How We Escaped College Debt Free
In high school, I had a choice to make. Go to an expensive university and be forced to work throughout the year (including summers), OR go to a less expensive university and have more freedom. This decision and the determination to avoid student loans helped us tremendously. In this post, I detail how we both avoided taking out student loans, and how it has fast-tracked our path to financial independence.
Busyness is Not a Virtue
Less than a year ago, I worked 50+ hour weeks, commuted 45-55 minutes each way, volunteered on a board of a nonprofit organization (and became the vice-chair), was part of a book club, started a blog, tried to exercise regularly and cook healthy meals, and invested time in building relationships with family and friends. I felt constantly frazzled.
Overcoming Severe Anxiety
The last six months have been the most challenging in my life as I have dealt with severe anxiety. While this situation was extremely challenging for me, I can now look back and realize that this was also a tremendous period of personal growth. I learned a lot and made significant life changes that I will carry forward with me for the rest of my life. I hope my story can serve as an inspiration and provide advice or hope for anyone experiencing something similar.
Why You Don’t Need an MBA
Over the past few years, my organization has grown rapidly and it has forced me to consider getting a Master of Business Administration (MBA). It originated out of a feeling of insecurity that I couldn’t be successful without a related degree. Many of my peers in similar nonprofits have either an MBA or MPA, so maybe it was time for me to do the same. Here’s what I was able to figure out.
How to Pursue Financial Independence as a Couple
Until about a year ago, I had ZERO interest in understanding or being involved in our finances. I call myself a feminist, but I was more than happy to let Corey completely run our finances. I have had a complicated relationship with money. I felt guilty about having money, so I preferred to keep it out of sight and out of mind. It’s no surprise that Corey and I were not on the same page in regards to our finances for the first 9 years of our marriage.  Here’s what we did to change that.
Two Proven Hacks to Stop Spending Money
I used to spend money without even thinking about it. When I was introduced to Financial Independence, I started to think about money in a different way. The concept that completely shifted my paradigm was that instead of using your money to buy stuff, you can use your money to buy back your time. This mindset shift changed everything for me.
Financial Independence in One Word: Enough
Now that we have embarked on our journey to financial independence, actively pursuing a life with more meaning and happiness, I have a completely new perspective on life. While it did not happen overnight, this new perspective is radically different than how I used to see the world and how the majority of Americans live their lives. This new perspective, and arguably the financial independence movement, is driven by one of the most powerful words: enough.
The Nonprofit Rat Race and Why to Join it
Nonprofits have many of the same challenges as corporate America, and in general, I don’t believe that working in a nonprofit feels like early retirement. Here’s the irony of understanding that nonprofit employees can also get caught up in the rat race: When you understand that working for a nonprofit is not an escape from that reality, you can start to consider working for a nonprofit now.
How to be Intentional with your Friend Spending
When we moved to Boston, we didn’t know anyone. We wanted to make friends and because it had been difficult to make friends in the past, we found ourselves saying “Yes” to every invite and activity, regardless of the cost. This quickly got out of hand. Over the past few months, we have learned creative ways to save money and spend money intentionally on our friends.
