My Financial journey

 My financial journey has been quite the experience. I have learned a lot about myself over the past couple years. When I was younger my father introduced me to money at a very early age. He wanted to teach me what money was and it’s importance. My dad wasn’t really good at saving , my mom on the other hand had a lot of discipline. I didn’t really understand the concept of saving money until I was working on my and bringing in my own income. Whenever I had it , I’d spend it not thinking about the future. 

I would create a budget for myself of all the things I wanted and the total it would all be. Every week I would get my nails done, order food, do laundry , go shopping and made sure I paid my phone bill. I would do this every week until the next time I got paid. I was living paycheck to paycheck. It wasn’t until one of my coworkers challenged me to save some money. I had no reason to save but I challenged myself anyway. At the time I was sleeping on a futon couch and decided that I wanted to save to get a queen sized bed and frame. Every week I would put $20 to $25 away until I saved up about $350. That’s the most I’ve ever saved at that period in my life.

 Once I made that purchase I kept challenging myself but it wasn’t lasting the way I wanted. Every time I became unemployed I had a few dollars left to my name causing me to struggle for months at the time until I found a new job. Then the cycle would continue. I hated not having to have my own and being dependent on other people. I also hated owing people money. 

When the spread of the virus began I had some financial security from my loved ones while I was in school but then I still felt as though I wanted to have my own. Any form of cash that came my way I would try my hardest to hold on it and put it away especially now that I have a daughter. As of right now I can save as much as $1,000 and not spend it unless it’s an absolute emergency. My goal is to reach $1,500 and then keep adding onto it from there. 

My mom always told that one day I’m going to have to carry the family and make sure everything is taken care of. I know understand what she means. There’s a lot of people struggling to make ends meet and hear I was spending it on things I couldn’t even buy twice. Being able to be financially secure is everyone’s dream and I understand that now. I’m working hard to continue my journey to be secure enough where I won’t have to work another job again and start my own business to pass down to my daughter and future kids.