My Life Has Been Life-Ing… Unexpected Expenses & Staying on Track 🫠

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Hello Reader,

It’s Bola here.

Last month was a big one for me. My new book launched on 3/31, and I was deep in promotion mode—busy, excited, and fully in it. And then, like it always does, life showed up at the same time.

A quick life update and a $6,000 unexpected expense

What started as planned car maintenance quickly turned into something much bigger. Between repairs I had previously planned for, a mishap with a loaner car led to damage, and a broken garage door on top of it. In a very short period of time, I found myself dealing with about $6,000 in unexpected expenses.

The difference? Preparation

I had already set money aside for my planned car repairs, and I had an emergency fund ready for the unexpected. That meant I didn't have to panic, go into debt, or derail any plans. I handled it, took care of what needed to be done, and kept it moving.

What this experience reminded me of

This reinforced a few things I already knew, but sometimes need to be reminded of:

The goal isn't to avoid problems, it's to be prepared for them
Unexpected expenses are part of life, not a sign that you're failing
Having savings turns a crisis into an inconvenience
Your mindset in the moment matters just as much as your money

I could have focused on "losing" $6,000. Instead, I reminded myself: this is exactly why I saved that fund.

Even after all of that, my habits stayed

I’ve been doing a simple savings binder with my friend Nikki, where we set aside small amounts we would have otherwise spent—things like takeout, impulse buys, or random extras with the kids (I shared more about it in a recent newsletter). And despite this unexpected expense happening, I kept this habit going.

Last year, I saved $3,800 doing that. This year, I’ve already saved over $3,000 again so far.

That money didn’t come from big sacrifices. It came from small, consistent decisions.

And that’s the point—those small habits are what build the foundation that allows you to handle bigger moments when they come.

A few tips if life has been life-ing for you too

Focus on building your savings, even if it's small amounts
Don't let one unexpected expense derail your long-term goals. Adjust your timeline accordingly if you need to rebuild
Reframe how you think about using your emergency fund—it's there to serve you
Stay consistent with your habits, especially when things feel off track
Remind yourself that this is part of the process, not the end of your progress

You don't need perfection to move forward, you just need consistency.

If you need support staying consistent

We have several savings challenges on the Clever Girl Finance course platform, completely free, designed to help you build momentum step by step.

👉 Check them out here: clevergirlfinance.com/courses

And if you want to go even deeper

My new book, Clever Girl Millionaire, dives much deeper into this exact idea—how to build wealth while navigating real life, unexpected moments, and the mindset shifts that come with it.

It's not about perfection.

It's about progress, resilience, and staying committed to your vision.

If you've already grabbed a copy, thank you so much. And if you haven't yet, you can find it wherever books are sold.

Life is always going to happen. The real question is: Are you building the habits and the mindset to handle it when it does?

📺 On YouTube

Tune in to this YouTube video on, How to reset your finances after a rough year!

Be sure to check out the Clever Girl Finance YouTube channel for more great videos!

📖 On the blog

🎧 On the podcast

From credit card debt to business owner: Nancy's money transformation

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Talk soon ❤️
Team CGF
(Kiersten & Bola)