Roots of Personal Finance Member Spotlight: Emily Gallo

Emily Gallo serves in the New Mexico Army National Guard, is a Pure Romance Consultant and is pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Business. Like most people, Emily decided to enroll in Roots of Personal Finance to get a handle on her finances. "I knew the basics of setting up a budget, but was never motivated to really put it into action. It's important to me to understand debt, eliminate that debt, and start living a life where I can pay cash for the items and experiences that I need and want."

Emily was a big spender when it came to gifts. She loves to shower her dogs and boyfriend with gifts. And while it's better to give than to receive, her bank account wasn't very receptive. Now she budgets her gift giving and has been able to cut that spending in half. 

"Starting Roots was almost like giving myself permission to start fresh and get my financial act together." Emily has paid off $3,000 of debt, saved $2,000 for her emergency fund and put away an additional $1,000 into her savings account. She's been able to cancel unnecessary subscriptions that were draining her wallet every month. 

If you want to get your financial act together, too, Emily says, "Invest in yourself. Whether that means you are putting money in your savings account, your emergency fund, or the piggy bank that is hidden in your closet. Just 1 dollar a day, that's $365 at the end of the year."