I still remember the first thing I saved up for: an iPod Nano. The year was 2005, I was in fifth grade, 10 years old, when I heard my classmates in school and dance talking about it. I’d been lugging around my dark blue and black portable CD player with headphones that felt as though they were made from flimsy cardboard and covered with a single layer of cloth for years, transferring my Hilary Duff and The Cheetah Girls CDs between my portable CD player and little stereo in my room. The idea of all of my music being stored on a small device seemed mind-blowing to my little 10-year-old mind. Naturally, I was intrigued, but knew from the murmurs of other children around me that the price point was hefty.
My parents weren’t in the habit of getting me things out of anything but necessity, my birthday, or Christmas. My brother and I were allowed to get 1 new pair of shoes at the start of each new school year, and almost all of my clothes were hand-me-downs. I was very fortunate because I never had to worry about where my next meal was going to come from, whether or not I’d walk into my home and find that the lights had been shut off—but I was nowhere near spoiled. I did not ask for things and receive them unless it was for my birthday or Christmas, and even then there was a dollar limit. I’m not complaining—I’m very grateful for my upbringing—I’m just simply trying to paint the picture of what my life looked like when I first heard about the iPod Nano in fifth grade and wanted one for myself.
One of my brothers is two years younger than me, and when I started elementary school our parents told us that we could get a weekly allowance of $5 if we made our beds every morning. I’d dutifully put that money in a piggy bank on my shelf over the years, so I knew I had some money saved up (though I honestly had no idea how much I’d accumulated at that time). When I approached my parents and told them about the iPod Nano my dad was open and receptive, my mom looked at me like I had 10 heads (“that’s too much money, Arianna, you don’t need that,” she said), but in fairness to her she was probably exhausted from taking care of a 10 year old, 8 year old, newborn (a surprise at 37), and cooking and cleaning for her 3 children and husband at 38 years old. My dad surprised me, though: he said if I could save up half of the money needed for the iPod by the end of the school year and keep up my grades, he’d pay for the other half and I could get it. We had a deal, and you can believe that I held up my end of the bargain and got that damn iPod Nano in June 2006. I was ecstatic.
From a very young age, my parents taught me the value of a dollar. They instilled in my brothers and I that money does not come easily, and that you have to work for things. You want something? That’s fine, go out there and get it yourself. They also taught us that with hard work and a little bit of patience, you can get rewarded big time. None of us left home familiar with instant gratification, something I’m very grateful for now.
Money has to be the craziest thing in the world. It’s a very taboo subject for a lot of people, and everyone reacts to it differently. Some people fear money and run away from it; others can’t get enough of it. Some people hoard it, terrified of spending a single penny, while others spend it like there’s no tomorrow. There’s no denying that the word “money” and thought of it provokes something different from everyone. Truthfully, a lot of how we view and handle money comes from our upbringing.
I have always had an extremely healthy relationship with money; I have never viewed it as “evil” or “good.” Rather, I’ve always viewed it as simply a tool to have more freedom in life and buy the things that I want. I want lots of money—not because I think it will improve my life or circumstances or make me a better, more valuable human being—but because I’ll be able to get whatever I want, when I want in. An oceanfront home with a private beach? Done. A new Louis Vuitton bag? Check. I’ve always been drawn to lavish things, but I have never been defined by them, nor have I ever let them define my life.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m working towards my financial goals now, and in the meantime, as I’m doing so, I’m handling my money well.
One thing I’ve always prided myself on is my ability to budget. Although my budgeting skills have always come naturally to me, they were tested even more so after I was rear-ended by a drunk driver in 2017 and sustained permanent neck and shoulder injuries, causing my wrestling dream to come to an abrupt end, and leaving me unable to work. I was forced into the kind of situation I never imagined myself in, and I had to make it work with the cards I’d been dealt.
I’ve always, always, always made sure that I can pay for living expenses—like groceries, my car insurance, gas, etc.—first and foremost before I buy anything for fun. Most things I do buy go directly back into my blog. When I really want something for myself, I’ll either wait and ask for it for my birthday or Christmas, or I’ll look for sales and/or bundles to try and save some money; if I can’t find any sales and it’s something I’ve been waiting for for a long time, then I’ll usually end up getting it for myself, but that rarely happens. A big thing that’s helped me is diligently keeping track of my expenses and paying attention to what I’m spending where; I always take a good, hard look at my credit card bill before I pay for it to get a clear breakdown of where exactly my money is going.
However, when I do spend money, I don’t skimp, and I’m smart about it. For example, the previous car I owned was a 2010 Honda Civic in white (fun fact about me: I’ve only ever driven white cars). That car was totaled in 2016 by a drunk driver (re: I have bad luck with drunk drivers) while it was sitting unattended in the parking lot where I was working at the time (thankfully I was inside); the drunk driver managed to hit 5 cars, and mine got sandwiched between 2 and was the only one that got totaled, lol. I had no choice but to get a new car. I was only 20 years old—my 21st birthday a week and a half away–but I had saved up enough money for a car $25K or under; with my plan to put down $15K and finance $10K or less. Searching for my next car was a struggle; I couldn’t find anything, until I pulled into a BMW dealership on a whim, and found the car I’m still driving today: a 2013 328i. At the time, the car was only 3 years old and had 28,000 miles on it; the fact that it was used lowered the price tag, and the car fit into my spending limit. Getting that car was the right move: it’s all-wheel-drive (a huge bonus in New England), came with a full 3 year warranty, and came from an actual BMW dealership, so I knew exactly what I was getting and had a place to take the car to if needed. I invested in a reliable car so I wouldn’t have to worry about running into problems down the line. Most people would look at “luxury” vehicles and turn away, but my car was cheaper and more reliable than the both the brand-new Volkswagen Beetle and Honda Civic I looked at. I’m still driving that car today, and the fact that I was driving it at the time I was rear-ended in 2017 saved me: if it had been a lighter car, the accident and injuries probably would’ve been much worse.
For me, it’s all about making smart decisions with money and not spending just for the sake of spending. I will not go out to a chain restaurant just for the sake of going out and “saving money” (which, let’s be real: chain restaurants aren’t cheap at all and their food and environment suck). If I go out, I’m going to enjoy where I am; I am not going to nickel-and-dime everything. If I can’t afford something, I simply won’t go out; if I can afford something, I will not complain or worry about the cost of every little thing. I’ve also learned the importance of investing over the last couple years. I started an investment portfolio in 2019, and this year alone it’s grown by 22%, outperforming the S&P 500. It’s great knowing that I have an account that’s going to accumulate more money over time by simply allowing my money to sit in it.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the big picture for me. I will never nickel-and-dime things because I know a few bucks here and there will not making a big difference in the long run, whereas bigger, unnecessary purchases will. I keep track of my finances and know where my money goes because I don’t blow it. I know what my financial situation is, and I live my life accordingly while I’m working towards bigger things. Managing my money well is what’s setting me up for the future and allowed me to live the life I’m living now.
