It’s Per$onal is a completely anonymous blog series designed to shed light on the intricate details of the personal finances of women.
Name:
Lily
How old are you?
26
Where do you live?
Providence, RI
What is your highest level of education?
Master’s
Are you single or married?
Engaged
If you are married, do you and your spouse have joint or separate finances?
N/A
Do you have any children or dependents? If yes, please explain.
No
What is your current monthly rent / mortgage?
$1349
Has Covid-19 impacted you financially in any way?
No
What is your current occupation? If not currently employed, please say “Not Employed”
UX Researcher
What is your yearly salary (or approximate yearly compensation) for your current occupation?
$90,000
If you are currently employed, do you like your job? Why or why not?
Yes! I love it. I’m insanely passionate about my career and love the teams I work with.
Do you have a second job or side hustle? If Yes, please explain.
Not formally. I do go on Mechanical Turk and Prolific sometimes, but it’s not a regular thing. I have been looking for a part-time job, but it’s been tricky to find one that I could work around my 9-5.
If you have a second job or side hustle, about how much money do you make monthly from your second job / side hustle?
N/A
Do you budget on a consistent basis? If so, please explain how you currently budget:
Yes – I have a Google Sheets template that I copy each month to track spending against our master budget.
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
Do you have any student loan debt currently?
Yes
If yes, about how much student loan debt do you have?
85,000
What is your monthly student loan payment amount?
$743
Do you have any credit card debt?
Yes
If Yes, about how much credit card debt do you have currently?
$4,500
Do you have any other kinds of debt? If Yes, please explain:
Medical debt: now at $4,000 from a kidney stone removal I had to have right when the pandemic started. It was originally $6,500 (my out-of-pocket max with insurance), so I’ve paid it down from there since March.
Do you know what your credit score is?
Yes
If Yes, what is your credit score?
748
Are you currently saving for retirement?
Yes
If yes, about how much do you have saved for retirement?
5% of each paycheck.
What does an ideal retirement look like for you?
Living comfortably near our family back in the Midwest, where I’ll still be able to do consulting work in my field on the side when I want or when I’m presented with an interesting project.
What’s your biggest purchase of 2020 so far?
My wedding dress! About $1,565 before alterations.
Biggest purchase of your life?
My car (2013 Chevy Spark, bought new in 2014).
What do you spend money on that brings you joy?
Right now, all our wedding-related stuff! We’re trying to keep it all under $18,000 (with help from our families), so it’s been a fun and creative challenge to try to make everything work.
What are your short term money goals, if any? ( < 1 year)
Pay off my credit card debt and build a sufficient emergency fund.
What are your long term money goals, if any? ( > 1 year)
Pay off all my (and my fiancé’s current) student loan debt and buy a house.
What is your #1 financial concern right now?
Increasing my net worth by paying down my debts.
What financial victory/success are you most proud of?
I haven’t hit any big financial successes yet, so I think I’m just most proud of myself for taking my finances seriously and coming up with a plan to reach my goals and alleviate my concerns in the future.
Anything we didn’t ask about you that you want to include?
Nope 🙂
It’s Per$onal is an anonymous blog series designed to shed light on the intricate details of the personal finances and lifestyles of women.
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