Central Florida finance expert shares simple saving, budgeting strategies

MANAGEMENT IS TOP OF MIND THIS MONTH BECAUSE IT’S FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH. SO WHETHER YOU’RE A FAMILY OF SIX OR YOU’RE FLYING SOLO, BALANCING A BUDGET CAN BE EASIER SAID THAN DONE. SO JOINING US NOW TO BREAK THINGS DOWN AND SAVE SMART IS CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ROCHELLE SMITH. ROCHELLE, WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS MORNING. HAPPY FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH. OKAY. YES. SO IMPORTANT. OKAY, SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS JUST FIRST, THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A BUDGET, RIGHT? YES. SO EVERYBODY NEEDS TO TELL THEIR MONEY WHERE TO GO. AND THAT’S THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A BUDGET. I KNOW SOMETIMES FOR SOME PEOPLE IT FEELS LIKE A BUDGET IS CONFINING. IT TELLS YOU WHAT YOU CAN’T DO, BUT IT ACTUALLY TELLS YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO, KEEPS YOU ON TRACK, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. NOW THERE ARE SEVERAL BUDGETS THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. SO KIND OF TAKE US THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT BUDGETS. SO ONE COMMON ONE IS THE ZERO BASED BUDGET. AND THAT’S WHERE YOU TAKE ALL OF YOUR INCOME MINUS YOUR EXPENSES. AND YOU MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING GETS TO ZERO BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU’RE TELLING YOUR DOLLARS WHERE TO GO. THEN THERE’S THE 50, 30, 20 BUDGET, 50% GOES TO YOUR NEEDS, 30% GOES TO YOUR WANTS AND 20% GOES TO PAYING YOUR DEBTS AND YOUR SAVINGS. OKAY. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE GOOD OLD FASHIONED ENVELOPE SYSTEM WHERE YOU PUT YOUR MONEY IN DIFFERENT ENVELOPES BASED ON THE CATEGORIES AND WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO PAY FOR. EXCELLENT. OKAY, SO THAT’S YOUR GROCERY SHOPPING OR WHETHER THAT’S SOME SAVINGS, WHATEVER YOU HAVE GOING ON. YES. HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHETHER YOU ARE FLYING SOLO OR YOU HAVE A LARGE FAMILY? WHAT BUDGET IS BEST FOR YOU? I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THE BUDGET THAT’S BEST FOR YOU IS THE BUDGET THAT YOU CAN STICK TO. SO WHETHER IT’S ZERO BASED, 50, 30, 20, IT’S THE BUDGET THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY CAN STICK TO. THERE ISN’T A, YOU KNOW, ONE STOP SHOP FOR EVERYONE. YOU HAVE TO DO TRIAL AND ERROR AND JUST SEE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOUR FAMILY. WHAT IS WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO BUILD UP THAT CONSISTENCY AND STICKING TO THAT BUDGET, WHICHEVER ONE IT MAY BE, OR IF YOU’RE KIND OF TESTING THINGS OUT, HOW DO YOU DO? SO HOW DO YOU ADVISE PEOPLE TO DO THAT? FIRST OF ALL, CONSISTENCY, LIKE THE WORD, THE WORD THAT YOU JUST SAID, YOU HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT. SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY MONTH YOU’RE CHECKING IN AND YOU’RE ADJUSTING. SO RIGHT NOW WITH THINGS UP A LITTLE, ESPECIALLY GAS AND GROCERIES, PEOPLE ARE DOING A LOT OF ADJUSTING, A LOT OF REVIEWING. AND IF YOU’RE NOT DOING THAT, YOU ARE GOING TO JUST STAY, YOU’RE GOING TO BE OFF TRACK. AND SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE CONSISTENTLY CHECKING EVERY SINGLE MONTH TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BUDGET IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. AND WHEN IT COMES TO MAYBE SITTING DOWN, I KNOW WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THIS. I GOT FOUR KIDS AND I SAID, MAN, MY FOOD BUDGET RIGHT NOW IS THROUGH THE ROOF, RIGHT? SO WHAT, HOW CAN WE BRING THE KIDS INTO THIS AND MAKE IT KIND