#35 – This Budgeting Hack Transformed Our Financial Future!

Join Mel as she shares the ‘accidental’ budgeting hack she discovered that transformed her family finances. She’ll share how she combines practical financial strategies with spiritual principles to increase income and create abundance. Hear her personal story, discover actionable steps, and learn how to partner faith with stewardship to bring financial growth.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Download your Prophetic Budget Roadmap today. This is your step-by-step guide + budget template to create your own prophetic budget.

Free money meditation and other tools to empower your financial journey. Check them out. xo

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Transcript

My First Solo Podcast

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Welcome to the Road Back Podcast. We're so glad you're here. I'm Melissa and I'm Desiree. We're two trauma-informed coaches and real life friends. If you're returning to yourself, your dreams, or your sense of belovedness, this podcast is for you. We'll pull from our own stories and hard-earned wisdom to support your journey. So take a breath and remember, you belong exactly as you are. Welcome to today's episode, friends. Great to have you here. This week's episode is going to look a little different because Des is not here, and so I am recording a solo episode. What's fun is before I ever met Des, when I first thought of doing a podcast, I wondered what it would be like to do a solo podcast. And honestly, it felt very intimidating, which is the reason. I never started a podcast on my own and waited until I had a buddy to do it with. But after recording for eight to ten months, my confidence is there a little more. So I'm excited to dive into a really fun topic today with you. Thanks for being here. One of my favorite topics to talk about is the intersection between faith and finances, specifically practical stewardship around money and the faith and spiritual laws aspect of money. What I'm going to share is a story

The Intersection of Faith and Finances

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about a budgeting hack that I stumbled onto 10 years ago that significantly impacted my family's financial future. And it is one of those stories that absolutely blends the practical and the spiritual. So let me set the scene, story time. It's 10 years ago, 2016. My kids are little. I'm a stay-at-home mom. My husband is the sole wage earner. However, I was the one who was in charge of finances and the budgeting and balancing the budget, that kind of thing. I tracked the transactions every month. My husband and I would check in with each other about big things, but in general, I was in charge of budgeting it out. And I loved it. I've always loved numbers, maths, those kinds of things were always fun for me. And I found myself in that season beginning to long for increase in our life. At the time, our annual income was about $65,000 a year. So we weren't in poverty. We could pay our bills. We could get the basics. We didn't have a ton of extra because we were a family of five, but we were no means struggling. However, I also knew that I had dreams in my heart about what I'd love to be able to do with our kids. We had family overseas that we couldn't afford to visit at that time because it was too expensive to fly internationally. And so things like that we weren't able to do to the degree that I wanted to. And I felt myself starting to dream like, oh my goodness, it would be amazing if we could earn one more income. And one of the figures that would often come to mind was wouldn't it be amazing if we could reach $100,000? That six-figure income level. It just felt next level to me. It felt kind of exciting. And I had no idea how we were going to get there. Well, one day I'm doing the budget as normal, and I'm balancing it all out, and I get ready to shut down my computer, and I suddenly have this idea. I look back now, it was an inspired idea, but it just felt like a fun idea at the time. And this thought goes through my mind, Melissa, how about you put the desired amount of income in an income line for you and plan out a mock budget of how you would spend your money if that money were already to come into your hands? In other words, if you were had reached that $100,000 a year dream, how would you budget your money? And because I budgeted my money monthly, I was like, okay, let's break this down into a monthly expense, a monthly income. I

