A WOMAN has completely turned her financial outlook around after living off of free gas station samples.
She now makes $4,000 monthly at her new job, and credited three crucial steps to getting her out of the tough spot.
Reykja Elle (pictured) turned her life around with some crucial financial decisionsReykja Elle/SWNS She now works from home full-time and brings in over $4,000 monthlyReykja Elle/SWNSReykja Elle, 36, didn’t come from a lot of money living in Florida and Georgia as a child and throughout her adolescence.
“Growing up in poverty I always had a budget mindset,” she told The US Sun recently.
“It really kicked in when I was on my own and had to provide for myself. I had to think strategically in every aspect.”
By the time she turned 18, Reykja was paying for everything, and began her journey of extreme budgeting over the next six years.
The initial cost-cutting measures included selling all of her furniture and switching off electricity to live solely by candlelight, among other drastic steps.
“In the USA you get paid roughly $50 to donate blood. I was having to donate blood constantly to just get a meal or two,” the 32-year-old explained.
Reykja added that at one point the military was a consideration just for a “place to sleep and earn money,” and with 50 cents in her account she got the gas station food samples.
Jobs were hard to come by, but she finally managed to land a therapist assistant position by “pure luck” thanks to a hiring manager who offered her “a chance.”
That snowballed into meeting her husband, graduating college with a degree in psychology, and working now as a content creator and writer in Mandel, Norway, making $4,000 a month with over $44,000 in emergency savings in just under four years.
But, how’d she do it?
STEP BY STEP
Reykja emphasized her “multi-faceted” and three-pronged approach as the key — budget, invest, and work from home.
She’d already known budgeting from having so little, so when the job came around as a therapist’s assistant, she began keeping track of income and expenses.
Any excess funds were then placed in high-yield savings accounts or invested as an emergency buffer and to also have the money make money for her while it sits unused.
“Our monthly income on average is $7,000 to $7,500 before taxes,” Reykja explained.
How to cut the cost of your grocery shop
BELOW are some tips on how to reduce the amount you spend on groceries.
Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping Never shop hungry – You are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra they’ll charge for chopping can be eye watering Use social media – Follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards“We pay our bills first and allow ourselves to have $400 to $500 of ‘fun’ money — like eating out or taking a trip.”
“The rest goes immediately into savings,” she added.
Lastly, the work-from-home perk may not be available for everyone.
Many jobs still offer that incentive, and for those who can do it, this could offer serious savings, as it did for Reykja.
She told SWNS that working from home can slash commuting expenses and also make way for lower rent costs.
DON’T GIVE UP
Along with the financial stability, Reykja and her husband have also started a family, and she hopes others can learn from her story.
“We have a child, aged three, it was the best decision,” she said.
“I just wanted people to know that if you’re born into a hard situation like me and it can take years to get out of, but you can resolve this.”
“You don’t have to feel less than because you’re struggling with money. There’s no shame in it,” Reykja emphasized.
SWNS contributed to this story.
A woman was also recently able to get herself out of $23,000 in credit card debt using ChatGPT.
As energy bills skyrocket to record averages this summer, an expert has a tip that could help Americans save as much as 30%.
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