Text Linda Voong

What do children, relationships, Dave Ramsey, Marie Kondo, and the pandemic all have in common? All of these end up teaching us one thing: that we have got to get our shit together. More importantly, sooner than later. We live in a world where credit cards, loans, Amazon clicks, and living paycheck to paycheck are the norms of the rat race. Visualize and think of the cutest little four-legged furry friend, running on a wheel. Now, replace the four-legged friend with a miniature sized you, and instead of the wheel, replace it with your bills. Doesn’t the thought of the word “bills” stress you out? This image is a representation of the never-ending wheel of debt. Aren’t you tired? Tired of worrying about whether you’ll be able to pay rent, put food on the table, or whether you could afford the basic needs to survive? What if I told you, it doesn’t always have to be this way? It doesn’t, it’s going to take commitment, consistency, planning, time, and most importantly, the courage to face your money fears and transform your deep-rooted habits.

I grew up never talking about money- it was taboo and still is. Whether it had to do with my upbringing, my culture, pride, shame and/or is a combination of it all, is beyond me, but it followed me into adulthood and created barriers for me, causing unbearable grief and loss. As a child, I’ve observed adults and their habits and as an adult, I’ve observed my own spending habits. I knew I was digging myself into a bigger hole filled with debt. It started out with school loans, credit cards, and private lending. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom a few years ago, that I knew I had to change my ways. It wasn’t the way I wanted to start my debt free journey, but “rock bottom” was my wake up call. Rather than giving up, I turned my pain and loss into action, and it was “rock bottom” that propelled me to get my shit together. Although I found the beauty in all the ugly, I would never wish this upon anyone.

This is for those who want to defend themselves, the ones who grew up with nothing, for those who want to blame your past, and for those who are simply.. tired- tired from drowning in debt. If the piles of late notices, credit card bills, or living paycheck to paycheck hasn’t already shook you enough to change your ways, I sure hope the pandemic has opened your eyes. The pandemic has taught all of us that shit happens at random and because of this, we have got to get our financial shit together.