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.
How old are you?
24
Where do you live? City and State (or Country if outside the U.S.)
south of Portland, OR
Do you like where you currently live? Why or why not?
Yes, I love it! Oregon is beautiful – we have mountains, hiking trails everywhere, healthy food from local farms, friendly people… the list goes on and on 🙂
What is your highest level of education?
Bachelor’s
Are you single / in a relationship / married?
Married
If you are in a relationship / married, do you and your partner have joint or separate finances?
Joint
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Do you have any children / dependents?
no children yet, but my husband and I have MAJOR baby fever… haha
Do you have any pets?
no
Do you find it easy or hard to make friends?
Easy – but disclaimer, I grew up in this area. I have childhood, high school, and college friends right here in town, so I always have them as my support system. I also have a great group at church which makes it easy to meet and connect with new people 🙂
Do you have any hobbies? Please explain.
hiking, cooking, embroidery, thrifting
Has Covid-19 impacted you financially in any way?
yes – I worked as a CNA (certified nurse assistant) on a Covid unit during the spring of 2020 and received $5/hr hazard pay. I also received all the stimulus checks, and my most recent job at an Endoscopy clinic last summer was created for Covid.
It was awesome because normally CNA’s don’t have the opportunity to work at clinics, just nurses, but I got to screen patients before their appointments and got paid very well for it!
About how much do you spend on groceries each week?
$75 for two people
What is your total monthly rent / mortgage for your household?
2165
What is your current occupation? If not currently employed, please say “Not Employed”
Student – I’m finally in Nursing school! My husband is supporting us right now.
If you are currently employed, do you like your job? Why or why not?
N/A
What is your yearly salary (or approximate yearly compensation) for your current occupation?
my husband’s salary is $48,000
Do you have a second job or side hustle? If Yes, please explain.
yes, I sell thrifted clothes online!
If you have a second job or side hustle, about how much money do you make monthly from your second job / side hustle?
averaging $50-$100 depending on the month
Have you ever been promoted at work? Please elaborate if so.
N/A
Have you ever negotiated your salary?
N/A
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?
my student loans from my Bachelor’s degree were $7,500 – we paid those off in about 7 months, ahead of my goal date actually, then saved up for our duplex property.
I now have $3500 in loans due to nursing school (and I’ll be taking out more), sadly, but I’m doing a very affordable program so I’ll be debt free about 3 months after nursing school graduation!
If you do have debt, what kinds of debt (i.e. credit cards, student loans, car) and how much debt do you have?
$3500, student loans (also mortgage: $372,000)
Are you currently investing for retirement?
Yes
If yes, about how much do you have invested for retirement?
$10,000
What was your favorite purchase of 2021?
our house 🙂 it’s small, a bit old, very quirky layout, but it’s ours! it’s also a duplex so we’re landlords and learning how to manage rental properties!
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self? (Doesn’t have to be money-related)
be honest with yourself about your goals. I went to OSU as a pre-med student, and realized my 3rd year that being a doctor didn’t fit with my long term personal goals, and the lifestyle that I truly wanted to live.
It all worked out, and nursing is a very good fit for me, but I spent a bit of extra time and money on the wrong path because I was lying to myself about what I really wanted in life!
What are your money goals, if any?
I feel like I’m in a setback a bit. We chose to buy the house because it’s a duplex property, and we’re renting the front house for $1300/mo, which *definitely* offsets the mortgage, and living in the back house.
However, we used my school savings for the down payment so now I have student loans again. I’m trying to decide how to only take the minimal loans I need, but also keep a healthy emergency savings for home repairs.
So in summary, I think my goal is staying in budget each month, not dipping into savings, and minimizing student loans as much as possible.
What is your #1 financial concern right now?
I’m excited to graduate and start making $$ as a nurse!!! student loans are not fun! I also wish we were saving more for retirement directly, but we knew we were making a short term trade off to buy this duplex property.
My husband is contributing enough to his 403b to get his employer’s match, but that’s it while I’m a student. I’m hoping to be more aggressive as soon as I graduate.
What financial victory/success are you most proud of?
I’m proud of how quickly we paid off my first round of loans from my Bachelor’s! especially since my husband was early in his career, and I was a CNA making $15/hr, haha. We were frugal and we hustled! 🙂
What makes you imperfect?
I love expensive Free People dresses (even buying used they’re still $$ haha), and I eat a small bowl of Tillamook ice cream every night with zero shame <3
