread this knowledge.”

Monica

Graduate Student in Mental Health