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:
Kathleen
How old are you?
26
Where do you live?
La Jolla, CA
What is your highest level of education?
Bachelor’s
Are you single or married?
Married
If you are married, do you and your spouse have joint or separate finances?
Joint
Do you have any children or dependents? If yes, please explain.
No
What is your total monthly rent / mortgage for your household?
1850
Has Covid-19 impacted you financially in any way?
No. My husband and I have been very fortunate to both be “essential workers” and remain employed throughout the Covid-19 crisis.
What is your current occupation? If not currently employed, please say “Not Employed”
Nonprofit Grants Administrator
What is your yearly salary (or approximate yearly compensation) for your current occupation?
$38,000
If you are currently employed, do you like your job? Why or why not?
Yes. I like being in the nonprofit sector and I enjoy writing. But I don’t love my salary.
Do you have a second job or side hustle? If Yes, please explain.
No, but looking…
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 track all of our expenses in Excel and try to keep our spending below a certain amount in each category. We aim to save/invest 50-60% of our combined household income each month.
Are you debt-free?
Yes
If you are debt free, how much debt have you paid off and how long did it take you to pay it all off?
We’ve been very fortunate and privileged to not have any debt to pay off. We received his ROTC scholarship, academic scholarships, and my tuition waiver for our college education. We rent a studio apartment and share one 11 year old car.
Do you have any student loan debt currently?
No
If yes, about how much student loan debt do you have?
N/A
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:
No
Do you know what your credit score is?
Yes
If Yes, what is your credit score?
786
Are you currently saving for retirement?
Yes
If yes, about how much do you have saved for retirement?
$205,000
What does an ideal retirement look like for you?
My husband and I aiming to be financially independent and retire early in our mid-thirties. I’ve never loved any job/pay that I’ve had and his job is very demanding. Our retirement will hopefully involve a few years of nomadic travel around the US and Canada, building a homestead in Wyoming, some international travel, and an abundance of time to hike, read, watch movies, volunteer, and relax. Ideally, we will keep our expenses low and live off our investments, following the 4% rule.
What’s your biggest purchase of 2020 so far?
A $970 Apple laptop when my husband’s old one finally broke down.
Biggest purchase of your life?
Probably training for our adopted dog. And the Dyson vacuum I use to sweep up all her hair.
What do you spend money on that brings you joy?
Books from our local bookstore. Going to see movies in the theater. Dinners out with my husband and/or friends.
What are your short term money goals, if any? ( < 1 year)
I am hoping to hit $250,000 net worth by the end of 2020.
What are your long term money goals, if any? ( > 1 year)
“Retire” early by age 35. Live off investments. Maybe work part time or volunteer.
What is your #1 financial concern right now?
No major financial concerns at the moment.
What financial victory/success are you most proud of?
Recently cutting our expenses (housing, transportation, groceries, misc. spending) and beginning to heavily invest what we save.
Anything we didn’t ask about you that you want to include?
Reading Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robbin & Joe Dominguez then The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins really helped me figure out my priorities in life, address my negative money mindsets, and begin building wealth.
