All The Frugal Ladies Personal finance with a feminine touch
I considered writing about someone else with a great success story but then I thought to myself: you know what, Ronnie? You deserve to be selfish and tell your story! You worked damn hard!
So ladies and gentlemen, this time around, I nominate myself as the success story of the week! *cue cheering*
Why do I deserve to be in this spot? Well, by December of this year, I have transitioned from being in debt to saving $46,000 in just two years!
The progress to this point was slow. Let’s go back in time to 2004, when I finished high school and headed to university. To say that I was in financial strain during my studies would be wrong. I had the good fortune of landing a full academic excellence scholarship to cover my studies including tuition and a significant subsidy for rent. My monthly costs were very low and were easily covered.
Then came the army… during my military service I made only $80 a month – yep, military service here is not quite what it is abroad. At that point, I started feeling the weight of financial strain! Rent, food, bills, transportation – it all started adding up and I quickly went into debt. It took me a year of minimum wage work outside the army to pay off my debt to the bank (while significantly lowering my standard of living…) The next few years were rough – unemployment, more debts, low salaries. Phew!
Fast forward to 2011 – the year I decided to change my life. For the first time ever, I made a commitment to ensure my financial security. I moved into my dad’s apartment (rent-free living!), starting getting more involved in couponing, sales and discounts and checked every bill and paycheck in detail. I took work that I wouldn’t normally be open to doing – I waitressed, I worked for an organization that underpaid me and overworked me, and I tried to make extra money on the side with other activities like translating. I even sued a huge company when I realized they had overcharged me. My hard work and determination paid off; I started seeing the savings rack up. Every cent counted in this goal, and I spared no time in ensuring I reached it.
Now, here I am, a few months from my goal and I actually managed to surpass it – significantly. 😀 I’m finally in the green zone and it feels amazing to have that security! Next up, comes investment – my $46,000 will become millions. (haha I hope)
