Dear little monkeys,
I was listening to a podcast recently about a married couple in their late twenties who had made all the "right" decisions that allowed them to quit their jobs and take a year long road trip around the country. I say "right" in quotes, because it was the right decision for them based on their priorities. They were luck enough to figure out early that money is a tool, and if you learn how to use that tool and use it well, it can be used to do pretty much whatever you want.
I have to admit being jealous of them. I had made similar decisions starting off, not really with the mindset of being financially independent or retiring early, but I made some decisions specifically because I knew it would get me money. And my folks helped out with that. I graduated college with no debt, something I didn't realize was quite the blessing it was. I also graduated with a degree that was employable and made good money. The decision to major in computer science was in part because I enjoyed the work, but mostly because it was practically a guarantee (at the time) of having a good paying job with benefits.
After that things went off the rails a bit, and I learned the pitfalls of credit card debt, and being house poor to simply own a house (please don't do this, it's stressful). I wish I could go back and tell 26 year old me that it was not financially smart to buy a house I could uncomfortably afford. Or I should've filled it with roommates instead of just a dog.
But that wasn't my priority at the time, and while I rue buying that house, it led me to other things that made my life richer. Priorities change over time, and that's okay too. You just need to figure out what they are so you can direct your decisions accordingly.
Love,
Mama monkey
No comments:
Post a Comment