Where you started doesn’t decide where you end up.

About Clarissa

I grew up without money. We lived at the YMCA, with family, and in apartments where my mom worked hard just to get the rent paid. Nobody in my house had a savings account. I didn’t even know budgeting was something people did.

What I did know was how it felt to have nothing. So as a kid, whenever I got money, I held on to it. I was scared of ending up back in that place.

As an adult, I taught myself to budget and save, mostly through trial and error. Here’s where that got me:

  • Paid off over $38,000 in credit card debt in 16 months

  • Saved $30,000 in two years

  • Raised my credit score from 545 to 850

  • Bought my home, and later a rental property

I also want to be honest with you. I’m back in debt right now. I’m paying off $28,000 and posting my progress every Wednesday with #28KtoZero on social media. I share it because money doesn’t always go in a straight line, and I’d rather you watch me do the real thing than act like I have it all figured out.

Who I’m here for

Maybe you look fine from the outside. You go to work, you take care of everybody, and nobody knows you check your bank account with one eye closed. You’re tired of carrying it all and still feeling behind.

That was me. Start where you are. That’s where I started too.

What you’ll get from me

I’ll tell you the truth about money, and I won’t make you feel bad about where you are right now. My faith is a big part of my life, so you’ll see it here. You’ll also see me laugh at myself a lot.

Here’s what I teach:

  • How to budget around your paychecks

  • How to fix your credit

  • How to save for emergencies and for the bills you know are coming

  • How to start investing, like opening a Roth IRA

  • How to earn more

 

A few things about me

  • Single mom of three

  • Psychology degree, MBA, and PMP certified

  • Worked in customer service in TD Bank’s credit card department

  • Board member and treasurer of a diaper bank in Essex County, New Jersey

  • Featured in Essence, Business Insider, Cosmopolitan, Yahoo Finance, and on the Tamron Hall Show