It is easy to be overwhelmed by twentysomething finances. Every day there is new advice on what you should or shouldn’t be doing; everyone has an opinion; and at the same time it’s still an extremely uncomfortable topic to talk about. Seriously, even writing this blog post feels a little awkward and strange. But 2020 is a time of just starting so that’s what this post is. It’s just starting.
Where are we starting?
I’ll admit it, my financial strategy (to use the term loosely at best) was to make sure I was making necessary payments on credit cards, trying not to go too overboard in spending, and somewhat keeping an eye on my bank account balances.
I know I’m lucky in two major ways. 1) I have a good job and 2) I am still living at home right now which keeps rent out of my major expenses. Still, every time I would start really tracking or reading all the information it was either analysis paralysis central or I would do really well for a while and then fall off hard.
So I’m starting again with all that experience under my belt and making the debt free and financial freedom another part of my life.
What’s My Why?
Beyond the fact that I generally dislike having such a large aspect of life feel uncomfortable. Your girl’s got goals and some of those are longer term focused. Ultimately, Rachel Cargle summed it best in her Instagram Post “Financial freedom is not about getting to a place of doing “nothing”…[it] is placing yourself in a spot to do a billion “absolutely’s” whenever and for as long as you can!” I’m here for the absolutely’s and I’ll get there.
Two, finances can be a major anxiety stressor for me. Feeling out of control in that realm easily trickles into other aspects of my life so I’m also doing this to feel better.
How I’m Starting
Besides this post and others, which will serves as my public accountability checks. I’m getting more comfortable talking about money with friends and family. It’s the small things like disclosing my salary (which just creeped north of 45K/year before taxes) and making a money date to go through my accounts once a month.
I’m also following some financial accounts that talk about money in a realistic way. We can’t approach all twentysomething finances the same especially because race plays such a large role moving forward I’m only listening to people/outlets that acknowledge these disparities.
Who I’m Following and Let’s Go!
These are the accounts/people I’m using in my journey:
- Clever Girl Finance
- The Investing Tutor
- Black Girl on A Budget
- Black Girl Budgeting
- The Financial Diet
- Her First 100K
When did you start your finance journey? How’s it going? Or if you haven’t started yet what’s holding you back? I’m always looking for people to be in community with so if taking the fear out of finances is something you’d like to do lets talk about it below and start with me!
xx, Victoria Ellyse
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