OF LIKE A FAMILY THING AND GET THEM INVOLVED, GET THEM UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS? WELL, WE’VE BEEN HERE MANY TIMES BEFORE, BEFORE MY SON WENT OFF TO COLLEGE AND WE TALKED ABOUT SAVING LOOSE CHANGE. WE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO TEACH THE KIDS SMART MONEY HABITS. EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO SUMMER VACATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. GET THEM INVOLVED, TALK TO THEM ABOUT REAL NUMBERS AND LET THEM HELP OUT. I THINK THAT’S THE BEST WAY TO BRING THEM INTO THE CONVERSATION AND HELP THEM WITH SMART MONEY HABITS. WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU SHOULD START THAT WITH LITTLE ONES, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT’S A BIG CONCEPT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BUT IT CAN YOU CAN START YOUNG, BUT LIKE, WHAT’S THE APPROPRIATE AGE? THEY’RE REALLY GETTING IT. THEY’RE GETTING IT FIVE, SIX, SEVEN. SO WHEN THEY START KINDERGARTEN, WE START PAYING FOR LUNCH AND WE HAVE EXTRA MONEY LEFT OVER AND WE’RE GOING ON FIELD TRIPS AND HAVING ALL OF THOSE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES GET THEM INVOLVED, THEN OKAY, AND THEY GET OLDER, LIKE THE INVESTING GETS A LITTLE TOUGHER THEN, BUT KIDS ARE GETTING IT NOW. I MEAN, THE APPS, THE INTERNET, KIDS ARE LEARNING EARLIER. AND LASTLY, WHILE I HAVE YOU HERE, JUST DO YOU RECOMMEND ANY APPS TO HELP, WHETHER IT’S KIDS OR ADULTS? LIKE WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT IS BEST FOR HELPING YOU BUDGET, HELPING YOU SAVE? AND JUST THAT CONSISTENCY THAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT. THERE ARE A FEW. WHY NOW YOU NEED A BUDGET IS A GOOD ONE. THERE IS MONARCH MONEY. IT’S VERY THOROUGH AND THERE IS EVERY DOLLAR WHERE IT GIVES YOU SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS AND YOU CAN TAKE THE RECOMMENDATION OR NOT. YOU CAN COMMIT TO IT OR NOT. AND THEN THE GOOD OLD SPREADSHEETS, RIGHT? SO SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL USING THOSE GOOD OLD GOOGLE SPREADSHEETS. I’M CURIOUS, ARE YOU SEEING A LOT OF CLIENTS STARTING WITH LIKE AI OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? TO THEIR BUDGETS? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AI AND AI IS BEING NOT JUST US USING IT, BUT THE COMPANIES THAT APPS ARE INCORPORATING AI INTO THEIR SYSTEMS. SO YES, HELP YOU BUDGET. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. ROCHELLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING THIS. I’D LIKE TO REACH OUT TO LEARN MORE. HOW CAN THEY CONTACT YOU? THEY NEED TO GO TO AMES FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS.COM A M E S FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS.COM. OKAY

Central Florida finance expert shares simple saving, budgeting strategies

Certified financial planner, Reshell Smith, joins WESH 2 to share how to find the best budget and build consistency during Financial Literacy Month

Updated: 9:29 AM EDT Apr 3, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Certified financial planner Reshell Smith joins WESH 2 to share budgeting tips during Financial Literacy Month. Smith, the founder and CEO of AMES Financial Solutions, shares three common budget strategies, tips to build consistency, and more during Financial Literacy Month. Click here to connect with Smith and learn more.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

Certified financial planner Reshell Smith joins WESH 2 to share budgeting tips during Financial Literacy Month.

Smith, the founder and CEO of AMES Financial Solutions, shares three common budget strategies, tips to build consistency, and more during Financial Literacy Month.

Click here to connect with Smith and learn more.