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I had a good life growing up, with a saver for a mom and successful entrepreneurs for a stepfather and grandpa. We were comfortably middle class. However, money was a taboo topic in our family. I learned the basics: work hard, save, avoid credit cards, and that money doesn’t grow on trees.
As an adult, I faced challenges right away and found myself in bankruptcy at 19—a significant lesson learned. Unsure who to turn to for advice, I applied for a secured credit card. Being cautious, I raised my credit score from 495 to 605 in only six months. Eager to learn about money, I earned my Associate of Applied Science in Accounting.
In 2017 my husband and I bought our first house. At that point, we decided we should sit down and review our finances. We were not prepared for the shock that we were about to experience. We realized over the previous year that we had spent roughly $18,000 at the gas station next to our house. What a wake-up call!!!
The next couple of years, we paid more attention to our spending, secured a small savings, and paid off one vehicle. But we were still essentially living paycheck to paycheck. At the beginning of 2020, we moved and decided to start prioritizing our finances. Our money now works for us, and we have a decent 6-figure retirement, plus savings that grow whether we contribute or not.
Last year, when we were buying a home, our lender said, "You have an 812 credit score with NO DEBT—that’s unheard of!"
It’s proof that you can truly achieve anything. Now, I want to share my 20 years of knowledge to help others fast-track their success. You can absolutely have it all!
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