Finances is the third spoke on the wheel of Primary Foods, when assessing our Circle of Life.
This is where I stalled out with writing the last time because this is an uncomfortable area for me. My finances have always been a bit of a murky thing, to say the least. I have found that it takes a really big commitment to something I want to achieve for me to get my money in order. The last time I got my financial act together was when I had made the decision to leave to New York to pursue volunteering in Scotland. I began that journey in 2008, and was ready by 2012. I really buckled down, got clear on where my money was, and where it needed to go. I started meeting with a financial planner and organized everything (as much as I can be organized, lol), put myself on a semi-strict budget while allowing myself some necessary luxuries such as my herbal apprenticeship and vacations (which I saved for instead of throwing everything on my credit cards…which was the bulk of my fiscal woes).
I have always come through and had enough, but I have rarely had more than enough so that I feel less stress around paying bills.
At some point over the past year I started to seriously think about buying a house some day. This is not something I have ever really allowed myself to believe was possible. I have lived in apartments most of my adult life. For some reason I started thinking it may be possible one day over the course of the quarantine. I started looking up places that came up for sale in my neighborhood as research and began dreaming of the possibilities…and the probability…of being able to pursue this idea seriously (I would love to one day have a larger home studio, a.k.a. kitchen, to work from).
This also led me to think about the future in a monetary way. One thing I do have going for me is that as a result of my former corporate work, I do have a little retirement nest egg started. However, I hadn’t been contributing to it since leaving New York due to all the upheaval with my nomadic lifestyle, school bills, and fluctuating income. I made the decision to start adding to it once again at the New Year…so that is something. Regardless, I am incredibly grateful to have steady income, a few coins in the bank, and a cozy and safe home. I have been very lucky over the course of these uncertain times.
As for the house, I have taken a step back to assess and see where I need to pay down some bills, increase my savings and improve my credit. But having a goal in mind is very helpful. One step at a time.