Discovering the Prophetic Budgeting Hack

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thought, okay, I'd have a bit more money each month in hand. How would I spend this extra cash? And so purely for fun, I plan out how I would budget my money if I were to reach that next income level. I finish the exercise, don't think anything of it, close down my computer, go about my day. Well, I didn't realize that I had actually engaged a possibility at that time. For me, it had just been a fun thing to do. Within a couple of weeks, I having a conversation with somebody, and they said, Melissa, have you ever considered doing Airbnb before? At that time, I had a couple of extra rooms in my house that I could convert into spaces for people to stay, but I hadn't done it. One was an actual bedroom, the other was like a just a spare room that wasn't being used for anything at the time. And I remember when this person shared the idea, I was like, huh. It actually sounded exciting to me. And so I talked it through with my husband. I started looking into things. And what was amazing was where we lived at the time was a fantastic location. We were very close to some popular tourist spots that had scenic parks that people would often visit. We were right next to a major expressway where people going up the West Coast could actually get from LA up to Seattle. We lived close to a popular church in the area that people would often come for conferences. I worked and put my rooms on for Airbnb. And I'm not kidding, we got so busy, I actually had to block time off to make sure that I wouldn't be booked. Long story short, within 12 months' time, we blew past that $100,000 goal. I remember after that happened, I thought, oh, okay, I have tapped into something here. I didn't realize what I was doing. And I began to refer to that budgeting exercise that I had stumbled upon as I started calling it my prophetic budget, my prophetic budgeting hack. And anytime I wanted to increase our income after that, I would sit down and I would plug in the numbers of the amount that I desired to earn. And I would work through the same process and it would work again and it would work again. Within three years, we had doubled our income again. And the reason I share this is because three years from then was 2020, which was COVID. And 2020 ended up being the most income we had ever made in our lives. And I debated whether or not to share this because I know for many people, COVID was a really challenging time financially.

Tapping into Spiritual Laws for Financial Growth

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But what I had realized by the time, the reason I want to share this is because by the time we hit 2020, and I'd been working this process for a while, I realized that we were tapping into a spiritual law around our finances that was not subject to the economy, was not subject to a pandemic, was not subject to the stock market fluctuations or the employment statistics or whoever was in political power at the time. What had happened is we had begun to tap into spiritual laws that superseded the laws of natural economy. And it was sustaining us through a season that was very challenging on so many levels. But it felt, I remember at times feeling like, man, I feel insulated from what's going on on a natural plane because I'm not operating any longer by what so-and-so on the news financial expert and the on the internet is saying. I'm actually operating by financial principles and financial laws that are spiritual and not natural. That has been really encouraging to me. And it's something that I've become really passionate about sharing with people because fear around money can feel so debilitating when things feel uncertain around us. And part of the reason I get passionate about helping people with both practical and spiritual tools around money is because I see both of them being related. They're married. You can marry the two. In fact, they work best when we do employ both practical and spiritual laws. It's not solely practical, it's not solely spiritual. There is the intersection of both. And what I want to do today is break down some simple steps that you can take. I have six to seven

The Role of Self-awareness in Financial Increase

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steps. These steps can be employed anytime you're wanting to see increase in your life. Maybe you're wanting to get a new job and you're not quite sure how it's going to happen, but you have that new income level in your heart. I want to break it down into bite-sized pieces so that you can pull in whatever feels right-sized for you and whatever is resonating with you. You might already have a budget. And so maybe some of the spiritual tools are the things that you're going to want to bring in because you're like, oh yeah, I already have my spreadsheets locked in. I know how to pay my bills on time. Well, great. This is just going to add some extra fuel to the fire when it comes to increasing your financial capacity and what you were able to walk in and draw and attract into your life. Step number one, notice when you are ready for increase. I wasn't angry with the amount of money we were making when we were on that $65,000. I was, I was, in many respects, content. I was grateful for what we were earning, but I could also feel that urge of, I'm ready to step into something new. And this is where self-awareness can become such an important key. When you recognize you will internally have a sense for when you are ready to go to another level in something. It is not something that other people outside of you can necessarily tell you when it's when you're ready. It is something that you get to tune into on your own. And it's something that you can actually do in tandem with God in your process. You can learn to tune into what is going on in your inner world. You'll often feel a sense of, okay, I've reached the maximum of the place that I'm in and I'm ready to go to the next level. What is that next level for you? That is not something that other people can tell you. Maybe you can brainstorm it out with some people, but in general, it is an inner knowing that you will have. And this is where I caution people is to not get too hung up on what's so-and-so doing on Instagram or what's my neighbor down the road doing, or my sister, or my brother, or my parents, what is their next financial level? Somebody else's financial next level is not necessarily your next financial level. The reason I emphasize self-awareness is because if I get caught up in worrying about what somebody else is doing and feel like I need to be going on their timeline, I can actually end up disconnecting for what my next level is and try to go on another person's process that isn't my process to go on. Not everybody's next level is going to be a million dollars. Not everybody's next level is even going to be $100,000. Your next level might be $50,000. If you're making $30,000 right now every year, $50,000 might actually feel like the next step for you. It could be a bigger jump. It could be a smaller jump. And that's why it's so personal on so many levels is I can't tell you what next your next level is. But you being honest about what it is for yourself is a really important key. Don't let

