How I started my Financial Journey - Sis

Where does one start when telling the story of their financial journey? You could say you should start where it all began,your childhood. I had several positive and negative examples in my life. I had a very hard working successful stepdad who build his own company and I had a father that never seemed able to keep up with all the bills. Two very different sides of the coin. But we don’t have to get into that today. At a young age it was clear to me that money can mean many things, power, love, nurturing and control. Let's fast forward to the current day where choices are made and actions are taken. Money brings security to my life. It lets me put a house over my family’s head. It lets me stay home with my son and be the mom I want to be. So this is my journey with money, the road to making it positive, and plausible.  

I grew up in a nice town outside of Denver. I graduated high school then went on to a private college. There I met my husband my junior year. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and minor in studio arts. My husband and I lived in Omaha for around 10 months after college then moved to Denver and moved into my grandma’s basement.  Typical adult mistake number one was that what came in went right back out. We lived in my grandma’s basement for about two years. It was a fun two years. My husband and I both had good jobs. My husband got a nice toy car and we went out every night. Despite living it up we did manage to save enough for a down payment on a house. After two years with grandma and a little help from my parents we found the perfect starter home. We got married and what do you know, got pregnant! Like I said, pretty standard start to our story.

After two years in our first house and the birth of our son my parents decided to move to downtown Denver to live a more active life. My husband and I were ready to settle down and offered to buy their house from them. My brother and his family live about 4 minutes from our new house. Naturally after we moved in we started to see each other more often. I always thought my brother was a little funny or strange. He never got into spending money on the sort of things most people did. He, to me, lived a very happy simple life. I asked him about money, the one topic we are all taught not to talk about. That is when he sent me a few financial podcasts and web sites. The world of FIRE and frugal living was something that never crossed my mind, but it made so much sense to me. The light bulb turned on and we decided to start making changes.

My husband and I are learning together. We are on the journey to making a better life for our family. We are learning how to make cuts from our lifes. Cutting things out like eating out and buying new clothes when your closet is already full. We have opened a Vanguard account and a 529 college fund for our son. We have a grocery budget but are also trying to eat healthier. Our new house is larger so utility bills are naturally more expensive, so we are learning how to cut other costs. My goal is to have a healthy happy family and reach a point where money is no longer an object that is needed but a helpful tool.


Small changes and consistent lifestyle choices can set you up for a future of stability. This is about our baby steps. Things that average families can do together.  I invite you to share in this journey to make smart financial choices that can make a large difference to a financial future. I am far from perfect and am sure there are going to be some speed bumps along the way, but hey, I like my journey.


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