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:
C
How old are you?
28
Where do you live?
Outside of Charlotte NC
What is your highest level of education?
Bachelor’s
Are you single or married?
Single (but engaged and getting married this fall)
If you are married, do you and your spouse have joint or separate finances?
Separate
Do you have any children or dependents? If yes, please explain.
No
What is your current monthly rent / mortgage?
960
What is your current occupation? If not currently employed, please say “Not Employed”
Corporate Bidding Specialist for a distribution company
What is your yearly salary (or approximate yearly compensation) for your current occupation?
$40k – $60k
If you are currently employed, do you like your job? Why or why not?
I do enjoy my job. It is something that I can walk away from at the end of the day and don’t have to put in more than my 40 hours at. At the same time, the work can get rather repetitive and it does get boring at times.
Do you have a second job or side hustle? If Yes, please explain.
No. I sell things occasionally on FB Marketplace but don’t put a ton of time or effort into it so I don’t really consider it a true side hustle.
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 get paid every 2 weeks and so I budget by paycheck using a paper budget template that I created over a year ago for myself. I use Simple as my online bank and they have a great set-up with Expenses and Goals which makes it incredibly easy to automate savings. Doing this, I’ve saved a $6000 EF over the last 2 years, as well as countless $$ for various sinking funds (holiday spending, gifts, vehicle taxes, auto maintenance, etc.). This has also really helped us work on saving for a down payment on a house and for our wedding.
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?
N/A
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:
I still owe roughly $3800 on my car that I purchased in 2017.
Do you know what your credit score is?
Yes
If Yes, what is your credit score?
793
Are you currently saving for retirement?
Yes
If yes, about how much do you have saved for retirement?
This is a terrible answer, but somewhere between $2000 and $3000? My previous job did not have any retirement savings options and I just didn’t save anything personally. My current job offers a 401K but suspended the match earlier this year due to COVID (no word on if/when that will return). I currently contribute 3% and need to increase this but am holding off on that increase until 2021 right now due to other upcoming financial goals and obligations.
What does an ideal retirement look like for you?
I would like to be work-optional, and work part-time at a preschool or as a nanny. I did this out of college and would’ve loved to continue, but it just didn’t pay enough to keep the lights on. I’d also love to have a second home either at the beach, on the lake, or in the mountains and be able to go and stay there for weeks at a time (somewhere that I could enjoy nice milder weather).
What’s your biggest purchase of 2020 so far?
New brakes for my car ($300) and new dual monitor set-up since starting to work from home ($230).
Biggest purchase of your life?
My car ($12000).
What do you spend money on that brings you joy? Or, what do you tend to splurge on?
Honestly, I spend the most on food. I do set aside $X of “fun money” out of every paycheck so I can enjoy takeout or meals out with my friends and fiance. I’m not a big shopper luckily, and our apartment is too small to really decorate seasonally so that helps me not spend on those things.
What are your short term money goals, if any? ( < 1 year)
Getting married this fall and are almost completely paying for it ourselves so that goal is to pay everything without going into debt. We’re doing great and should meet this goal. After we get married, I want to set up a few additional sinking funds that I’ve realized I would benefit from but haven’t had the capacity to set up and fund given everything else going on.
What are your long term money goals, if any? ( > 1 year)
Save another $3000+ in my EF by the end of 2021. Aggressively save for a down payment on a house (looking to buy next fall). Get 2 months ahead on bills.
What is your #1 financial concern right now?
Losing my job. I have a 6 month EF but our company has already gone through a payroll decrease and a round of layoffs during COVID. I am afraid that I would struggle to find something comparable if laid off, which would really put a big pause on our dreams and goals for the next few years.
What financial victory/success are you most proud of?
My EF and paying off my student loan earlier this spring. If you’d seen me about 5 years ago, I was struggling and spending money like crazy for no reason. My mom told me starting in high school when I was babysitting 10+ hours a week that I should be putting some aside and saving and I didn’t listen to her…I could kick myself now! I had to repair several bad money habits but feel a lot more confident in my ability to save and manage money these days.
Anything we didn’t ask about you that you want to include?
N/A
It’s Per$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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