Jasmine Taylor recognized by January 2021 that she wanted to change the way she saw money.
The Amarillo, Texas, resident, who is now 31 years old, has just about scratched by during the previous month’s holiday shopping period. In her statement to CNBC Make It, she says, “I simply recall thinking how I was supposed to make it to the end of the following month.”
Taylor was surviving on freelance work carrying medications for clinics and food for DoorDash after suddenly losing her full-time work. She owed $9,000 in credit card and hospital bills in addition to nearly $60,000 in college loan debt.
She turned to YouTube, where she learned of “cash stuffing,” a cash management technique that improved her life, much like pretty much everyone else who was trying to figure something out for the first time. Taylor claims, “I discovered money budgeting and I stayed to it. I might only ever spend money that I had on hand.”
Taylor recalls that she decided to post on TikTok, that at the time was “mainly kids dancing,” to keep herself responsible.
Shortly, videos showing her handling her money by stuffing envelopes with cash became viral.
