My Money Story
From an early age money fascinated me. At age 10, I bought a brightly-colored children’s budget book. It was coil-bound and held a set of orange envelopes. Each had a phrase on it in big bold type: Save, Play, Gifts, Clothing, Snacks, and Miscellaneous. I loved using that book! I filled those envelopes as I worked and earned as a child, then as a teenager.
As I look back, I was quite prosperous. I babysat. Caddied clubs at a golf course. Delivered newspapers with my sister. Waited tables. I was able to buy meaningful things as well as experiences: a red 10-speed bike that I used well into my 30s, record albums to dance to with my siblings, makeup, clothing, my first-ever plane trip to Washington D.C. at age 12, and an Outward Bound trip for teenagers to New Mexico when I was 18.
But something happened when I reached my 20s. My relationship to money seriously derailed. I struggled with chronic credit card debt and persistent underearning. Even with my intelligence, a degree from a prestigious university, and a strong worth ethic, I lived with substantial deprivation. At one point I had one pair of shoes. While the apartment I lived in was pretty, I had no bed, just a foam square on the floor. Something didn’t add up. Literally.
Just before I turned 30, I met Karen McCall, who later founded the Financial Recovery Institute. This was a turning point. Using a myriad of resources, I started on what has been a steady journey of re-calibrating my beliefs about money, earning, and meeting my real needs and wants. The process requires new tools and most critically, new behavior.
I cannot tell you how fast your journey will be. What I can tell you is that the process works, if you’re willing to do the work. Know that I’m ready to join you with skill and support.