The reason I am starting this blog is because I have been blessed. I was extremely lucky to be born to two parents who started from very humble beginnings, but were able to make a life for themselves by being very good at managing money. As a result, I grew up in a household where we were taught the basics of how money works. Both of my parents grew up in rural Ohio. One in a dying steel town, the other in a rural farm town, the daughter to an unwed teenage mother. They overcame the odds – both going to college and ultimately having successful careers. But it wasn’t easy.
From them I learned how to be responsible with money, how to respect the money you have (pennies don’t like being disrespected – more on that later) and how to navigate in a relationship where people have different mindsets about money based on their upbringing.
Sadly, most people in America get no formal training on personal finance. They don’t learn how to maximize their income and eliminate their debt. They don’t know the difference between good debt and bad debt. They don’t always know how the bank works. They don’t understand, that regardless of income, there are things they can do to build the life and the security that want to provide for themselves and their families. When you have money, you have choice. When you have choice, you have freedom. Don’t we all just want to be free?