What Most People Don’t Know About Me

I am the oldest of 9 children – most of you know that.

However, what you may not know is that in the household I grew up in—my father was an alcoholic—my mother was the breadwinner—and we never had enough money.

We had food.  We had a 1-acre garden and preserved all our food.  However, we also went to the food bank to get government cheese and milk.

My parents never answered the phone because the people that called were bill collectors.  We had to screen the calls and if it was a bill collector, we were instructed to tell them that our parents weren’t home.

We wore hand-me-down clothing from our rich cousins—which never fit—but at least we had clothing.

We never had a vacation.

Our car was always breaking down.

Now, the good news is that my mother (God rest her soul) was our rock.  She planned mini-outings that were free.  We learned how to can food.  She took us to Goodwill to find clothing that would fit us.

She gave us unconditional love.

But what we did not learn during our growing-up years is how to become financially secure.

When I got my first job, I lived paycheck to paycheck.  At the end of the month, I usually did not have enough money to buy food so the guys in the factory would share their lunches with me.

HOWEVER, deep in my gut, I instinctively knew that I WOULD NEVER BE IN A POSITION TO HAVE A BILL COLLECTOR call me.

I knew that I needed to create a savings account.

I knew that I had to LEARN HOW TO MANAGE MONEY.

So, I had to open myself to new mentors.  To see a different future for me and my family. I was committed to breaking the cycle of poverty, becoming financially secure and creating a life of abundance for myself and everyone around me.

Yes, it took a while.  By saving a little here and there—even though I could have used it for other things.

Investing in real estate when I didn’t think I could afford it.

Attending financial literacy classes when I didn’t have the time.

Maybe you can relate.  Maybe you want a financial future that doesn’t look like your past.

Make the decision to learn about money—because if you are going to be a bag lady, MAKE IT A GUCCI. (Quote by Teri Murphy)