Erika Jones, CFO, CCTAProfit First Professionals · Certified Fractional CFO and Profit First Professional

Money Answers Part 14 - Do you have any money left? #money #financialfreedom #shorts

4 May 2026 · 1 min

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In this YouTube short, Erika Jones, CFO of CCTA, answers a viewer’s question about how to handle a $50 surplus at the end of the month. She explains the core of her “Money Habit System”: when surplus appears in the income account, leave it there so it will be split automatically on the next dispersion, effectively acting like a small raise. If the surplus is in a spending category, treat it as a buffer and let it remain for future use. She also notes that consistent surplus could be redirected to savings or retirement, depending on the individual’s intent. The advice emphasizes letting the system allocate the extra money rather than making ad‑hoc decisions.

Chapters

If I have $50 at the end of the month, which doesn't happen often, LOL, what should I actually do with it? It depends on what you're saying in this email. If you have $50 left at the end of the month and it doesn't happen often, do you mean you have zero left or do you mean you have more than $50 left? I'm assuming you mean zero. When there's money left over after allocation, so you're following the Money Habit System, as money comes in, you categorize it accordingly and there's a surplus, let it stay in the income account. That way on the next dispersion, it'll get equally split up. It's effectively a small raise in your income. So if you're consistently having $50 left, you're reinserting an income, you can amplify your needs. I think the natural response is, oh, you have $50 left? Why don't you just throw it into a different account like retirement or something like that? Now, it's hard to understand from this question. If you have $50 left in a category, you let it ride. That's a buffer. And so just let it stay in that account for future use. But if you have $50 left on your income account, effectively, that's when we divide it up based upon the ratios.