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:
Sarah
How old are you?
27
Where do you live?
Cleveland, OH
What is your highest level of education?
Bachelor’s
Are you single or married?
Single! Committed relationship
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 total monthly rent / mortgage for your household?
1050
Has Covid-19 impacted you financially in any way?
No
What is your current occupation? If not currently employed, please say “Not Employed”
Business analyst
What is your yearly salary (or approximate yearly compensation) for your current occupation?
83000
If you are currently employed, do you like your job? Why or why not?
Yes! It’s interesting and it pays the bills.
Do you have a second job or side hustle? If Yes, please explain.
Nope!
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:
No
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?
No
If yes, about how much student loan debt do you have?
0
What is your monthly student loan payment amount?
0
Do you have any credit card debt?
No
If Yes, about how much credit card debt do you have currently?
N/A
Do you have any other kinds of debt? If Yes, please explain:
Our mortgage (my rent payment above only represents my half) and we did a 12 month 0% finance plan on a new AC (I owe about 2k on it now). We did this because we needed an AC at the same time we bought the house, and while we could have afforded to pay it completely, we were just shelling out a lot of cash that month. Having 0% interest is great and we will probably pay it off completely in a month or two.
Do you know what your credit score is?
Yes
If Yes, what is your credit score?
785
Are you currently saving for retirement?
Yes
If yes, about how much do you have saved for retirement?
5% of my annual salary, plus a 5% match from my company, plus 3% into a pension from my company. So nets out to be about 13% of my annual salary.
What does an ideal retirement look like for you?
Very comfortable. I want to not have to worry about expenses and travel.
What’s your biggest purchase of 2020 so far?
A house!
Biggest purchase of your life?
A house!
What do you spend money on that brings you joy?
I don’t think I really have one “thing”. Each month I set aside something to do for me. Could be new clothes, new decor, a nice dinner out with my boyfriend. But there are other months I spend NO money. It’s all about balance!
What are your short term money goals, if any? ( < 1 year)
Rebuild our savings after buying a house and putting a down payment on it, and save for a wedding!
What are your long term money goals, if any? ( > 1 year)
Retirement!! I want to make sure I’m setting myself up for success later in life
What is your #1 financial concern right now?
Balancing home ownership needs
What financial victory/success are you most proud of?
Paying off $32k of student loans in 3 years! And buying a house by age 27 with my bf
Anything we didn’t ask about you that you want to include?
Budgeting is not one size fits all. Everyone has different preferences and needs. But it feels so good to take ownership of your finances. At the end of the day you have to have a good understanding of your income and your expenses, and prioritize!
It’s Per$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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