Know Your Why

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other people's money or lack of money determine what your next step is. So that's step number one. Step number two, what is your why? Why do you want more money now? I think that understanding why I want something is incredibly helpful because anytime we go on a journey of growth or expansion, there are going to be little hiccups along the way, unexpected twists and turns. And when I know what my why is and why it's important to me, that can serve as an anchor to hold me on the times when it's feeling hard or difficult, or I want to quit, or oh, what was I really thinking? I don't know why I thought this. And having that why is it really the compelling factor to help you over those humps and some of those unexpected detours. For me, a big reason in my why is I wanted to create a better life for my family. I wanted to be able to provide my children opportunities. I wanted to be able to do the travel. And it just felt like the next level. I knew I was ready. So having both the why and your own self-awareness, those are the first two parts.

Clear Financial Outcomes

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Step number three, set your goal income. Know that you're ready to expand, know why you're ready to expand, but then you need to set a specific number. And I've seen people go about this two different ways. Okay. You could do what I did, which as I had the specific figure, I want to reach 100,000. I knew it was the number in my head. But the other way you could do this would be sit down and plan out all the things you want to do every month and add it up and say, okay, well, I want to, I want to be able to travel more. I want to be able to put $500 towards that each month. I want a new car, and that's going to be an extra $550 a month. I want to save up for a house and I want to do this and I want to do that. You can do it that way too. You can add up all the things you want, add it to your current expenses and go, okay, that means I'm going to need an extra $3,500 a month. Okay. What does that mean I need per month? Okay, multiply it by 12 months. That's what I'm going to need per year. So you can start with the figure in mind, or you can figure out what you want and add it up that way. There isn't a wrong way to do it, but what is important is that you have a specific number in mind. Clarity is power. You might have heard that saying before. The more clear I can be on what I want, the more specific I can be, the better. And so it is worth taking some time to figure out exactly how much it is that you want. And this is where I see some of the practical coming in. You're pulling in. This is what I want. And then what you want to do is once you know the number, is you want to make sure that you've budgeted it out. Even if it's a rough budget, obviously there's going to be some things that are going to change. So you're going to do your best guesstimate. You're going to fill in all the fixed costs, like your rent or a mortgage, your insurance, those things that don't change. And you're going to add in some of the variables, and you're going to add in any of those extras that you want to save up for or you want to add in. The biggest key is you want that next level to feel like a next level for you. Play around with the numbers. Think of it as an art, not a science. Numbers can sometimes feel like a science, like it's this plus this equals this, or the income minus expenses equals the difference. That is true. That's where that element of practical comes in. But where the artistic part comes in is where you get to start dreaming. I would encourage you when you do the budgeting part, let it be fun as much as you know how. Sometimes money isn't fun for everybody. So I get that. But one of the keys for me is I let it be fun. And in part, that was because I didn't know what I was doing. I had no idea when I created that budget that it was going to lead to anything. It was just a fun exercise. So as much as you can put yourself into the state of like, let's just play around. Wow, actually, I thought of this. I want this other thing. You think of something else, you want to be able to spend an extra $300 on clothes each month, go for it. Add it in. Remember, this isn't a walked-in process. Have fun with it. If you realize you need a bit more, up the amount. If you realize that what you thought was going to be enough isn't, then change it. This is where you get to play around until the amount feels right sized for you, that next level for you. You want to budget it out and you want to do it until the income minus expenses equals zero. So that's what I had done. I planned it out and I was like, okay, this is how I'd spend the money. Okay, income minus expenses equals zero. I've balanced it. So make the budget balance. And this is where I started pulling some of the spiritual elements

