At first, $15,000 sounds like a lot of money, but when you break it down, you realize it is just a hump you can get over.
I first saved $15,000 in college when COVID kicked us off campus. For me, that meant moving back in with my grandmother, and at the time, that felt terrible.
I remember calling my dad one night, complaining about how I wanted to live on my own, get a car, get an apartment, and still have money saved for my senior year of college.
He said, “Well, let’s do it. Let’s come up with a plan.”
I still have it written down in my journal. I called it Operation Get Grown.
The goal was to save between $20,000 and $25,000. I wanted enough money to buy a reliable car in cash. At the time, I thought it was going to be a Honda, but God blessed me with my blue Toyota Corolla, better known as Blueberry Blast.
Anywho, I also wanted enough money to move into my first apartment, pay at least two months of rent, buy furniture, and still have something left over for college.
Fast forward, I did it.
I spent only $14,500 on my car. I don’t remember exactly how much I spent moving into my very first apartment, but I do remember starting my senior year of college with more than $3,000 still saved.
It took discipline, patience, and hard work, but it got done.
So, what did I do?
I worked.
I was working at Walmart almost every day from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. I was also working on Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base watching kids when the base slowly started opening back up. On top of that, I was DoorDashing, and COVID was giving students some money too.
I was saving every dollar.
As I mentioned, I was living with my grandmother, and at the time, she was not asking me to pay rent. My car had broken down, so I was driving her F-150 everywhere. I gave myself a $50 allowance every week for gas.
You can ask my friend DaShawn because I spent most days with him that summer. I would not spend money on anything. Every check I got went into my direct deposit, and I would just watch the money grow until it hit $20,000.
I did not touch it for anything.
I wanted my freedom so much more.
Every time I saw a cute top, delicious food, or a cool event, I would ask myself:
Do you want to buy this and stay at your grandmother’s house a little longer, or do you want to not buy it and move out quicker?
That always seemed to do the trick. Lol.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Some days, I would forget my lunch and have to buy food. But that is where DoorDash came in handy. It was extra money.
I would tell myself, “It takes $50 to put gas in this truck, so before I turn this Dash off, I need to make at least $50.”
If it was a day when I didn’t think I would make the money back, I would cut my day short instead of wasting gas. Everything I made extra either helped make my checking account an even number or covered the days when I forgot my lunch.
Now, in 2026, I find myself back in that position.
I am living with my grandmother again and trying to save as much as I can for freedom. Luckily, this time, I do not have to work as many jobs, and I have my own car. But the mindset is the same.
In the first nine months, I have been able to save more than $15,000.
The goal is different this time. This time, I want to pay off my $28,000 in student loan debt and still have something left over to create a better life for myself in the future.
But the way I am going to get there is by going back to the basics:
Do you want to buy this and stay at your grandmother’s house a little longer, or do you want to not buy it and move out quicker?
Lol. No, really.
Sit down and come up with a plan
The first thing you need to do is sit down and be honest with yourself.
How much money do you bring in every month?
How much goes toward bills?
How much can go toward savings?
Is there anything extra?
What are you spending too much money on?
You get the point.
You have to see where your dollars are going before you can tell them where to go.
Create a budget that actually makes sense for your life
A budget does not have to be complicated. It just needs to be honest.
You need to know what you have coming in, what must go out, and what you can realistically save. If your budget is too strict, you may not stick with it. But if you give yourself a little room while still staying focused, it becomes easier to keep going.
For me, I had to keep reminding myself that every dollar had a job.
Some dollars were for bills.
Some dollars were for gas.
Some dollars were for food.
And the rest needed to go toward my freedom.
Give yourself a deadline
A deadline makes the goal feel real.
When you know when you want to reach your savings goal, you can figure out how much you need to save each pay period. That way, you are not just saying, “I want to save money.” You are actually working a plan.
And once you have the plan, you have to keep working it until it is completed.
Give yourself grace, but do not give up
Have I lost sight sometimes?
Most definitely.
But I try to budget for that too. And most importantly, I simply do not give up.
Even when I fall off, I catch myself and pick up where I left off. Nothing worth having is going to happen overnight, so I give myself grace. I also try to enjoy the boring days because once the goal is conquered, I know those are the days I will talk about the most.
The days when I packed my lunch.
The days when I skipped the cute outfit.
The days when I stayed home.
The days when I watched my account grow instead of watching my money disappear.
Those are the days that built the life I was praying for.
So, what are you saving up for?
A house?
A new car?
Your family?
Freedom?
Let me know in the comments, and let me know if you try this.
And if all else fails, just ask yourself:
Do you like your current situation, or are you ready to get over this hump?
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