I'm Miriam René, a personal finance coach. I'll teach you how to take control of your money so you can achieve your goals and live the life of your dreams. I'll be with you every step of the way, making the process simple and joyful, as you learn how to make your money work for you.
Money matters because you matter.
My Money Matters Story:
I was always a saver, even at a young age. I saved any money I was gifted - from birthdays, from graduations and my even my first communion. When I was 10 my father was out of work and my mother asked if she could borrow money from my bank account. In that moment I learned that money makes life easier. Money brings peace. Money matters.
When I was buying my first apartment I was a few thousand dollars short of my closing costs. My mother gave me the much needed cash gift. I accomplished home ownership. The lesson yet again was that money matters.
A few years later, I was a new teacher living in New York City when I was in a car accident that forced me out of work.
I ran out of money in less than one month. That was my financial AHA moment.
I realized that even with a full-time job, full benefits, and a stable, steady income I didn't even have enough money to make it through one month. I had absolutely no safety net. The reason was because I didn't know how to manage my money.
I’m one of the lucky ones. Just in the nick of time the insurance claim was approved and I was able to pay my mortgage and bills until I was able to return to work. That’s when I made the decision to take charge of my finances so I’d never be in a position of extreme financial uncertainty again.
Within 18 months I had paid off 3 credit cards and saved $1000 in my emergency fund.
2 years later I had paid off my student loan and saved 6 months of expenses.
I finally had a sense of financial peace.
I had no debt, except my mortgage. There's a complete peace in having no financial obligations.
Freedom from debt gave me the ability to create incredible life experiences:
I took a leave from my teaching job to volunteer with children in Haiti for two years.
I traveled to Mexico, Costa Rica, Greece, Paris, Spain, the Caribbean, and the French Riviera.
I sponsored a child in Uganda.
I gave thousands to charity.
Having my finances in order and staying out of debt afforded me the life I always wanted.
Once I learned how to manage my finances I had a deep desire - and the ability - to help friends, family, and co-workers gain the same skills.
I began giving advice and walking them through learning how to budget, the best way to pay off debt, and how to save - for vacations, a home, retirement and more. Several decided they were financially secure enough to have children.
As I coached more and more clients I realized they were changing more than their own lives - they were transforming their families and their legacies.
Generations were being impacted by the new financial habits my clients had learned and were applying to their lives.
My desire to serve more people led me to becoming a financial master coach. Today I do something I love, something I believe in, and something that matters.