My Personal Story and the Lessons I’ve Learned

For Non-Signers to read this from what I am saying on video (My apologizes no caption on screen): “From my recent poll, it seems readers want me to talk more about business, entrepreneurship, and Mother and KODA Daughter on this video -so here it goes!

Since I will be talking more about personal finance, business, and my daughter’s short films.

I thought I should tell you more first about my personal finances first, lessons I’ve learned and my relationship with money. Here it goes:

Let’s start with when I was a little girl. My parents were good role models when it came to money. I often saw my mom using coupons and my family never went out for dinner unless it was a special occasion like my parents’ anniversary, birthdays, holidays, etc….. My brother, sisters and I received an allowance, but the allowance came with rules. My mom would take us to the bank where we each had to deposit most of our allowance into our personal savings accounts. I still have the bankbooks from when I was younger, and a lot of the deposits were for $5.00. We could buy ourselves something small with the remainder of the allowance or choose to keep it. Being a little entrepreneur, I liked saving my money to invest in by I went to each neighbors to sale my stickers I collection in 1980’s where I could make a return on my investment (haha)…..  Anyways, usually once per year we would use our saved money to buy Savings Bonds which I later used towards university along with money I had saved from part time jobs as a teenager.

Lesson Learned: With patience, money grows and even small amounts (like $5.00) are worth saving.

During my first two summers of university I worked at Claire’s with earrings and jewelry. Being Assistant Manager, I worked a lot of overtime. It was a tough job but paid well. I did three things with the money I made there: paid for university apartment and foods in full of no student loans (I also had the money from DVRS that I shared with you other blog other day), planning my business, and the opened my business few years later.

Lesson Learned: You’re never too young to start investing and planning for your future. In fact, the best time is when you’re young.

I come across a lot of blogs about people in debt, chronicling their way out. This won’t be me because I don’t have any consumer debt. I never have. Although I haven’t been in the trenches of debt personally and never had credit cards. My husband had about debts when we started dating and I helped him pay it off by crafting a financial plan and budgeting when we got marriage. When I became full time mother I stopped earning money. It is important to me to be with someone who shares our financial goals since money issues are among the top reasons why relationships don’t work out. Now, still together and budgeting our debts, we’re working towards financial freedom and growing our net worth.

Lesson Learned: Choose a partner who shares your financial goals. I need to be with someone who cares about money in the same way I do. I by no means deprive myself but I need to stick to a financial plan and be with someone who will do the same.

Also, I will be sharing with you my journey as business owner as “Founder and Artistic Director” for ImaginASL Performing Arts and will share with you my future posts too.

Lesson Learned: Don’t spend more money than you make for a nonprofit organization. This is a simple rule but still hard for a lot of people, especially in a society that often judges you by what you have.

I am by no means a financial expert also I will be sharing Ember and her short films “Ember At……” for 2019 to 2020 which we do have totals Episode 20! Through managing my personal life as full-time mother, blogger, and a career woman as I’ve learned a few things that I think can help others about how to balance life. That’s why I want to share. I encourage you to share your stories too on my blogs and I welcome guest posts below here. By openly discussing our finances and our motherhood we can help each other make better decisions with our money and live down the road.

Thank you.