Know Your Blogger Series

Cash for Tacos

My goal for Cash for Tacos is to help people realize that taking control of their money through budgeting or spending plans is empowering and doesn’t have to mean giving up all of life’s joys. Yes, there may be what feels like sacrifices in the beginning as you get used to new spending habits. But once you align your money with your priorities not buying something because you are working towards a goal no longer feels like a sacrifice.
Personal finance can feel overwhelming in the beginning, and I wanted Cash for Tacos to feel approachable and relatable, and I try to accomplish that with the fun name and content.
Check out our Q&A with Cash for Tacos here.

Learn more about, Cash for Tacos, and how they make personal finance more approachable and relatable.

Each week at Personal Finance Blogs, we publish interviews from amazing bloggers from the personal finance space. This week, we are featuring the blog, Cash for Tacos.
During these weekly features, we are hoping to provide a way for you to interact and learn more about different blogs in the personal finance space.
Below, you can read more about the story behind Cash for Tacos, learn about the author, and learn personal finance tips from Cash for Tacos to help you improve your financial situation.
A big thanks for Cash for Tacos for this interview! Now, we will turn it over to the author for this interview.

Tell us about Cash for Tacos

Cash for Tacos launched in April of 2019. And honestly, when I started, I did not know what I was getting myself into. I simply wanted to share how life-changing it has been for me to take control of my money and hope to inspire others to do the same. I had no clue what it meant to run a blog, but I’m so glad I’ve taken on this endeavor. I’ve learned a lot along the way and the blog has been a great way for me to work through some of my own money hang-ups.

Personal finance can feel overwhelming in the beginning, and I wanted Cash for Tacos to feel approachable and relatable, and I try to accomplish that with the fun name and content. I want people to understand what their priorities are in life, whether that be debt freedom, vacations, a new home, etc, and then use their money to support those priorities. “Tacos” represents these priorities and all of the things that we love and want in our lives. It just seems like the perfect analogy because really, who doesn’t want tacos in their life?

What makes you and your blog unique?

Part of my goal with Cash for Tacos is to be real and as transparent as possible in hopes that readers can connect and relate to any part of my story.

Personal finance is all about working to create sustainable habits around money. And like anybody, I mess up once an awhile. I am constantly learning and want to share my struggles along with my successes to help motivate others.

I recognize that every one of us has our own unique lived experiences. There is not a one size fits all approach to personal finance. What works for me may not work for you. But I think by telling my own story, I give others the opportunity to learn from my journey and start to think about how it could apply to their own lives.

What does “being good with your personal finances” mean to you?

For me, being good with your personal finances means that money decisions are based on your life priorities and goals.

So often we don’t think about money in terms of the life it can help us create. Instead, we simply think of our money as a way to pay the bills.

If we take the time to think about what we want our life to look and feel like (our priorities and values) we can align our money with those goals. Whether that means giving back to your community, getting yourself out of debt, saving up for that house downpayment, or taking a vacation, we’re using our money to build a life that we can be happy with.

What are some habits you practice to keep your personal finances in order?

There are three things that I do that help me keep my personal finances in order:

Create an annual money plan – Each year I sit down and layout my savings goals and create a spending plan. Spending priorities are always changing, so I feel better about making adjustments on a yearly basis.
Track spending – I have a serious love affair with YNAB. I’m a data geek so I love being able to review my spending habits in YNAB.
Regular money meetings – A few times a year (usually quarterly) my partner and I review our money plan. This helps determine how we are doing towards meeting our goals and allows us to make changes as goals and life changes.

What are your three articles people should read to get to know you and your message better on your site?

Being Good With Money is More Than Simply Spending Less – When I first sat down to write this article, it was going to be a year-end summary about where I cut expenses. After looking at the data, I had an entirely new perspective.

It’s OK to Feel Guilty About Spending Money – Enjoying spending money is hard sometimes. In this article, I try to take the guilt I often feel after spending money and use it as an opportunity to learn something about myself.

My New Money Focus: Spending as Well as I Can – When I first got into personal finance, I had a narrow focus: how can I use my money to live a life I love? But as the years have gone by, I’ve come to realize there is more to personal finance. My finances affect a world much larger than myself.

For someone looking to improve their financial situation, what’s your best advice?

No matter where you are on your financial journey, take the time to envision what you want your life to look and feel like. This vision is what will keep you motivated to say no to unnecessary spending and work towards your financial goals whether that be living in Thailand for a year or becoming debt-free.

In addition to having a vision for your life, get to know your core values. What things are important to you in your life? Do you want to give back, take up cycling, or be debt-free just to name a few?

When you know what you are working towards and what is important to you, it will be easier to establish and stick to your financial goals.

What’s an area of your life which has benefited from improving your personal finances? Have there been any areas of your life which have suffered?

One of my favorite things that happened because of my focus on improving my finances, is the fact that I consume less. And by consuming less, I have a tidier house and more importantly have reduced my impact on this fragile planet.

Before buying anything new, I’m always trying to think of a way to either use something we already have or find it used.

The one downfall to this is that my wardrobe isn’t evolving much these days. Each time I wear out a pair of shoes or jeans I go right back to Poshmark and find the same ones. I know they fit and I like them so why risk buying something that doesn’t work.

What are your favorite personal blogs and bloggers you have been inspired by?

One Frugal Girl – I love Jewel’s honesty in this blog and can relate to many of her struggles along her journey.

The Fioneers – I love their focus on creating a life you love right now, and not waiting until you hit a certain financial milestone.

EducatorFI – I have loved following Ed’s financial journey, but also enjoy reading about how he is working to grow his blog to be a tremendous resource for educators looking to improve their finances.

In your opinion, what’s better? Focusing on increasing your income, or focusing on decreasing your expenses?

As with most personal finance advice, my answer here is “it depends”.

I have been fortunate to have had the privilege of focusing on only reducing my expenses. A while back I purposefully switched to a lower-paying job with less responsibility so that I could work fewer hours and start enjoying my time outside of work more.

But for others who find themselves struggling to pay the bare-essential bills each month, I believe that a focus on increasing income would have a greater impact on their ability to improve their finances.

What’s a non-money related interest you have and what do you love about it?

When I’m not thinking about what to share on the blog, I’m doing everything I can to spend as much time outdoors as possible.

I love to explore the natural wonders around me. We even recently purchased a tiny campervan, who we named Albie, to make it easier for us to get up and leave the city at a moment’s notice.

Getting out in nature is my way of recharging. There is something about waking up on a brisk morning and sipping coffee by the campfire that calms my mind and helps me feel at peace.

Why do you believe learning about money and caring about personal finance is important?

I truly believe that working towards a healthy financial situation is important to our overall well-being. Without a healthy relationship with money; our physical, mental, and emotional health can all suffer.

Money and financial security is a huge cause of stress in our lives. Therefore, learning about personal finance and how to set yourself up for financial success is key to a healthy life.

How You Can Contact Cash for Tacos for More Information

You can learn more about Cash for Tacos at https://www.cashfortacos.com/, like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cashfortacos, and follow them on Twitter at @cash4tacos.

Thank you for reading this interview, and thank you, Cash for Tacos, for providing us with some great personal finance tips!