How old are you?
47
Where do you live? City and State (or Country if outside the U.S.)
Jacksonville, FL
Do you like where you currently live? Why or why not?
Yes and no. I love the proximity to the beach, nature, airports and my hometown, Charleston SC. No becuase it’s a little too conservative for me!
Do you have any hobbies? What are they?
Yes! Yoga, fitness, travel, getting outdoors, reading and cooking.
What is your highest level of education?
Bachelor’s
Where did you go to school? What did you study?
College of Charleston, Anthropology.
Are you currently employed?
Yes
What is your current occupation?
Director, Nonprofit Healthcare
Do you like your current occupation / job? Why or why not?
I love it! I am helping people who need access to healthcare. I get to hear stories from a wide variety of individuals and connect them to the care they need when they are vulnerable.
What is your yearly salary (or approximate yearly compensation)? Feel free to include any bonuses or other compensation perks you may receive this year.
85k
Have you ever been promoted at work? What position(s) were you promoted to?
Yes, I recently went from administrator to director.
Have you ever negotiated your salary? If so, how did that go / what was the outcome?
Not exactly. In my current role, my salary has increased by 43% in the past 5 years so it’s hard to ask for more when I keep growing. However, I am contemplating it during my next review. If not my salary, then I plan to request an increase in my 401k match.
Do you have a second job or side hustle? If yes, what is it and what do you do?
No, but I do get some child support, which helps.
If you have a second job or side hustle, about how much money do you make *monthly* from your second job / side hustle?
$400
What is your relationship status?
Single
What is your *monthly* rent / mortgage for your household?
1400 (inc. HOA)
Do you have any children / dependents? If yes, how many?
Yes, 1
Do you have any pets? If yes, what kind?
Yes, a cat
About how much do you spend on groceries *each week*?
$100
Are you debt free?
Yes
How much debt did you pay off and how long did it take you to pay it off?
So – about 8 years ago I was swimming in debt and legal fees after leaving my son’s father. I probably had close to 30k in debt and I was spending more than I was making and juggling 3 jobs as a single parent. I took out a personal loan and paid most of it off in 3 years – very aggressively. It took me another 4 years or so to be debt free and get out of credit card utilization cycle. I now only use CC for points and set my account to pay off my balance each month.
How much *cash* savings do you have currently?
$10,000 +
Are you currently investing/saving for your retirement?
Yes
About how much money do you have invested/saved for retirement? Are you satisfied with this number?
$106K. Not really, at my age I should have more, but I took a lot of hits in life. However, am happy that in the past few years I really educated myself financially and am on track to have a comfortable retirement. I am just playing catch up.
What’s been your favorite purchase this year?
My trip to Spain 🙂
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
EDUCATE yourself on personal finance and invest early and consistently, small amounts add up when you are young. I never really understood this and avoided learning.
What current goals do you have? (ex. Health goals, Fitness, Money, Career, Travel, etc.)
Continue growing my wealth by living below my means and taking at least one international trip a year. I am also seeking a life partner, which is very difficult!!
What are you currently struggling with, if anything?
Yes, I struggle with ‘wanting’ more. It’s a daily balance between gratitude for what I have and being okay with wanting more for myself. I also struggle with comparing myself to others, which is never productive!
What accomplishments of yours are you most proud of?
I am SO proud of how much I have grown in the past decade. It wasn’t too long ago that I had a lot of debt and almost $0 in my bank account as a single mom. Now I am debt free with savings, paid off my car, have a job I enjoy, own my little townhouse, am back on track for retirement and have taken 2 international trips in the past year with another planned next month!
What makes you imperfect?
SO many things. One thing I would like to be better at is celebrating the small wins, and the big ones! I also buy too many dresses, but have been trying to shop more at thrift stores to curb that desire 🙂
It’s Personal is an anonymous blog series about the personal lives and finances of women.
