Today is the start of our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge. Looking at your finances can be overwhelming and scary, so we’re excited to go on this journey with you to face the numbers together.

The first step: Be clear on your why. Goals are easier to achieve when your reason is clear. Maybe you want to save for a house, or maybe you want to be more financially secure before you make a career change. Whatever it is, write it on a Post-It note and put it somewhere you’ll see every day.

Today might be the hardest day of our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge. We need you to face the numbers.

If it’s too much to do alone, ask a trusted financial stakeholder (like your partner, parent or close friend) to do this with you.

Open your mail and look at your most-recent credit card statements. Login to your bank account and look at your balance. You don’t need to do anything else today. Make peace with the numbers. Know that this isn’t forever, just where you stand today.

Today is the day we get organized. The next step of our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge is to figure out which debt is costing you the most. This will help you map out a strategic payoff plan.

Start by listing all of your debts. This includes any credit card debt, student loan, car note and “buy now, pay later” purchases. Next to each debt, write what is owed, the interest rate and your monthly payment. Use a paper and pen, budgeting app or spreadsheet -- whatever method will work best for you.

We even made a printable worksheet to help you get started.

Today on our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge, we face another important number: your credit score.

Looking up your FICO score isn’t usually free, but you can get a free copy of your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com.

This is a great way to check for inaccuracies that may negatively affect your score. A good rule of thumb: if your credit history is good, your score is likely good too.

Checking on your credit report and score is a good financial habit. Plus, it will help you figure out your debt pay-off options.

Today, let’s find best debt payoff strategy for you on our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge.

Want to save on interest? Use the avalanche method to pay off the credit cards with the highest APRs first. Need small wins to stay motivated? Go with the snowball method to focus on the cards with the smallest balances first.

Want to target your credit score factors? Focus on paying off the cards that are nearing your credit limit. Lowering your utilization rate (ideally below 30%) can help improve your score.

Today, it’s time to put your debt payoff plan on autopilot. The next step of our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge is to use technology and tools to do the work for you.

For credit card debt, consider Tally. The app lets you manage all your cards in one place. You can even lower your monthly payment and pay down your balance faster with Tally’s lower-interest line of credit, if eligible. Typically, a 580 FICO score is needed.

Today, we want you to make a commitment to pay more than the minimum amount due each month on your credit card bills.

Figure out how much you can realistically pay each month and week, and what you may need to temporarily give up to pay an extra $10? $25? $50?


As part of the 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge, we encourage you to make this a new financial habit. Extra $ today could cut weeks or even months off of being in debt.

Today is the day you’re going to face the numbers on your spending, so get out your finest-toothed comb!

Print out all your credit card and bank statements from the last year and take a hard look at where your money went. Sort all of your expenses into two lists: essential and non-essential. Do you wish you would have done anything differently?

This week of the 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge is all about rethinking your spending habits.

We even made a printable worksheet to help you get started.

Today is No Spend Sunday. (It’s exactly what it sounds like).

The idea is to spend your time on meaningful activities that have high value — but don’t cost a thing.

Not sure what to do? Consider reaching out to a friend or family member that you’ve been meaning to text, call or meet up with. Your time is valuable, and making time for the people you love is a worthwhile investment.

Every Sunday during this 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge, we encourage you to discover new ways to spend your time that aren’t at the expense of your wallet.

Today, you’re going to face the price tag on your current lifestyle and find your balance.

Budgeting can be like a four-letter-word, and it may not be right for everyone all the time. This step in our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge is really about not being in the dark about your money.

You don’t have to track every dollar all the time if that doesn’t work for you. We like to use this method because it uses your actual spending habits to calculate how much your life actually costs.

Once you’ve identified your essential and non-essential expenses. Start from zero and add each item in order of priority. The list should look something like this: food, housing, utilities, internet, etc. The total is what it costs to live like you today.

Today, you’re going to make a micro-payment towards your credit card debt.

This is a little different than paying more than the minimum amount due on your credit card bills each month. A micro-payment is paying what you can, when you can — before your bill is due.

We want you to build good habits during our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge, so every Tuesday we’re going to encourage you to make an extra payment on your debt.

Take time today to write yourself a thank you note for all that you’ve accomplished so far.

The path to financial wellness requires both action and reflection. At this point in our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge, you’ve now faced the numbers for your debt and spending habits.

It’s nothing short of amazing. Take a moment to stop and recognize how far you have traveled on your financial wellness journey.

Today, let’s look over your non-essential spending again. Ask yourself, do your purchases spark joy?

With our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge, we want to encourage you to be more intentional about your money. When it comes to cutting costs, if you’re only doing it for the sake of saving money, it can be a bit like crash dieting.

Instead, reassess everything to make sure you’re only paying for things you value and are actually using. Pro tip: start by looking at your recurring subscriptions.

Today (and every Friday hereafter), do a financial check in before you head into the weekend.

You’ll start to see repeat in our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge because we want to encourage you to form more healthy financial habits. Facing the numbers every week by checking your bank accounts and recent credit card charges is one of them.

Today, it’s time to face the numbers on your savings.

Spend some time today looking over all your savings accounts. If it’s been a while, you may need to look up your login information. This may be a good time to put all that information in a safe and secure place so that you can check in on these accounts more regularly.


After confronting your debt and spending habits during our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge, we’re going to walk you through easy ways to save up more money.

Today is No Spend Sunday.

Start the day by writing down three things that bring you joy that don’t cost you anything. Maybe you like to go on hikes. Or maybe you prefer staying in to read a book. Whatever it is, we encourage you to make a list that you can use for inspiration every Sunday, all year round.

