My mission is to help you discover your path to financial freedom. 

You see, I don’t think there’s any one approach to personal finance that works for everyone. Whether you’re looking to pay off debt, improve your budget, or save money, you’re in the right place!

I believe you make the rules when managing your money.

You get to decide what your priorities are. And you get to decide how you want to get there. My job is to help you find the tools and resources that work for YOU.

When you become a member of the Simply Unscripted community, you’ll gain the flexibility to focus on YOUR financial priorities.

MY FINANCIAL JOURNEY HASN’T BEEN EASY:

I used credit cards as an extension of our budget.

My prior husband and I were not diligent budgeters and used credit cards as an extension of our budget. We were never were able to get ahead or make progress on debt reduction or savings.

I paid off debt on a single income.

In 2016, I became a single mom with 3 kids and over $15k in credit card debt. I struggled with balancing my need for building savings while paying down debt. I managed to pay off my credit card debt in just under 2 years, while still allowing myself a little room for fun stuff.

I couldn’t break the debt cycle.

No sooner than I paid off the last credit card, a large home repair bill left me back in debt. When I got that paid off, another large unexpected expense came up. I was always soooo close but never quite enough ahead to finally get out of the debt cycle.

I had to learn how to manage finances with a spender and a saver.

I remarried in 2020, and that also brought its own new financial challenges. He’s a spender and I am (mostly) a saver. We had to learn to compromise so we could both be on board with our budgeting and financial goals.

I’m finally enjoying freedom from credit card debt.

While we are not debt free (we do still have cars and mortgage loans), we no longer carry any credit card debt. This has given us tremendous freedom to build up our emergency fund, cash flow larger purchases, and with our saved down payment, purchase a larger house for our blended family.

HEY THERE, I’M KRISTI!

I’m a frugalista, minimalist, and wanderer extraordinaire. I’m a numbers girl through and through…I work in accounting and have a bachelor’s degree in finance.

I’m always up for a road trip and seeing new places. We travel as much as time (and budget) allows and I’m always daydreaming of the next location.

I also like to put on the hiking boots and enjoy the solitude of nature (or maybe take a break from the chaos!)

Some random fun facts:

  • I love traveling and have been to 38 out of 50 states.
  • I’ve moved a dozen times as an adult including 5 cross-country moves.
  • I don’t like budgeting and when I was a single mom, loved my no-budget budget system.
  • Between my husband and I, we have 5 kids ranging from 7-18 years old. Depending on custody schedules, things can be a little chaotic in our house!

I believe in:

Simplicity. Simple money management systems mean you’ll be more likely to stick to your plans.

Flexibility. There absolutely should be a little room for fun things/wants in the budget. Little splurges will help keep you from feeling deprived when you have a strict budget.

Paying off debt should be a priority. You gain freedom when you aren’t stuck in the debt cycle.

Small steps. You can’t change your financial situation overnight. Make one small change, commit and master it, then add another. It will be much easier to stick to one change at a time.

I believe you make the rules when managing your money.

About Simply Unscripted

I began Simply Unscripted in 2017 as a way to share the tips, tricks, and resources I had discovered throughout my financial journey.

SIMPLY because a simpler life grants us more freedom to focus on our dreams.
UNSCRIPTED because life isn’t always what we expect it to be or how we plan it to be. We have to learn and adapt to whatever life throws at us.

Ready to get started?

Head over to my Start Here page for new readers!