She Strengthens

Financial Growth: A Personal Journey

As I reflect on the past year, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made towards achieving my financial goals. From saving for emergencies to paying off credit card debt, I’ve made significant strides. However, I’m not perfect, and I still struggle with feeling like a hypocrite when sharing my financial insights with others.

The Importance of Self-Awareness

I’ve come to realize that my biggest challenge is juggling multiple goals at once. While I believe in having separate savings accounts for different goals, I’ve struggled to prioritize them equally. I’m good at saving for short-term goals, like vacations and unexpected expenses, but I’ve neglected my long-term goals, like retirement savings.

The Power of Automatic Savings

I’ve been using Qapital to automatically set aside a percentage of my income for different goals, which has helped me stay on track. However, I’ve fallen into the trap of canceling deposits to my retirement savings goal to use the money for more immediate needs. This year, I’m committing to prioritizing my retirement contributions above all else.

From Goals to Obligations

To achieve this, I need to shift my mindset from thinking of retirement savings as a goal to considering it an obligation. Just like paying off my credit card debt, I need to view retirement savings as a non-negotiable expense. By doing so, I’ll be more likely to make consistent contributions and avoid procrastination.

Revisiting My Budget

To make room for increased retirement savings, I’ll be revisiting my budget before the year ends. I’ll also set up automatic monthly withdrawals and schedule reminders to ensure I always have enough in my account to cover them. With new expenses on the horizon, like paying for my own health insurance, I’ll need to be intentional about allocating my resources wisely.

A New Era of Financial Responsibility

As I enter my 26th year, I’m committed to taking my financial responsibilities more seriously. I’ll continue to enjoy the present, but I’ll also prioritize planning for the future. It’s time to take care of future me, and I’m excited to see the progress I’ll make this year.