My Simple Savings System That Helped Me Escape Poverty The K.E.Y. Method (Knowledge. Execution. You.)

As we are entering the most active part of hurricane season, I’m relieved to know that I’m prepared. To some, I know that might sound pompous but hear me out. When a hurricane approaches, it’s like watching Armageddon hit the grocery stores. It’s wild. And the irony? Most of us in Florida either grew up here or came from the Caribbean, yet every year, folks act like they’ve never seen a storm before. Panic kicks in. Fear takes over. And just like that, you’re broke, buying every water bottle on the shelf. This happens every single year. The patterns are predictable.

And that’s the point. Our patterns say more about us than our words ever could.

Survival Mode Isn’t Just a Feeling, It’s a Pattern

When you find yourself panic-buying for the third or fourth year in a row, that’s a signal. Your survival mode is running your life. You’ve been hacked emotionally, mentally, maybe even spiritually. Whether it’s the government, the grocery industry, or Big Pharma conspiring and exploiting our fears, it doesn’t really matter. None of that matters if you’re the one giving them permission to do so.

The hard truth is: you are the one laying the trap.

Can you imagine a rabbit setting up its own trap and being captured by it? Meanwhile, the farmer sees you and your buds do this every season so all he does is wait for you to set the traps up and serve you as his dinner.

You may not be aware of this, but you are that rabbit.

It makes it difficult for someone not to wonder if this is done on purpose. I’d love to think so because then I can claim it isn’t my fault. The reality is whether your behavior in survival mode has been hacked by the news industry during hurricane season and is profiting on that fear or not doesn’t matter. You have to face yourself and stop lying, to yourself. It's time to know what you are made of. Start by asking yourself, " Do I really know myself?" Do I know the good, the bad, and the deepest sides of me?

It doesn’t make sense to stress about the injustices of the BIG industries when the biggest injustice is what you do to yourself.

We Lie to Ourselves First

We lie to ourselves before we lie to everyone else. It’s the best way to lie, if you believe the lie. And when we’ve lied long enough, we start believing in our own mask.

It becomes harder to see our own shadows. We have hidden our true selves in the deepest parts of ourselves. I have to let you in on a little secret … it’s not that well-hidden. People see you. That’s why they criticize you behind your back. They laugh at your mistakes, because they see what you don’t want them to. People know how insecure you really are. They see your patterns. They don’t believe in your success. A lot of it is projection, but some of it is that your patterns told on you. If you don’t deal with your true self, yes, people will exploit it. Many times AND with your permission.

The World Isn’t Just “Good” or “Bad.” It’s Both.

I believe every living thing has both shadow and light. Most people live unbalanced, choosing one side more than the other. That' a problem. That's why one day you’re generous, the next you’re reactive. Your "goodness" shifts based on mood, music, your zip code, your paycheck, your stress.

Few of us live with the kind of inner awareness that brings balance. Even fewer strive for that, because they don’t know where to look. We over-depend on people to tell us what to do. Those people unfortunately will serve their own interests.

That’s why some people stay stuck. They think life only offers a cycle of abundance and scarcity. They think being “good” means being a martyr. They carry pain like a badge of honor, never realizing that their mindset has become the very thing blocking their blessing.

I know everyone will read this and know someone that needs to read this. However, I think you need it. I need it, and I am writing it. I am on that path now of realizing I have had this power all along. This is why I share with you, to help free you from an endless trap.

Take control of your own life. You must be honest with yourself about why you behave the way you do. No pointing fingers. If you are above the age of 18 years old, you must accept the decisions you were an accomplice to and move forward.

Why do you pretend you are affluent? Why do you pretend to be happy? Why do you pretend you are responsible? Why do you pretend this person loves you? Why do you pretend you are such a "good" person ? Why do you pretend you don’t make the same mistakes you criticize?

I am not preaching. It’s the tough truth you have to face. If you don’t answer those questions truthfully, someone else will figure it out and use it against you.

The K.E.Y. Method Was Born Out of My Rock Bottom

If you read my last blog you know I had to figure this out on my own, pre-YouTube. I didn’t grow up poor. But in my twenties? I made decisions that drove me straight into poverty. Not because I was lazy, but because I was overwhelmed, under-supported, hence running on survival mode.

At my lowest, I lived in a garage conversion with a tiny kitchen. I had a toddler, a hot plate, and a small fridge. I was newly divorced and barely holding it together. I needed something. A system that I could stick to even when I had no energy left.

That’s how the K.E.Y. Method was born. I had to hack myself. I had to learn my habits and my secrets that I hid from myself. Part of the process is knowing what your goal is but also: what are your weaknesses? Why are you unable to overcome those weaknesses?
Hint: you can't blame your parents.
You can start with your childhood (that's usually when it started), but move it along.
Ask: Why did you bring that vice into adulthood? What are you going to do about it? You have to ask those questions because the most obvious answer is this:
Planning deters panic.
Yet, we continuously don’t plan.
And just like that, the cycle begins again.

What Is the K.E.Y. Method?

K – Knowledge: Understand your financial reality and your emotional patterns.
E – Execution: Build systems that meet you where you are and stick to them.
Y – You: Your behavior, your capacity, and your habits matter. Keep YOU in the equation.

Let’s start with the first step of my system. The one that helped me escape the cycles I was trapped in.

Step 1: Two Accounts, Two Purposes

This part is simple, but powerful.

And if this feels “too hard,” just take a step back from this. You may need emotional support first. Not financial advice, but someone to walk you through the anxiety. This system isn’t about willpower. It’s about awareness. If you’re not disciplined but you’re determined, you can do this.

Account 1: The Linked Savings

This is the account tied to your main checking account. Most people already have this by default. We’re going to call this your Main Savings.

✅ Set up an automatic transfer of $50 every paycheck into this account
→ If you’re paid biweekly or twice a month, that’s $100/month
→ If you’re paid weekly, you can choose to withdraw $50 every paycheck, but if that’s too much, do it every other paycheck

Keep it consistent. That’s it.

Account 2: The Out-of-Reach Account

This account is the mirror that forces you to face your shadow self.

Let’s be real: right now, you don’t have the discipline to not dip into your savings. Everything feels like an emergency. That’s okay, just be honest. That’s how healing begins.

✅ Open a savings account at a different bank, preferably a credit union far from home
→ Don’t open a checking with it. Just savings.
→ Set up automatic deposits of $20 from every paycheck into this account

This money is untouchable. It’s your training ground for discipline.

Yearly Total: Without Even Trying

If you follow this, by the end of the year:

·         Main Savings Account: $1,200

·         Out-of-Reach Account: $480
→ Total: $1,680

That’s $1,680 you saved while still paying bills, raising kids, healing, and spending. This allows you to spend but there is a boundary. You can’t touch this savings money.

Start Here. Build Forward.

Next blog, I’ll tell you what to do with it. But for now, start here.

This is your foundation.
This is your K.E.Y.
Let’s keep building.