Money Makeover: Achieving a debt-free life with social media star "The Budget Mom" (2024)

SPOKANE, Wash. - As a single mom, Kumiko Love paid off nearly $80,000 of debt in less than a year. Now, she’s made a successful career of helping others do the same.

Love is known as “The Budget Mom” to her millions of social media followers. She's a Spokane local who operates a warehouse in Spokane Valley. There, she packs and ships budgeting tools like the Budget by Paycheck Workbook, Live Rich Planner, and more.

Love decided to take control of her finances after she found herself financing an ice cream cone for her son. In the McDonald's drive-thru, she decided it was time to be realistic about her finances and change her family's life.

Several years later and debt-free, Love has created a budgeting empire. Through social media sites like Youtube, Facebook, The Budget Mom storefront, her blog, and more, Love has created a strong community of millions of people.

Community was the original reason why Love decided to build her company. She realized that talking about personal finances was difficult and uncomfortable. She wanted a safe space where she could share her tips and celebrate newfound financial freedom.

"I wanted to reach other women who felt and understood how I felt. And so that's why The Budget Mom was born. It wasn't to start a business, it was to start a community of people who were going through the same thing so we could not feel as alone," said Love.

Love says the best piece of advice she can offer those hoping to transform their finances is to confront your reality. Love believes finance and self-discovery go hand in hand.

"It's not about budgeting, it's about learning the healthy habits of having a realistic spending road map so we can ensure our dollars are working the best for us," said Love.

To start, she recommends tracking every dollar you spend, and deciding how that fits with your goals.

This week is money makeover week on Good Morning Northwest. All week long, Allison Martinez is sharing tips and tricks from local experts to help you manage your finances.