How it all Began

I originally labeled this section “Career & Education,” but it did not feel quite right. I felt I had more to share in this area that is not necessarily tied to a paid position or a degree. It dawned on me that ultimately my education and career lead me to figuring out how to manage my personal finances. When I had that aha moment, I changed the section to “Finances”.

I started working as a dishwasher when I was 12 years old, for $5 per hour. They had all you can eat chicken on Wednesday nights, and that is why I am still weird about chicken on the bone to this day, haha. I learned early on that I like to have money. I learned I like to spend money. I did not have too much knowledge about debt and budgeting.

When I was a child any money I received was to be split 50% in hand and 50% into a savings envelope. That is a wonderful idea.  I am sure I did something with that savings envelope eventually, but I cannot recall anything specific. I forgot about that until I was typing this out.

One time my dad had me keep all my receipts to track how much I was spending in one month’s time. I liked that project. I made it look all nice in a binder, and I am sure I used colors to make it all make sense. Perhaps that was the foreshadowing that I would be an accountant one day.

As a teenager I often worked up to 3 jobs at a time. I believe the reasoning was because of child labor laws. I was only allowed to work X number of hours per job. By the end of high-school I was working full-time most weeks. I worked mainly in food & beverage, with a sprinkle of retail and other services.

I did not want to go to college. I was over high school and felt college would be a waste of my time. I had thoughts of becoming a real estate agent. (This was in 2006, and I am grateful I did not pursue that idea.) My junior year of high school, I entered a business challenge with a partner. I believe it was called Junior achievement. We ended up winning that challenge and were awarded a 2-year scholarship to the local University of Wisconsin extension, at Sheboygan. We also went to state, but I do not remember medaling at that event.

I went to UW-Sheboygan because of that business associate’s scholarship. I worked full-time, and then some. I also partied hard as well. I did not do well with this degree. I learned the hard way to read the fine print. I lost the scholarship because I received a C in a business course. After that devastation and due to some tough science courses and lack of caring, one semester I had a .9 GPA.

I finished my associates after 3 years and 1 summer school course. I was glad to be done. I hadn’t acquired too much debt at this point in life. Except my credit cards. I was just ignorant of how those worked. I use this plastic card from Victoria Secret, I take home all of the Pink brands sweat pants, and I only have to pay you $40 a month?? That sounds too good to be true! Because it was, and the CC debt just kept increasing.

I did pay down those cards by the end of my associates. I left Wisconsin in 2010 with $300 to my name, and only a car loan. I say only a car loan, but that bad boy had a 32% interest rate! I had no idea how bad that was, or what got me into that situation. I was just pleased to do it without my parents’ help or permission, at the ripe old age of 22.

I moved around the country with my then boyfriend, now husband. I worked in the front of the house at some wonderful places! I am sure I made good money. However, I have nothing to show for it, or prove it. I do know that I spent it all, haha.

When we moved to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I had plans of not working at all while we were there, as we had only planned to stay 6 months. I was collecting unemployment from my seasonal adventures and wanted to have island fun. I soon learned my habits (*ahem coffee, alcohol and nicotine*) needed to be supported more and found a job at a restaurant. I quickly felt I needed to get my bachelor’s degree and decided to enroll at The University of the Virgin Islands.

This is where my choices, lessons, and path become clearer to me. This was about 12 years ago. I am going to share my work and educational journey in sequential order from here on out, to the best of my memory. I am also going to post other life events that happened between those segments of time, relating to my financial lessons. Although my other sections will not be chronological, it makes the most sense for this topic. I am hoping in sharing my journey in order, I will be able to summarize, in Drakes words, how we “started from the bottom now we here.” By we, I mean my husband and myself as we have been on this journey for almost 15 years at this point. And by bottom I literally mean having way more debt than assets to finally having some equity in our lives.