Financially, here I am...

This is the time. It’s the time to show everyone how they are doing financially and spiritually. We are all being tested. Nationwide, in fact! I bought in to the belief that I could be debt free. I worked REALLY hard at it, even to the point where it was part of the reason my engagement fell apart. From a financial stand-point, I have no regrets. It’s suffocating to be in a place where it feels like I’m powerless. It’s awful. I experienced so much more stress during the time that I was at my peak of debt while living in Nashville. So I chose to follow the tips that Dave Ramsey believes in. And I got there! I became debt-free in January 2020. And since I didn’t have any more debt payments, all the money that I was making went into my emergency fund (6 months of expenses) which I reached by March 2020. So then what happens? The economy crumbles and we are all stuck at home due to a major virus scare.

But I have a job! I work in grocery, which is considered an essential service. My job isn’t going anywhere (at least for now) and unlike a lot of other people, I’m continuing to work and able to provide for myself and build wealth. One of the customers in my line mentioned that it would be so hard for people who live paycheck to paycheck. I couldn’t help but insert my 2-cents about that is such a scary and difficult way to live and people should be doing everything they can to move away from living that way. As I was saying this, the look on this woman’s face told me loud and clear, “I am one of those people and I’m scared.”

I feel for her and everyone else who is struggling, I really do. Handouts, prayers, or good intentions are not necessarily going to help people in this time of uncertainty. I’m hoping that more people will recognize the risks they take by spending indiscriminately and without intention. Making a budget and being super careful about how you spend is the only way to manage money well. And this isn’t only about money, it’s also about finding the best ways to manage your own life. It’s about ways to take control of how you spend your money, your time, and your mental energy.

When I was drowning in debt, I spent A LOT of mental energy on how I was going to get myself out of the mess I was in. How was I going to invest in a house? How was I going to have enough money to retire? How was I going to save my sanity from constantly worrying about how much money I owe and how much interest I would pay over time? Life is all about decisions. Eventually, we need to make decisions to manage our money more effectively. We need to make decisions to set goals so that we are spending more time doing the things we enjoy while not working but being smart about how to use the money we are making to be more intentional in the present and in the future.