From “The Budget Survival Guide” by Kyle Franck and Jessica Lamm
Available Now on Amazon – Click Here to Get Your Copy
Let’s be real—no one teaches you how to manage money unless you grow up lucky.
Most of us learn the hard way: overdraft fees, maxed-out credit cards, sketchy payday loans, and that pit-in-your-stomach feeling every time a bill hits.
That’s exactly why we wrote The Budget Survival Guide. Not for millionaires. Not for people with finance degrees. We wrote it for regular people—people like me—who’ve been broke, stressed, and dead tired of the cycle.
In this article, We’re going to give you a few quick wins straight out of the book. Use these now. And if you want the whole blueprint, you can grab the full guide right here.
🚨 Quick Tip #1: If You Don’t Know What You Spend, You’ll Never Win
Sounds simple, right? But most people I’ve worked with don’t actually know where their money is going.
They know rent, maybe the electric bill—but what about that $9.99 subscription from three years ago? What about gas, snacks, and impulse Amazon buys?
Here’s how to fix it:
Go back through one month of bank statements.
Write down every expense. Yes, all of it.
Group it into categories: bills, food, subscriptions, gas, shopping, etc.
Add it up. Be honest.
You’re not doing this to judge yourself—you’re doing this to find leaks in the ship. That’s how budgeting starts: not with cutting things out, but seeing where the holes are.
I include a downloadable Budget Leak Finder Worksheet here—completely free. Use it and thank me later.
💳 Quick Tip #2: Credit Repair Isn’t Magic—It’s Maintenance
There are way too many people out here charging $800 to “fix” your credit, and 90% of them are doing stuff you can do for free. In the book, I walk you through:
How to get your real credit report
How to spot incorrect entries
How to dispute them
And how to build new lines of credit without going deeper in debt
Here’s a direct link to the free credit report guide I mention in the book.
Your credit isn’t a mystery. It’s a score built from habits. You can change the score by changing the habits—simple as that.
💵 Quick Tip #3: Your Pocket Change Might Be Worth $100+
You probably know me from YouTube or from VarietyErrors.com, where I break down rare coins, error notes, and overlooked collectibles that people walk past every day.
But most people don’t realize how connected this is to real financial survival.
I teach in The Budget Survival Guide how you can start a low-cost side hustle just by checking your change and learning what to look for. A coin with a mint error or rare variety can flip for $50, $500, or more. And it’s not rare—it’s just hidden.
Start here:
It’s one of the only side hustles left with zero startup cost—just knowledge.
🧠 This Book Was Built for People Who Are Tired of Guessing
I didn’t write this for people who love spreadsheets. I wrote it for people who want real answers, explained in a way that’s clear, honest, and actually doable.
No jargon. No gatekeeping. No BS.
Inside the book, you’ll find:
How to finally build a budget that works
How to fix your credit without shady services
How to start saving—even if you think you can’t
How to build income from coins, collectibles, and overlooked assets
How to stay in control when life (and bills) hit hard
Whether you’re just getting started or starting over, this book gives you every step. And if you’re like most readers, you’ll start saving money before you finish Chapter 3.
🛒 Ready to Take Control?
If this article hit home, the full book will hit harder.
It’s 230+ pages of straight-up, practical money help—and it’s written by someone who’s been there, not just studied it.
🎯 Click here to order The Budget Survival Guide on Amazon
📦 Available in Paperback & Kindle
🔗 Packed with real tools + links to free bonus resources at VarietyErrors.com
Let’s stop making money feel complicated.
Let’s make a plan.
Let’s build something better.
– Jessica
