Welcome to Dreams, meet Plans

It’s the beginning of 2023. I’m 37 years old, married with two children, an avid runner and skier, an extrovert who loves birthdays and half-birthdays (yes, half-birthdays ARE a thing). I have a dog and a job and a mortgage (aka a house.) I’m probably a lot like you, aside from the half-birthday thing. And I’m reflecting on the fact that I’ve spent the past 22 years—much more than half my life—worrying about money. “Hm, what a great person to follow on a blog,” you must be thinking. Good! Because I think I am a great person to write one.

Let me back up. If you’ve done the math, you’ll realize that I just said I started worrying about money at the age of 15, which is pretty darn young. That is true. While by many accounts my childhood was privileged, there was uncertainty about money and for me that uncertainty developed into fear. By the time I graduated from college, I was obsessed with accruing a magical number in my bank account that would allow me to feel safe.

Somewhere in the years of micromanaging every cent, passing on travel and dinner with friends and buying utensils that didn’t bend in the peanut butter I kept in the fridge, I began dating a guy who patronized the church of generosity to the same extent I worshipped at the alter of scarcity.

Somewhere in the years of micromanaging every cent, passing on travel and dinner with friends and buying utensils that didn’t bend in the peanut butter I kept in the fridge, I began dating a guy who patronized the church of generosity to the same extent I worshipped at the alter of scarcity. “What do you want to do with your life?” he asked me one day in a non-hypothetical way. “Tell me,” he said. “Or don’t. Make a list. Think about it and write down the things that you really want to do someday.” It felt like a stretch but, damn, do I love a list? You know I do. So I did it. And when I presented it to my boyfriend, he handed it right back to me and said “Jen, these are the things that are worthy of your resources. They are worthy of your money and of your time and you owe it to yourself to do them.”

Fast forward 12 years. I did the things on the list. I did not stay in that relationship because it wasn’t right for me (and maybe because that boyfriend emboldened me to make the right choices for myself). But I ran marathons and triathlons. I traveled the world. My husband—who is not the boyfriend in this story—and I met when I moved to Colorado on a whim after I had been a ski bum for a year in Maine (*upcoming* post to be linked). My life is so different now, 12 years later, and I still count that conversation as one of the most meaningful ones I’ve ever had.

What a lovely story, huh? I, myself, certainly love a happy ending. Well, that’s not exactly all…

The thing is, I’m still obsessive about money. Honestly, I’m still scared that I don’t have (and won’t have) enough.

The thing is, I’m still obsessive about money. Honestly, I’m still scared that I don’t have (and won’t have) enough. I’ve also had some really bad experiences:

Hence this blog. This is an unabashed side hustle. I’m trying to put two kids through daycare and buy $6/dozen eggs because inflation is off the charts. It’s all A LOT. It’s more than enough to convince even hardier spirits than me to just buckle down and wait out the storm.

We only get this one chance at life. And it’s not best spent looking around at the things that everyone else seems to be able to do because they make more money or face fewer obstacles or just have a really damn good social media filter and probably one of those shiny ring light things

Here’s the thing though. We only get this one chance at life. And it’s not best spent looking around at the things that everyone else seems to be able to do because they make more money or face fewer obstacles or just have a really damn good social media filter and probably one of those shiny ring light things. I am here to tell you to make a list because the things you want to do are worthy of your resources.

Furthermore, why not me? Why can’t I be a blogger who establishes financial freedom for her family through a passion project side hustle that also generates a community in the process? I’ve figured out what I want and I’m connecting my desire with small, actionable steps.

Dreams, meet plans.

I did–and am still doing–the things on my list and here’s how:

*I planned/paid for my own wedding and negotiated 90% of my vendors down in price (*upcoming* post to be linked)

*I funneled my wedding expenses through credit cards to maximize travel rewards to cover two round-trip airfares to Portugal, 9 nights of hotel stays, and a rental car, which made our honeymoon almost free (*upcoming* post to be linked)

*I bought my first house without the assistance of a real estate agent and saved A TON on the purchase price by eliminating that commission (*upcoming* post to be linked)

*I built an AirBnB in my unfinished basement using my credit card benefits and tax deductions to create a new passive income stream for my family (*upcoming* post to be linked)

*I learned the ins and outs of rental and small business tax law in order shield my earned income as much as possible, thus keeping more money in my family’s pocket and bringing us closer to financial freedom (*upcoming* post to be linked)

We can do the things on our lists while living within our means. We can travel the world, be good friends to our people, be great parents to our littles, buy houses, plan weddings, invest in our future. We can do it. It just takes a little, ya know, do-ing. We need to connect the dream with some concrete steps, some money-saving tricks, the bravery to make a change, and the mindset to believe our list is worthy of our resources.

Dreams, meet plans.

You’ll find my stories here, both my successes and my failures, the products, tips, and tricks that have worked for me, and, I hope, a source of support and strength for the things on your mind’s list that you’ve hesitated to even write down because they don’t feel possible, and because it can be really scary to dream. I hope you will write them down. I believe they’re possible. I’m glad you’re here. I hope you’ll stay.

Tell me in the comments what you’d really like to do in your life. I’d love to share help in a related post, if possible.

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