When you hear the words like debt, budget and 401k, does your head spin? One woman in Portland, Oregon has her own money management radio show and is telling listeners that if you want to get your finances together, you need to start thinking about cats instead.
“I looked all over for money management lessons that fit my lifestyle, but I couldn't find anything that worked for me,” Lillian Karabaic said.
She decided to make her own money management course to help people better understand saving, budgeting and finding financial happiness.
Karabaic uses cats to take away the daunting aspect of money management. She found the cats help people pay attention.
“Cats I kind of stumbled into. It's even broader I feel than glitter spandex. There are a lot of people who love cats!” Karabaic said.
Even if cats aren’t your cup of tea, the use of them is intriguing.
"From investing decisions explained by cats to a walk through of student loan repayment that doesn't make you want to cough up a hairball,” said Karabaic.
Money is emotional for everyone. Karabaic said she believes if you get over the emotional hurdle of money being scary, it’ll be easy for you to get a hold of your expenses.
“Tracking your spending is one of the easiest ways to start putting together a budget. I’m a huge fan of doing it on paper. Don’t look for the perfect app,” said Karabaic.
She also said it's always important to remember why you're trying to save in the first place and to get out of debt whether that be to spend more time with your kids, retire early, go on vacation or buy something you really want. Keeping that goal top of mind will help you stay focused on the process, she said.
No matter your age, Karabaic said, fiscal "meow-nagement" is possible.