Sole Magik

A little more about money …

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agirlandhersole

A little more about Money!

After my divorce, I found myself wanting to own a house. It’s not for everyone, I know, but “owning my house” was important to me.

I was very fortunate to come out of my marriage with zero debt. I started working on my finances while married and was able to pay it off before our divorce date. I have an awesome ex-husband! 😇

But I know it wasn’t easy, and beating yourself up for “how much debt you have” WON’T HELP! Be compassionate with yourself. Everyone eats candy knowing it’s bad for them; you spend more knowing it’s bad for you. That doesn’t make you a horrible person!

Things that helped me lower my debt were:

  1. Talk to someone you feel safe with and tell them the truth! “I am $X in debt!” Get it off your chest!
  2. Look at your finances! If you hide from them, they will not disappear. That miracle lottery ticket or the dreamy rich guy who is going to fall madly in love with you after 48 hours is not real.
  3. Write down ALL expenses! That’s right, ALL of them! Rent, car payment, car insurance, hair salon, subscriptions, groceries, pet toys… ALL!
  4. Grab that bottle of wine and now write down your income!
  5. MAKE A PLAN OF ATTACK!
    • I determined my income and bills (rent, car, insurance, etc.).
    • Split the difference into three parts: one to save, one to pay towards minimums, and the third to pay a chunk down on one card. When you are done with that card, move to the others after calculating new minimums.
  6. The one that helped me THE MOST: open a second checking account for your spending. Set it aside at the beginning of the month, and when it’s out, IT IS OUT! It’s okay to say, “Hey! I can’t make it to the mani-pedi,” or “Instead of going out, can we go for a walk? I’m short of cash.” Be honest with yourself and the world!

Today I heard, “Lack of financial awareness is a way of keeping yourself small,” and it stuck with me. Avoidance won’t make problems disappear. Once you sit down to do this, you realize YOU CAN DO IT! Because you were enough in the past, are enough now, and will be enough!