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:
Leslie
How old are you?
31
Where do you live? City and State (or Country if outside the U.S.)
Denville, New Jersey
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?
2625
Has Covid-19 impacted you financially in any way?
Yes, positively. We are throwing money to student debt since interest rates are at zero until January!
What is your current occupation? If not currently employed, please say “Not Employed”
Association meeting planner
What is your yearly salary (or approximate yearly compensation) for your current occupation?
$45,000-$55,000
If you are currently employed, do you like your job? Why or why not?
Yes, but it has been hard with COVID. In-person events are not coming back any time soon and my world is now virtual events. Certainly not my favorite, but I am learning a whole new skill set.
Do you have a second job or side hustle? If Yes, please explain.
Occasionally. I sell on eBay and Poshmark when we have things to sell. I also sell on Facebook marketplace. For a recent move, I sold over $1,000 of personal items to help fund the move. I also use the apps Ibotta and Fetch for purchases and I do surveys thru Survey Junkie.
If you have a second job or side hustle, about how much money do you make monthly from your second job / side hustle?
Varies, this month I cashed out $30 in gift cards from Ibotta & Fetch. When I sell on sites, I could bring in anywhere from $50-$150/month.
Do you budget on a consistent basis? If so, please explain how you currently budget:
Yes. We use a zero-based budget approach. It is a massive Google Sheet where I track all of our expenses by pay period, which has been key to our success.
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?
Not debt free, but we have paid off over $16,000 in a year. We paid off all of our consumer debt (credit cards & car loan) and are now focusing on the student loan debt.
Do you have any student loan debt currently?
Yes
If yes, about how much student loan debt do you have?
$125,000
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?
832
Are you currently saving for retirement?
Yes
If yes, about how much do you have saved for retirement?
Around $30,000
What does an ideal retirement look like for you?
Travel around the world!
What’s your biggest purchase of 2020 so far?
New furniture & kitchen stuff – we are definitely not gazelle intense in paying off debt. We are focused, but still want to enjoy life!
Biggest purchase of your life?
A condo
What do you spend money on that brings you joy?
Gifts for others and books for myself
What are your short term money goals, if any? ( < 1 year)
Pay off $40-50K of student loan debt
What are your long term money goals, if any? ( > 1 year)
Pay off all of the student loan debt and then really start focusing on retirement
What is your #1 financial concern right now?
Student loans
What financial victory/success are you most proud of?
Paying off debt and getting a handle on budgeting/money. I used to be so scared of it all!
Anything we didn’t ask about you that you want to include?
N/A
