Continued….
It’s not that I was raised with bad financial examples.
My parents are excellent with their money and provided a cushy lifestyle for my
brother and me growing up. They’ve worked hard for every dollar they’ve ever
earned and don’t have a single loan payment. They’ve always been firm believers
in saving up and paying cash.
This is where I missed something in all of their
wonderful examples, long lectures and supper discussions about money and my
future. I didn’t listen when it came to the importance of saving. If I had any amount
of $ you bet your sweet ass I was spending it on random, useless junk! I can’t
think of one good thing I’ve spent my money on from back in my late high
school/early college years. {Unless you
count rum}. And, of course, I didn’t save a dime.
All this not saving and mindless spending brought me to my lowest financial point probably
about 3-4 years ago. I was so broke I had to pay for tampons and gas with
change I had scrounged from every possible nook and cranny. I waited until late
at night to run to the gas station because I was so embarrassed. I remember dumping my $10 worth of change on the
counter and apologizing to the cashier. She just smiled as she separated the
coins and told me she had been where I was a few times in my life and it will get better.
This is where I slap myself for not listening to
my parents. As I get older the more I realize how right they are! It’s so frustrating
that I chose to figure it out for myself. Although, in life I believe everyone
has to figure out hardships for themselves. For some, it’s finances they make
terrible decisions about, for others it’s bad relationships - whether it be
with false friends or the wrong spouse, etc. If you’re as lucky as me you were bad in the past with finances AND
relationships AND a bunch of other random junk. Go us!
***A piece of advice coming from an experienced
loud mouth, you should NOT- repeat - NOT say a word about someone else’s life
decisions because they will get upset with you. So just nod and be supportive
of their financial stupidity/crumbling relationships/whatever they are doing
that’s dumb and just let them ride it out. Live and learn, if you will.
Anyways, I’m getting off track like a high
school history teacher. Where was I? Ah! Not saving a dime of anything I’ve earned
my entire adolescent life. I think when I left for college I was accustomed to
a certain lifestyle and I had never had to save money or watch what I spent.
Mom and dad made it cushy and I didn’t listen to a word they said about saving
remember?
But suddenly 5 years rolls by and there I was 8
positive pregnancy tests later with still, no money saved up. Yup, pass the
dunce cap and put me in the corner. So after the initial shock/excitement/etc.
wore off I started to get frantic and began panicking about finances.
This is where my Pinterest, Google and Dave
Ramsey obsession began…
To be continued…again…
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