Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living eCourse Review
Welcome back, ladies!
I hope you enjoy reading about my experience with Jennifer L. Scott's "Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living"eCourse*. We are living in turbulent times right now, and while society still encourages us to spend more at every turn, I think it's time to radically change our mindset and reevaluate preconceived ideas regarding our finances.
Jennifer's eCourse, while filmed back in 2018, is still fresh and applicable today in 2020 - if not more so.
I hope you enjoy reading my review as much as I enjoyed taking this course!
Jennifer L. Scott's Madame Chic trilogy is a must-read.
Course Structure
Like Jennifer L. Scott's other eCourses, such as "Carry Yourself with Poise", the course is made up of short videos (over two hours' worth) with corresponding text and mini quizzes.
The 14 Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living are:
Share Your Debt Story
Make Sure Your Spouse is on the Same Page (Marriage & Debt)
Look to Madame Chic
Adopt the Ten-Item Wardrobe
Learn from Your Financial Mistakes
Ask Yourself, Can I Really Afford This?
Live Beneath Your Means (Create Scarcity)
Create (and Stick to) Your Budget
Learn to Love Your Home Life
Reevaluate Your Luxuries
Embrace Entrepreneurship
Invest Wisely
Giving is Good
Get Radical
I really like this method of teaching with short videos on each topic. The information is broken down into bite-sized chunks and is therefore easier to absorb.
Jennifer gets very personal and goes into a lot of detail regarding her family's financial past. I particularly liked that she shared her wedding story where they decided to have a very small wedding reception at a lovely restaurant in Malibu and only invite very close friends and family.
Not giving in to the pressure of having a large and expensive wedding ensured they started their marriage on the right foot.
The Millionaire Next Door
One of the recurring themes of "Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living" is that we have to examine the motives behind our purchases.
A book she recommends on this very topic is "The Millionaire Next Door" which I bought in audio version. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book as I did other tasks around the house. While this book was written in 1996, the main message is very much still relevant today.
Namely, that most millionaires in America act nothing like the stereotypical image of what a millionaire should look and act like.
Most self-made millionaires continue to live in the same home they owned before they became wealthy and continue to live below their means throughout their lives. I'm not sure why I was so surprised by this. I suppose having lived in places where the flaunting of wealth was commonplace, I was rather taken aback by this information.
It is quite liberating to let go of the pressure to measure up to a certain ideal. Being out of debt, sticking to a budget and being financially responsible is much more important (and chic!) than keeping up appearances.
Make Home Life a Priority
This is where Madame Chic's influence comes in. According to Jennifer, Madame Chic stuck to a budget yet still ran a beautiful household and cooked wonderful meals and decadent desserts for her family.
Creating a fulfilling life at home is of the utmost importance especially now when we may be forced to stay in again if there is another lock-down.
There is one problem with staying home though, and that is that we may start to feel the urge to redecorate and begin home improvement projects. This one is a difficult one and that is where self-discipline really needs to be exercised. Appreciating what you already have can help.
De-cluttering and taking care of your possessions is one way to improve your surroundings without any extra spending.
My Thoughts
I think there are very few people who would not benefit from this course. Even if you are out of debt and follow a budget already there is so much you can learn from Jennifer's past mistakes.
There's no denying that our society is obsessed with conspicuous consumption. It is very difficult to break free from this and finally escape the hamster wheel without some serious help!
Listening to Jennifer and the other ladies in the comment section really makes you reevaluate your choices and do some serious soul-searching. Whenever I feel the urge to buy something now, even if it's within my budget, I pause and really think:
While it may be quite the challenge to resist the urge, there is a real peace that comes with the feeling that you're in control. Suddenly, objects you already own but hardly see, come to life. It's as if you're looking at them for the first time. You feel so much gratitude for everything in your life.
Conclusion
Unless you are an expert at finances and feel totally in control of your spending, I believe you will benefit greatly from this course. Jennifer's low pricing ($10) is due to her really wanting as many people as possible to benefit from this information. I find this to be very fair, especially in our current financial climate.
I would suggest reading or re-reading At Home with Madame Chic while taking this course. It's important to know that you can still live a beautiful life even if you are forced to make drastic changes to your budget. Reading this book can give you many ideas and inspiration on how to do just that.
If you are considering joining "Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living" please click here.*
I look forward to seeing you there.
In the meantime, stay safe and frugal!
xoxo,
Mrs. Hannover
P.S. If you missed my interview with Jennifer L. Scott, please click here. (We discuss the future of homemaking in a post-Covid world and her exciting new projects.)
Disclosure
*I am affiliated with the eCourse "Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living." I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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