I am actually a really intelligent person. I was the sole delegate for my state in the People to People ambassador program in elementary school. I was the Service Chair in National Honor Society in high school and graduated Magna Cum Laude. I also graduated from college Cum Laude. #nerdstatus But when it comes to money, I have #literallynoidea.
My money journey started at a pretty young age and my parents taught me so much.
I got paid for my good grades; starting in fifth grade, my mom would pay me $5 for each A, $4 for each B and nothing for anything lower. Talk about motivation. I remember the ONE TIME I got a C in social studies and didn't get any money. I was completely devastated, busted my a$$, and got it up to an A to collect my rightfully earned $5.
I started getting allowance for doing chores around the house when I was about 7 or 8. I would save my money and buy the important things, like Pokemon cards and ice cream.
When I was a blossoming teenager with braces, acne and a solid weird personality, like many others, I started slacking off my chores. My mom came up with one of the most memorable and influential methods to deal with my #halfass job. She put 15 one dollar bills in a jar on the kitchen counter. If she came home and my chores weren't done, she would pull money out. #what So, if I wanted to slack off, I totally could... at MY cost. Not hers. I quickly whipped back into shape and pulled my weight around the house.
I have always been a hard worker and can't stay down for long (probably part of the reason that I started this blog when I found a few more hours in the day). Often times, my father (Dad) would get laid off and my mom would step up, work four jobs and put food on our table. Side note: I literally attribute everything to that woman. She's awesome.
Back to the story: my parents got divorced when I was 12. Now completely on a single income, a child support check and my mom working four jobs, I often wouldn't see her all day until bedtime. I woke up, fed myself, went to school, came home, did my chores, made something to eat, kissed her goodnight and we would both go to bed. Honestly, there were several nights where I ate and I'm pretty sure she didn't. I know she will never tell me but I know I was a chubby kid. Let's be honest: I probably ate her food. #sorrymom Moral of this story: my mom did anything she needed to do to make sure I was safe. We didn't live extravagantly but we weren't impoverished either; I wouldn't change a single thing about my childhood and it taught me so much.
Flash forward to when my stepfather (Pops) came strutting into our lives. He brought financial stability, four ridiculous kids who became my incredibly lucky siblings, a weird sense of humor and a crazy humbling military career. With him in our lives, we were able to travel where we wanted, eat what we wanted, and basically get what we wanted.
I got my first job at 14 working at a snowcone shack. When I got paid, half of the money went to my savings because I had no expenses or responsibilities. Man, that was a great time. #AmIRight After that summer, I made my first big purchase. I saved up $120 and bought a TV for my bedroom. It was huge. It was heavy. It was ugly. But it was mine.
The following summer I landed a job working at my favorite lake resort in Idaho. Room and board was included. I got to live AT THE LAKE. #awesome I worked hard that summer and when I went home, I had a paycheck, wondering what to do with it. That was when my mom took me to open my first checking account. It was set up with a savings account that would automatically pull $25 each month to savings which was nice because I never remembered to save after the snowcone shack. But then... I was offered my first credit card.
I'll save the long story (I think it's too late for that) but I racked up that credit card, transferred that balance to a 0% offer I got on a new card, and rack up the first card again. #Literallynoidea that I, Karen Owens, had a crazy spending problem.
When I was a freshman at Boise State, I took an addiction studies course (which w as a Friday night class which meant I had to miss the football games--I just streamed them in class...). During this class, we had to give up something we felt we were addicted to for one week. Originally, I was going to give up #coffee... #Yeahright So, I took the weekend and thought about what I could give up: social media, TV, sugar... I felt those were all topics other people would do. So, I went shopping to get some inspiration. Shopping. I was unemployed at this point besides collecting $100 per month teaching dance. I went to Dutch Bros. to get a coffee, Jack in the Box for lunch, shopped at Kohl's and then got ice cream on the way home. Then hit me:
I. SPEND. SO. MUCH. MONEY.
So, I wrote a plan. The only money I was going to spend was for gas and if I needed a blue book for a test at school. I would pack my lunch, drink coffee from a pot (#ugh), and no shopping.
It was #literally the worst week of my life... But I learned so much. On Monday, I was on my way to class and I got off the freeway at the exit where Dutch Bros. was. I said it was my car's fault because he was so used to the routine. But! I did leave without purchasing a coffee. I brought a lunch, didn't buy a drink on campus all day and ended the day without spending any money. Tuesday was not so successful. I ended up buying the coffee, Panda Express, and a drink on the way home.
I realized that if I wasn't spending money, that's all I could think about. I didn't care what I bought; I just needed to swipe that card. That behavior continued and I still feel the same way today.
So, I decided in August of 2017, I would reach out for help. I needed someone to hold me accountable, to tell what to do differently and to coach me (or maybe scare me) straight. It was so uncomfortable, new and embarrassing, sharing my flaws and problems with someone who's paid to fix stupid people like me.
Before meeting with Whitney, my #moneycoach, I honestly couldn't tell you how many credit cards I had off the top of my head. I had #literallynoidea how much debt I was in. I wouldn't dare to look at my bank account. Whitney helped me get back on my feet after falling flat on my face.
The most embarrassing point of this entire process was that almost everything Whitney told me... my mom taught me when I was younger. But who listens to their mom, right? #sorrymom
I'm so excited to be on the right track now. I have #literallynoidea what the future holds but I'm stoked to see where I go.
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