Spiritual Components of Increase

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in. Because I have faith and belief in God, I actually was acknowledging God along the path. Proverbs three says, trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. While I was subconsciously doing it that very first time, what I had done in doing that mock budget and then opening myself up to the possibility of I want more on a heart level, I was acknowledging God in that process too. And so once you create your mock budget, you've put in all the numbers, commit the process to God. Say, okay, God, I'm open to seeing possibilities. I'm open to seeing things that I haven't considered. Help me see the opportunities that you're bringing my way. Awaken my heart to the things that you've placed inside of me. Help me recognize the divine appointments and the conversations that you might be bringing across my path. Take that moment to acknowledge him in all your ways and then trust, then release it. Trust that he is going to direct your paths for you. Then

Combining Practical and Spiritual

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look out for the inspired ideas. When you feel to take an inspired action, take it. Action and faith is key, practical and spiritual. Faith without works is dead. I got the inspired idea to do Airbnb and I took action on it. You are gonna have some sort of inspired idea. Maybe it's gonna be an opportunity for an advancement at work. Maybe it's gonna be an idea that a friend brings to you. Maybe you'll be chatting with Chat GBT one night and something drops in and you're like, oh, I could do this. Pay attention to those little nudges. Those are key because sometimes when we have a dream or we see want to see increase in our lives, we can slip into the trap of thinking, okay, well, if God wants to make it happen, he'll just make it happen. And something that I have learned again and again is that God wants to partner with us. He wants to co-create with us, and I want to co-create with him. So ideas and opportunities are going to cross your path. Ask for eyes to see them and then ask for grace and to take action on them. Take actions, all you have to do is take the next right step. You don't have to know the next 20 steps, but when you have an idea, follow it through. And that is something that I have learned time and again in my life is that the how is not my responsibility. And if I get too hung up on trying to figure out how it all will happen, I can nip the process in the bud before it really gets to take off and before I really get to see the fruit of what it is that I'm trying to build or do. So notice when you get inspired ideas, take action on them, but then release the how of how's it going to come together? Oh, I don't know how that's gonna work. Oh, maybe it's just not gonna work. That is one of the biggest things that you can do in getting in your own way is circumventing the process by trying to figure it all out when you don't have all the steps yet. Finally,

The Power of Gratitude and Visualization

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take time to be thankful and to visualize. These are two super fuels that I would say when it comes to increasing anything in your life, your joy, your happiness, your health, your wealth. Take time to connect to the feelings of thankfulness, not just mental ascent, but thankfulness on a heart level. Where are the things that you can already be thankful for? What is already going well in your life? That is one part. But then the other part is how will you feel when this financial increase comes your way? Can you put yourself in that futuristic state of, oh my goodness, my income's just gone up by another $5,000 a month? Oh, that feels so good. That means I can buy that new car I wanted. That means I can go on that vacation that I've been looking forward to taking my mom on for her 70th birthday. It means I can sign my kid up for that extra class or that sport that I know that they love and it won't be stressful. Lean into the emotion of what will it feel like if it already has happened, and especially pay attention to how thankful you will feel. Gratitude is one of the biggest accelerators for magnetizing good into your life by learning to be grateful for one, what you already have that's going well, and two, being grateful for the future event as though it has already happened now. Your mind does not know the difference between an imagined event that you feel with emotion and the real thing. You will still fire and wire the same neuropathways and synapses together by being able to feel into it, which leads me to the last point I want to make, which is visualizing that desired outcome. Visualize what it's gonna feel like when you're driving that new car because you can afford to pay for that upgrade. Visualize what it's gonna feel like and what you're gonna be doing when you are on that trip or you're able to upgrade the wardrobe or buy your own house for the first time. Lean into both seeing and feeling what it will be like. Let yourself feel the thankfulness, let yourself feel the joy, try to embody it. Because when you can think Think clearly about what it is that you want. That's why one of the reasons why I say you want to know the dollar amount that you're going for. That's a clear intention. But then when you can feel into the emotions in your heart, those emotions are the things that begin to magnetize those experiences to you. And there's a level of quantum physics to this that I won't go into today, but don't ever underestimate that you are a co-creator of your own life. And when you get to play an active participatory role in it, not only does it feel deeply fulfilling when things begin to come together and you start to see those serendipitous opportunities come your way, those happy coincidences that you think, oh my goodness, I was just thinking about this, and then it came across my path. It fuels my faith every time I want to create something new for my future, and then it comes together. Every time that comes together, it adds another layer to my own faith in what is possible for me. These ideas that I'm sharing with you, the practical steps of creating the budget and getting clear on the figures and budgeting it out, that's part of the practical for you. But the acknowledging God in your path, understanding that the how is not your responsibility, that you can release and trust that he is guiding you and that he is leading you towards goodness, the thankfulness, the visualization, those are the spiritual elements of what you get to add to the practical that takes it from another spreadsheet exercise, or how am I going to get money exercise to a place of bringing in those spiritual laws that will help, that incorporate, that blend with those practical laws and take it just from a very rote one-dimensional exercise to a multidimensional exercise. When you can tap into that co-creative power with God, that'll take you to a whole new level of what you believe is possible for your life. Now, I had stumbled on this place financially, but I have employed it in so many other areas of my life as well that had nothing to do with a budget, but were taking principles that I learned through this process and allowed me to cut and paste them into other areas of

