It’s Per$onal is an anonymous blog series designed to shed light on the intricate details of the personal finances and lifestyles of women.
Name:
Taylor @taylorshanle on IG
How old are you?
25
Where do you live? City and State (or Country if outside the U.S.)
Grants Pass, OR
Do you like where you currently live? Why or why not?
Definitely a loaded question for me. I love the geographical area of where I live, it’s close by my family and has 4 beautiful seasons. Demographically, it is not my ideal location. It is a very small town with very small-minded beliefs. It’s hard to find a community here and we also have limited resources/opportunities.
What is your highest level of education?
Associate’s
Are you single / in a relationship / married?
Married
If you are in a relationship / married, do you and your partner have joint or separate finances?
Separate
More It’s Per$onal:
Do you have any children / dependents?
No
Do you have any pets?
No
Do you find it easy or hard to make friends?
I don’t find it hard to make friends personally, but I definitely don’t go out of my way to make new ones. It’s harder where we live, especially with Covid, to meet new people.
As my husband and I have gotten into our own routines here, we don’t make it a point to socialize outside of our existing friends/family.
Do you have any hobbies? Please explain.
I LOVE to travel! If I don’t have a trip planned or something to do every so often, I will get stir crazy. Even if it’s just a day trip to go hiking or shopping, I love to get out and explore.
Has Covid-19 impacted you financially in any way?
I thankfully landed my current role in Feb 2020, so I’ve been secure with work. However, it’s been very stressful trying to plan on student loan payments once the deferment is over.
I’ve been holding out my last shreds of hope for any type of forgiveness. We also tried to purchase our first home in late 2020 but the market has been absolutely nuts, so we’ve decided to put that on hold for a while.
About how much do you spend on groceries each week?
Probably $200 every two weeks or so
What is your total monthly rent / mortgage for your household?
1600
What is your current occupation? If not currently employed, please say “Not Employed”
Social Media Specialist
If you are currently employed, do you like your job? Why or why not?
I love my job and the freedom of working from home. I’ve been very blessed to work for a company that cares about its employees and have incredible flexibility with my schedule.
What is your yearly salary (or approximate yearly compensation) for your current occupation?
61K, currently waiting to hear about a Spot Bonus for my hard work in 2021.
Do you have a second job or side hustle? If Yes, please explain.
I have had multiple side hustles in the past including business branding, logo design, surveys/focus groups and event planning.
I decided it was just too much to have a side business and currently only resell items (my own + some flips) on Poshmark/FB Marketplace when I have the time.
If you have a second job or side hustle, about how much money do you make monthly from your second job / side hustle?
On average maybe $100-300 a month if that.
Have you ever been promoted at work? Please elaborate if so.
In a round about way, yes and no. I started at my company working in one of our coffee shops (doing social media + working as a broista) and then made my way into HQ as the Social Media Specialist.
Have you ever negotiated your salary?
Yes, I have negotiated starting salaries in the past based off of industry research and the job description itself.
Are you debt-free?
No
If you are debt free, how much debt have you paid off and how long did it take you to pay it all off?
N/A
If you do have debt, what kinds of debt (i.e. credit cards, student loans, car) and how much debt do you have?
I have student loan debt (don’t we all?) as well as a car lease and a tiny bit on a credit card. The credit cards are minimal and I pay them off each month (usually $100-300 on groceries or shopping).
I’m working on selling my leased car outright and paying it off to get a new lease. For my personal student loan, I have about $10K left to pay. However, my parents also have a big student loan out for me and I pay them $300 a month towards it.
Are you currently investing for retirement?
Yes
If yes, about how much do you have invested for retirement?
A few thousand in my 401K (just recently eligble + 4% employer match) and in my Roth IRA.
Rollover Your Old 401(k) with Capitalize
What’s been your favorite purchase of 2022 so far?
Not really a true purchase since I won it at our company holiday party, but my Peloton Tread! I’ve been using it every day and I did buy weights & the account to go with it so I guess that counts.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self? (Doesn’t have to be money-related)
You DON’T need it. Put it back, exit out of the tab, take a picture of it and think about it for at least 3 days then decide. Also, if it’s on sale, it’s on sale for a reason.
What are your money goals, if any?
If you couldn’t tell from my above advice, I’ve always had an issue with impulse spending and shopping in general. I would love to get myself to a secure place where I can shop freely but purposefully.
What is your #1 financial concern right now?
Student loan payments resuming while planning a wedding/honeymoon and looking to start a family/buy our first home all in the same year.
What financial victory/success are you most proud of?
I’m proud of myself for investing in a 401k, Roth IRA and HSA this last year. Even though that’s less money in my pocket each month, I want to have a stable retirement plan early on!
What makes you imperfect?
I love to shop, I’ll admit it. I go through spurts where I buy things impulsively and return them, but I’ll also go on no-spend days/weeks. Finding the right balance for me and controlling my spending is always something I’m working on.
It’s Per$onal is an anonymous blog series designed to shed light on the intricate details of the personal finances and lifestyles of women.
