W.T.F.F. (Working Towards Financial Freedom)

          Sometimes it can seem impossible to save money. I mean with rent/mortgage, utilities, other bills, and let’s not forget paying off debt, how are we even supposed to have extra money to save? Well, it’s not as impossible as you may think. There are the obvious options: get a second job, try to get a higher paying job, or find ways to make money on the side. But these options may not always be viable. Getting a second job may not be possible for people with children without considering additional child care services; which is just another added expense. Getting a higher paying job may take some time as you gain the experience you may need to move up; you may even have to go back to school for a degree or certification. Finding ways to make money on the side may be a little easier depending on your skill set, but it still requires time and effort. So what are some other ways to save money? In one of my previous posts 5 Easy Ways to Lower Your Monthly Expenses from Your Couch

                      Hey All! I’m taking a little detour from finances with today’s post. Why, you ask? Well over the weekend your girl SDot was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award! Completely unexpected but very humbling. I’ve been blogging for about 4 months now and this is the second time I’ve had a fellow blogger nominate me for a peer-recognition award. I’m ecstatic knowing that people are enjoying my blog’s content. 

           I did it y’all!!!😁 After eight years and three months, I am officially done with ALL of my student loans. There was a time that I honestly did not think this would happen or at least not until I was in my 40’s. The Department of Education reports that the typical repayment period for borrowers with between $20,000 and $40,000 in federal student loans is 20 years. Yea, that’s pretty crappy. But with the exorbitant costs of higher education in the United States and the belief that the only way to succeed or get ahead in life is with a college degree a lot of young people and their families are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Often turning to loans to help cover the expense. Today, roughly 70% of American students end up taking out loans to go to college with the average graduate leaving school with around $30,000 in debt. 

            I know, I know...most people hate budgeting but unfortunately it is a necessary evil; especially if you want your money to eventually work for you and not just you working for it.  But the ‘budget’ doesn’t have to have a negative connotation if we just change the way we think about it.

          No matter how old you are, you should never stop learning. Whether it's through traditional instruction (i.e. going to school, attending a class, taking a training) or informal means (i.e. reading a book, an article, a blog lol), continuous education is needed for personal growth. This year, I signed up to take H&R Block’s Income Tax Course. I’ve been interested in learning more about the tax process for quite some time now. I remember when I first started working, doing taxes seemed confusing and scary to me mostly because of the bad rap the whole process usually gets from movies and TV shows. I didn’t want to do something wrong and then get audited or end up owing a huge amount in taxes. I remember thinking “What’s the deal with all the receipts? Was I realistically supposed to keep track of all my receipts???” Yea, I know I was being overly dramatic, but I did have my worries.