Reviewing the Steps

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life as well. So quick recap of the steps. One, know when you're ready to go to the next level. Two, what is your why behind it? Three, what is the amount of money that you want to earn? Get a specific amount there. Four, budget it out. Income minus expenses equals zero. So play around with those numbers, tweak the totals if you need to, increase the income if you need to. Then acknowledge God, release it, release the how. Take inspired action and don't forget to take time to visualize, feel into the thankfulness, be grateful for what you have and for what is coming. As I close today, I want to encourage

Embracing Abundance and Partnership with God

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you with this. God wants to partner with you in your finances. You were never meant to do your money journey alone. And I know sometimes when we've grown up in different environments, not everybody has had the benefit of parents who were good with money or parents who taught their children financial stewardship. So it can be easy to feel very alone, sometimes lost, sometimes overwhelmed, disheartened when it comes to your money. And so, as much as you're able today, I want you to hear me when I say God really does want to partner with you in your finances. It is his delight to give you the kingdom. It is his delight to see you prosper and to step into things that are desires of your heart. Abundance is his idea. We live in an abundant world and in an abundant universe. And sometimes it doesn't look that way when we can get our eyes focused on the scarcity or if we hear too much of the news and everything that's going wrong. But I promise you there is another reality that is available to you. And it is a kingdom reality that is limitless. And when you can learn to tap into those spiritual laws and blend them with those practical tools, you're going to have a world of opportunities and possibilities open up to you that you didn't realize was there. So I challenge you today, give yourself permission to begin to dream about what your next financial level would be. Give yourself permission to plug in the numbers and make it work. If you're not sure how, ask a friend, ask ChatGBT. You can have more. You can do more, you can be more abundant in every area of your life. And often finances are a key to this. They're not the only key. I can be happy with whatever level of finances I have. My happiness is not tied to my bank balance. However, being able to relax around money because I know that I know how to steward it and I know that I feel comfortable with it, and I know that there is always more available to me has been a tremendous area of growth in my own life. And it's something that I feel really passionate about letting other people experience too. Because when you can begin to let go of your anxiety around finances, you will find out that so much of your energy is then freed up to go into creating and doing the things that you were born to do. I created a PDF download for you, and I'm going to link it to this, and it breaks down all the steps. I have taught this process. I have a spreadsheet that's connected to the PDF. So if you don't have a budgeting program, it's a working budget template that you can plug your numbers into. I'll link it to this podcast episode. Feel free to download it. It goes into very specific detail for each step for you. And so that is an option for you as well if you're wanting to go back and actually work through the steps on your own. I'd love you to have it. I'd love to see you increase. Have a great week, friends. Next week, Des will be back and we will have another fun topic to share on the Roadback podcast. See you soon.