FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AND UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS
I have to admit I have a love hate relationship with money. Why? Because over the years I have struggled through periods of time without a lot of money. I have also spent years where I found myself spending money that I did not have only to end up further in debt.
When did my love hate relationship with money begin?
I was born into a family where my parents had 9 children and my father worked hard to provide for our family. My mother was not employed outside of the home. As a result the financial strain of being such a large family on one income was often felt by both of my parents. As a result my siblings and I learned to do without or to become very frugal. The frugal ways that I learned growing up have stuck with me throughout my life.
Money management was always difficult to understand
The money truths that I learned growing up were:
There is never enough money - "money does not grow on trees" this was something I was often reminded of growing up. I was taught that you always have to work hard to earn money. Hard work is what results in prosperity and is something to find pride in. This is an important lesson in our lives that many of us fail to recognize today.
Your decisions are what leads you to a prosperous life or to a life of struggle. This is not always the case and I have seen this in many lives over the years. Simple tragedies and life events can lead us down a road that can cripple us financially for years. 2020 has been proof that you can plan for a prosperous future and loose it all in just a short matter of time.
My financial life choices
When I was young I knew that I wanted to do better with my future. I knew to do this would require a lot of hard work and some very tough choices. I wanted to experience things, travel, have things that I did not have growing up and I was going to make that happen. The problem with the choices I made then was that I did not have a good mentor that could help me make the right choices. I viewed many things all wrong when I started out on my own and as a result I made a lot of wrong choices. I had never been in a finance class, never read a book on finance and nothing had ever been discussed with me about money management.
My parents were no different than millions of others around the world that do not teach their children about managing money. There are many who do not understand managing their own finances and many who do not have the means to do so.
How did I learn how to manage my finances?
When I started college I really began to learn my lessons the hard way. Sadly I spent everything I earned plus some. Acquiring credit cards along the way, student loans and not planning for the future. I was deep in debt already before I finally understood what the problem was and how to fix it. I never had a budget, never monitored my spending, was terrible with my money and struggled constantly with late charges and over drafts before reality finally set in. Reality came in the form of the discovery of a heart condition that I had never known I had.
This required a costly pacemaker placement and over a month off work with no pay. I was not prepared for either financially or emotionally. I did not plan anything very well at that age and definitely had no plan financially. Surviving day to day and keeping the creditors off my back was all that really mattered to me. When I had the heart issue diagnosed and had to take off for the surgery I was beside myself for so many reasons. The entire time I was off was the hardest time I had experienced on my own yet. No money to make my bills and no ability to earn an income while recovering was something I never even considered was a possibility.
When did the real change begin?
For me the real change came when I discovered how deeply crushing my debt had become. I became unable to work due to my health condition for just over a month and with no savings and no income coming in I was completely unprepared for how this would go. Reality set in quickly as the bills continued to roll in and the money ceased for this period of time. It was in this experience that I truly began to understand the true weight of my debt and the repercussions of my former actions. It was then that I began my journey to debt freedom as I finally understood the place in life where I did not want to remain.
How did the change begin?
From that day forward I was determined to make a change and get my finances in order. Recovering from these few years of bad financial choices has not been easy.
There were many years of hard times and financial strain that I had to work to to get me to where I am today. The steps that I took to get me where I am today are simple yet not easy. My keys to success in moving towards debt freedom have been as follows.
Keys to success in moving towards debt freedom
Learn to say no to myself and to others when I simply cannot afford something
Begin to consistently follow a budget
Work hard
Save, save, and save some more
Consistently paying my bills in full and on time
Sacrificing many desires and wants along the way
Decreasing my spending and learning to manage my spending
Building my savings and emergency fund
Recognizing that my self worth is not determined by my financial situation good or bad
Seeking to learn new ways to save money and stretch my current budget
Changing your financial mindset is difficult but necessary to really begin to see a change. Even in the year 2020 & now as we enter 2021 you can prepare for a better financial future. There are always the risks of unexpected job loss, financial challenges or unexpected disasters. These are simply a part of life that none of us can avoid but can do our best to prepare for in advance.
What are the best ways to prepare for a scary financial crisis?
In May of 2020 I was just beginning to deal with some financial challenges related to the pandemic. My husband was laid off for a short time, my job had moved me to temporarily working from home and my daughters daycare had nearly doubled after a forced month long closure. Some of these challenges were nothing short of terrifying for us as we are still working our way out of debt. I am happy to say that we have made it through these challenges with some dedication and hard work and our situation is looking much brighter currently. At that time I wrote an article that I believe could be of some help to you while we are all struggling to survive a scary financial crisis.
Encouragement no matter what you are dealing with in 2021
I know many of you have probably experienced far worse in 2020 and might still be in a very difficult place. You are not alone and there is still hope for the future. Trust God's plan He is always faithful to His promises.
As Jeremiah 29: 11 - 13 says:
11) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
12) Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I believe that He is still working in and through many of our lives and in time His purpose for this all will be revealed to those who believe. Keep the faith, you never know when and where your unexpected blessings may appear.
An unexpected blessing when I least expected it
Back in August of 2020 a job was posted within my department. I was intrigued by the opportunity and applied for the position. I Interviewed multiple times and after multiple Interviews I was declined the job and they hired someone else. I wrote a post at that time that spoke a bit about this experience as well as a previous job I had applied for also. I learned a lot from the experience and walked away with more insight in how I wanted to move forward in my profession and areas to work on in my professional development.
In early January however I received an email from the manager of the department. She advised that although they had hired someone else back in September after I interviewed that she still believed my experience made me a great candidate. I was stunned by the fact that I had still been considered after all this time. I have accepted the position and begin my new position in early February. You never know when God just might surprise you with an unexpected blessing when you least expect it.
