Hey Hey Friend -
Let me guess.
You’re trying to keep your bills paid, your card from declining, and still have some kind of life.
Meanwhile, the world’s yelling: “just pay off your debt faster!”
Cool.
But how am I supposed to do that when the numbers already ain’t adding up?
That’s what I was living through when I wrote this blog post:
How to Pay Off Debt on a Low Income
It’s not theory. It’s what I did when I had to make $ stretch while still showing up for myself and everybody pulling at me.
Because when you don’t make a lot — but you’re expected to do a lot — debt hits different.
It’s not just numbers. It’s the stress. The shame. The “I don’t have time for this, but I can’t afford not to” loop.
Let me walk you through what actually helped me (and my clients):
First: Stopped lying to yourself about the numbers
I had to sit all the way down and face my client's spending. Not the budget they wanted to have — the one they actually had.
We looked at:
- What bills were non-negotiable
- What money was getting “accidentally” spent
- And where they could breathe, not just survive
She wasn’t broke. She was misaligned.
Second: Pick one debt to focus on
And I mean just one. The rest? Minimum payments only.
My client Ebony picked the card that pissed ger off the most — the one kept swiping for food and random survival stuff — and tackled it with anything extra shecould find.
Even if it was $20.
Because progress beats pretending.
Third: Save money while paying down debt
Yeah, I said it.
She wasn’t about to drain herself to $0 just to turn around and get smacked by an unexpected expense.
She opened a high-yield savings account and started dropping small transfers in there.
$10, $25, whatever I had. That little stash became my “I don’t have to panic” fund.
And it stopped her from undoing her progress.
This is what I break down in the blog. No fluff. Just what I did to get out of survival mode without waiting to make six figures first. Mind you - doing some towards your goals will be better than doing nothing.
Read: How to Pay Off Debt on a Low Income
Before we close this email on out, have you checked out my latest short-form video talking about the 3 money buckets to help you jumpstart your budgeting?! Let me know if you want me to talk about this even more in August? Reply and let me know!
So now I’m asking you:
- Are you trying to tackle all your debt instead of starting with one?
- Are you budgeting with real numbers, or just hoping the check clears?
- What’s your backup plan when stuff hits the fan — or are you swiping again?
If you’re done trying to guess your way through this, let’s build a system around your actual life.
Making the Math, Math – Budget Done For You: I go through your income, bills, and spending, and build a plan that makes your numbers work.
Ask Me Anything Session: You bring the mess, I bring the strategy. We figure it out together.
Check out my offerings here.
This isn’t about being perfect with money.
This is about building a system that doesn’t break the moment life gets real.
If I could do it on less than $50K with too many responsibilities and not enough wiggle room — I promise, you can too.
See you next Thursday,
Dassit.
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About Me..
I yap about money on social media—because folks deserve to understand their finances in plain terms. I’m Nadia Vanderhall, Financial Planner, Educator, and founder of The Brands and Bands Strategy Group. Whether you’re tired of guessing where your money goes or ready to finally build a financial plan that fits your real life, I’m here to help.
You can catch me online breaking down budgeting, saving, and investing in a way that actually makes sense. And if you’re ready to get serious? You can work with me to roadmap your money.
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