QUBER User Profile: Michelle

There are only a few things in life that all people will experience, and the never-ending process of learning to manage money is one of them. In our last blog post, we advocated for speaking openly about the ups and downs of money management with the people around you. In that light, we want to occasionally profile some of QUBER’s most successful users on Money Talks to ask them a bit about themselves and how they’ve learned to manage their personal finances more effectively.

For this week’s post, we spoke with one of our long-time users, Michelle. Michelle has been a QUBER user since early 2018 and is a life-long resident of New Brunswick. We spoke to her last week about some of her experiences with personal finance and what’s keeping her on track to reach her goals these days.

[Alina]: Hi Michelle! Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

[Michelle]: I'm a manager in a call center, I've worked for this company for 17 years. I don't have children but have nieces and nephews and my partner has a son from a previous relationship. We recently decided to move to Shediac (Pointe du Chêne) in a cottage that we are going to winterize and make our home year round. It's close to eight cottages owned by my family (parents, brother, cousins, aunts and uncles, it's honestly our little piece of paradise with my family).

What made you realize you needed to take money management more seriously?

I own a home in Moncton but in order to make ends meet I've had to rent it out and move into an apartment with my boyfriend. I've made some poor decisions in the past, causing credit card debt and a poor debt ratio which has made it difficult to secure a loan or do some things I've wanted to do...so I knew it was time to get my cash flow and money in order. QUBER has made it so easy...I started by just rounding up on some of the regular purchases I was making at the grocery stores and pharmacies, then I added the Fitness challenge, every time I hit my Fitbit step goal I would put some aside (I've increased that amount a few times) and now with the new saving challenges its the easiest way to put money away...I'm on my second $1000 yearly challenge and I also have two $500 six month challenges on the go right now.

What are you saving for these days, and what keeps you motivated?

We are in the process of buying our first home together, it's a cottage in Shediac that needs a little work...so this money I'm saving will help us do the needed upgrades...like building a laundry room and most importantly a new deck in the back yard.

The lovely Michelle and her partner Jason in front of their new home in Shediac.

Are there moments or certain products you love that make it challenging for you to stay on track?

Lately we have been able to control our spending on frivolous things, we have been focusing on spending for our new home.

How has COVID changed the way you manage your finances?

COVID-19 has changed EVERYTHING! January 1st I had plans to reduce my spending after looking at some crazy months of just making silly decisions with my money, when March came with Corona it only helped me with making better choices. We stopped eating out, stopped getting coffee, stopped going to bars and stores and really minimized what we were spending to only buying what we needed. It meant I could focus even more on investing, paying off bills and saving with QUBER. It's one of the things that I can thank the virus for, that and getting closer to my family.

Do you have any saving advice for people who are just getting started?

Start small, add a couple options to round up purchases, stuff you won't notice, it's amazing how a few dollars a day can really add up! Be vigilant and don't give up, we can always find ways to get money for things we want, apply this to your savings as well!

Michelle’s last point is such a great tip – we always find rationalizations for buying the things we want, so flip that logic on it’s head and apply it to your saving goals! Overall, we hope that reading a bit of Michelle’s story will remind you that improving your financial habits is possible if you’re willing to put in a bit of time and effort. There’s no shame in admitting that you’ve made financial mistakes – we’ve all made them, so in fact, it’s really the opposite! Being open about the ways you’ve faltered with your money is admirable. It can not only help others recognize their own mistakes, but can help put things in perspective for yourself and minimize the feeling of guilt we often place upon ourselves for messing up.

Huge thank you to Michelle – we really appreciate you taking the time to participate!

Check back to Money Talks every Monday for a new post featuring more tips and tricks on how to reach your saving goals, and subscribe to our mailing list for blog updates!
Have a suggestion for something you’d like us to write about? Shoot us a message at contactus@quber.ca and we’ll get to work.