Sometimes it can be exhausting trying to accomplish everything we want to accomplish. Eat right. Work out. Give your best at work. Climb the ladder, but somehow still put family first. Get good sleep. Provide a living for your family, but also chase your dreams. Side-hustle, but still make time for friends and the new season of your favorite show. All these things are great, but how is one person supposed to do all that and still make good decisions with their finances? It seems overwhelming, and in the beginning it always is. But, I’m here to tell you it can be done! You CAN master your personal finances, and more importantly, you can use them as a tool to make a big difference in the world!
Seven years ago, I started my first “real” job making slightly above minimum wage with a Bachelor of Science degree and $106,000 in student loans. Today, I am married with a toddler and a newborn, debt free, and making over 5x more than I was back then. Don’t get me wrong, I was afforded a lot of out-sized opportunities and promotions which I may go into in future posts. But leaving aside for the moment what I consider to be God at work in my life, the trajectory that my personal finances are on now is thanks to a lot of hard work radically reducing expenses, increasing income through strategic job hopping, and intentional investing (aka. debt reduction). It was never easy, and my wife and I probably looked crazy to most of our friends. We’ve gone from barely being able to make student loan payments, to being able to save (and give) over 35% of our income.
Nothing excites me more than to be able to share all the things I have learned on my family’s journey to winning with money. No matter how you feel today about your finances, there is hope for a brighter future. You are not who you will be in 5 years. You CAN make the big decisions to change your financial trajectory. I believe in you.
My intention for this post is to put a little hope back in your finances. In future posts, I’ll give you the tools to accomplish big financial goals without keeping track of 17 spreadsheets and worrying endlessly about every penny. Taking control of your finances can seem like a daunting task, especially for those just starting out. But I’m here to be your helpful guide to show you just how simple it can be. Let’s do this!
This is day 8 of 30 in my challenge to write every day for 30 days. I hope you’re enjoying the journey as much as I am!
Josh Newman 