Hi! My name is Ashley. I'm in my late twenties, recently married, with no kids. I have decided to create this website to help in my own personal journey to becoming financially secure, and hopefully provide some helpful opinions others may find useful.
My goal for this blog is to be brutally honest about my financial situation. Honesty is my best policy! For way too many years I have hidden behind the burden of truth that my financial situation wasn't quite what I portrayed it to be. To know me better, and hopefully appreciate where I'm coming from, here is a little background information:
I was born into a family that was considerably above middle class. My parents lived in the country club, drove fancy cars, and went to outlandish dinner parties. Much like those women on the real housewives series on Bravo if you are trying to paint a picture. As a baby I had a nanny to take care of me and, in many pictures, I'm decorated rediculously in ruffles and bows...my mom's own little porcelain doll. Financially speaking, sounds pretty good!
Well, much like I learned to do, my parents were masterminds in portraying a reality that wasn't quite the real deal. My mother was a very extravagant spender. And, although my Dad was making way more money than the average Joe, she was able to spend way more than what my Dad was bringing in. Unfortunately for my parents, Dad never put his foot down. The debt kept building and building until finally it caught up with both of them.
My Dad was in way over his head. And my Mom, being a stay at home country club wife, was unable to face the reality of their financial situation. Needless to say, the debt ultimately ended their relationship. This however, just added to the situation. Between lawyer fees and court costs more debt was incurred. All the while my Mom was still trying to maintain an image to her "friends" in a desperate attempt to retain her social status.
Ultimately, this led to my Dad filing for bankruptcy and us losing our home. This all happened before I turned 8 years old. The bankruptcy ruined my parents credit. They were unable to buy a house and often had trouble renting. Most of my childhood was spent packing boxes and changing addresses. Not to mention the back and forth of a court ordered joint custody between my parents.
The only sense of stability I had was school. Some how my parents were able to keep my siblings and I in the private school we had gone to since kindergarten. I don't know how they managed but I was able to graduate from a very good high school, with many of the same friends I had made in the first grade.
But going to a private school such as mine had its own stressors. Like my parents, I became good at pretending to live a lifestyle that wasn't the same with reality. My friends' parents were all very well off. They ran in the same circle my parents were once accustomed to. Many stressors of growing up, trying to keep up with my friends, have contributed to my current financial situation.
Like my Mom, I spent many years in denial. It was very hard for me to admit that I couldn't afford the latest Coach purse, Louboutin shoes, or Michael Kors watch. Although I am no where near the financial distress my parents deal with, I do have my struggles.
I have credit cards, student loans, personal loans, and everyday bills I am trying to manage. I came to terms where I lie, as far as income goes, a few years ago. Since I came to grips with my financial reality I have done a pretty good job of living within my means. Like I said, I have some credit card and loan debt I'm trying to dig myself out of. Which is why I decided to start my blog!
I've wanted to have a blog for sometime now. There is something about writing that I have an attraction to. Although, I don't feel like i'm that great at it. So please don't judge! I've had struggles with trying to find a blog topic that I can dedicate myself to. I'll be honest this is not my first blog but it is definitely the first blog I have a sense of excitement about.
I plan to use this blog to journal my journey to being debt free. And, hopefully give some helpful advice along the way. I plan an exposing my financial life 100%, be completely naked! My goal is more personal than anything. I hope, by writing my journey to eliminating my debt, I can inspire and encourage myself to reach my financial goals.
Happy Reading!
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