Welcome to my first little journal entry.
One promise that I made when I created Belle in Full Bloom was that I would be open and honest about where I am in my financial journey. You know some minuscule details about me, and why I am starting this blog. Today, I would love to give you the full picture.
What has my financial journey looked like so far?
At this point, it’s probably clear that I am not far along in my financial journey. I opened a high yield savings account in January in order to create an emergency fund for myself. By April, I had saved up roughly $450 in the account. I was also trying my best to get ahead of my rent payments in order to keep financial stress at bay. However, one little incident that month started a downward spiral that I haven’t quite been able to get out of since.
I was on my way to work when I accidentally drove over one of Nashville’s infamous potholes and my front right tire popped. Between the cost of my lovely new Triple A membership and the tire itself, my emergency fund was pretty much depleted. Soon after that, I went home for all of May. I worked as much as I could at my high school job, but still walked away with only about $700. This was enough to cover rent for July, which I wanted to save up for to avoid financial stress. When I returned to Nashville, I worked to save up for my roommates and I to move in August. This meant saving for August and September rent, but also for a security deposit, application fees, necessary new furniture, and other moving costs. At the end of the moving process, I was basically broke. Honestly, I still kind of am.
So, what am I going to do about it?
If you know me, you know that I am a bit of a control freak. With the current state of my finances, I am feeling entirely out of control. The idea that I don’t have the necessary funding to buy a new tire if I accidentally pop another one is terrifying to me. I want nothing more than to have financial security, so I am going to create it for myself one way or another.
Over the next few months, my plan is to save up so that I can get ahead of my rent payments. I haven’t been able to do that this fall since I had to cut back on my part-time job hours in order to accommodate my internship. My internship recently ended, and I will receive a stipend for my work. It’s $250, which won’t be life changing, but it will definitely help me cover some necessary ground. I plan on heading back to work for my normal hours, which will also help me accomplish all of this. The upcoming holiday season will not make saving up for all of my goals the easiest of tasks, since I will be home and away from work for weeks at a time. However, I am ready for the challenge.
What exactly are my goals right now?
As of right now, my most immediate goals are as follows:
- Save up enough money to get ahead on rent payments for the rest of my lease (which ends in June of this year).
- Save up $1000 for an emergency fund by my twenty-second birthday.
Meeting these goals will be the first step in ensuring that I feel financially secure. As of right now, I have enough money to cover my rent payment for the month of December. The fact that I have to cover January rent so soon after that is so nerve wracking, especially because I will be flying home for a few weeks to celebrate the holidays with my family. As much as the break from adult life will be nice, I won’t be able to work when I am home. I am confident that I will be able to pull off January rent, but I do not want to live with this anxiety for the entirety of our lease. The ability to get ahead of my rent payments will give me the peace of mind that I need.
Similarly, working on building up my emergency fund will be life changing for me. You never know when disaster may strike. When it does, the last thing I want is to have to go crawling to my parents for help. Therefore, I am absolutely thrilled that I have begun saving up for my emergency fund again. I have not contributed much, but it’s a start for sure.
If this wasn’t what you were hoping to hear, I’m sorry.
Yeah, I’m not in a great spot right now. Some of you might be wondering why on Earth I would choose to divulge this information to the Internet. However, that is the point of this sweet little site! I wanted to start Belle In Full Bloom in order to document my journey. It was my hope that people in similar situations would want to grow along with me. So here we are, little seedlings just starting to sprout. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when we’re fully bloomed. Until then, submit questions, advice, or just reach out and say hey! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Let’s do this thing.