Then go do what makes you (and your wallet) happy.

Stay with us through the rest of the 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge for more no-spend ideas.

Today, let’s calculate how much you would need to cover your essential expenses for 3-6 months. If you don’t have this much saved up yet, make saving up an emergency fund your priority.

If you’re good on this front, then spend some time thinking through everything you’d like to accomplish and how much you’d need to save to achieve those goals.

This step in our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge asks you to think ahead by saving for the future.

It’s Tuesday. So make a micro-payment towards your credit card debt today.

Remember: Every. Dollar. Counts. Did you happen to skip buying a coffee this week? Consider using the money you saved towards your debt.

It may not seem like much, but remember: But be it $5, $15 or $50, every extra payment will help bring down your balance and get you out of debt faster.

Every Tuesday during our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge, we’re going to encourage you to make an extra payment on your debt.

Do some gratitude journaling today.

You’re half way through the week and halfway through this challenge. Take a moment to reflect and show yourself some gratitude for what you’ve accomplished so far.

Many people don’t embark on a financial wellness journey alone. Is there anyone that you’re grateful to for helping you through our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge? If yes, give them a text or call to say “thank you.”

Today, set up auto-transfers from your paycheck on payday to a separate savings account to build up your cash cushion.

How much? It depends on how much you can afford after covering all your essentials. A good goal is 10% of your paycheck.

Once your liquid cash savings is in a good place, you can then focus on retirement accounts, investments and college funds for your kid.

Through our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge, we want to encourage you to be more intentional about where your money goes.

It’s Friday, so do a financial check in today before you start the weekend. Once you get in the habit, it should take just a few minutes.

This should be a recurring meeting on your calendar. Take 5-10 minutes to look over your bank account, recent credit card charges and savings. This will help you avoid surprises and stay in control.

Yes, this is a repeat in our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge and that’s intentional. Keep it up. By now, facing the numbers should feel a little less daunting and a little more satisfying. Keep it up.

Today, it’s time to face the numbers on your paycheck.

How much money are you bringing in every month? Total up your paychecks and all types of income for the last month.

Write that number down. Is it enough to cover everything? And by “everything” we mean everything -- how much you want to pay towards your debt, your essential and non-essential costs, and how much you want to put aside for savings.

Cutting costs can only get you so far. During this week of our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge, we’re going to focus on ways to boost your income.

Today is No Spend Sunday.

Not sure what to do. If you haven’t seen the bottom of your freezer lately, try this idea.

Instead of eating out, get creative with your pantry or freezer. Every Sunday, make a concerted effort to clean it out. One way to make it fun is to turn it into an “Iron Chef” competition. Your random food item is your mystery ingredient. (But perishables being perishable, this may instead be an effort to dump everything way past its due date.)

Hang in for the rest of the 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge for more no-spend ideas.

Today, let’s think through ways to boost your cash flow to help you #FaceTheNumbers after the 31-day challenge.

You have two main options.

You could negotiate a raise. This can be intimidating, but the labor market is on your side. Most employers right now would much rather pay you more than risk losing you.

You can pick up a side hustle. First look at your skill set. Could you freelance? Tutor? Service jobs like food delivery is another option that is easy to start and stop when you want.

It’s Tuesday. You know the drill. Make an extra payment towards your credit card debt today, if you can.

Here’s an idea: Dedicate any boost income towards paying down your debt. Once that’s paid off, put that money towards your savings.

Once the 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge is done, we hope this is a habit that you keep

Do some free writing today as we start to close out the 31-day #FaceTheNumber challenge.

Was there anything surprising that you’ve learned about yourself in this process? What habits do you think you’d like to keep throughout this year? Was it harder (or easier) than you thought it would be?

Even after you’ve completed the challenge, remember to make time to reflect throughout your financial wellness journey.

Today, get started on your income booster.

Want to boost your salary? Start researching your value. Glassdoor, Indeed, Payscale.com or Salary.com can give you an idea of the average salary for your job title in your area. This also goes for negotiating new job offer.

Want to start a side hustle? Start researching your startup and ongoing costs. The last thing you want is a gig that costs you more than it makes you.

Keep on working on it even after our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge.

Today is … Friday, Friday. Gotta look over the numbers to get ready for the weekend, weekend.

If you haven’t already, set up a recurring meeting on your calendar. Even if it’s not Friday, take 30 minutes or less each week to look over your bank account, recent credit card charges, savings and income streams.

Even after our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge wraps, we hope we keep this habit throughout 2022. You’ll thank yourself for making the time.

Now that you’ve hopefully gotten a handle on your financials, put a number on each of your goals today.

By the end of 2022, how much credit card debt do you want to pay off? Will you need to adjust your spending and savings? Likewise, how much do you need to be bringing in? Do this same exercise for your spending, savings and income streams.

We’re coming to the end of our 31-Day #FaceTheNumber challenge, so we want to set you up for success. This is easier when you have tangible goals to reach.

Today, join a Buy Nothing group for No Spend Sunday.

These groups are a great way to connect with liked-minded people who want to ask for or get rid of things and services for free.

You can find a local group in your area on Facebook or through the Buy Nothing Project’s mobile app. Should your area not have a group, the Buy Nothing Project has tips on how to set up your own group.

One more day till we close out our 31-day #FaceTheNumbers challenge.

You did it! Thanks for joining us on a financial wellness journey to face the numbers and take control of your money.

Today, take a moment to look back at all 31 days. What worked for you? What didn’t? How will you continue your journey through the rest of 2022 and beyond?

Figure out how you can own the outcome and make it happen. You’ve got this!