Finances have never been something that I knew very much about. Yes, my family struggled, but my mom would never let us see that side or talked about it to us because we were kids. Whatever we asked for she found a way to get it. No matter what we were always ok because my mom hustled. As I moved from being a kid who knew nothing to a teenager who was now more aware that these things cost money, and college was the goal. I didn't know until High School how much going to a 4-year university would cost us, and it scared me. My mom would always tell me not to worry about how we were going to pay for it, she would find a way like she always does.
Fast forward to the present, let me tell you something your life can drastically change from one day to the next. With the low prices of oil, my husband went from a steady stable job & us saving to put a down payment on a house to us kind of just waiting to see when the company was going to fire everyone. I know this situation wasn't only unique to me because every family that has one family member in the oil industry knows exactly what I'm talking about. How do you sleep at night, not knowing where the money to pay for your bills is going to come from next month? It sucks because you feel like you're so alone to figure these things out. You start using up all your savings & you see the amount dwindle & your dreams for a house of your own goes out the window. Then 2 weeks ago my whole world shook one more time. We got the worst news about my mom & a pesky little mole, she's had one procedure done to get it removed but that damn thing is giving her cancer and affecting her liver. It has been literally the hardest thing to come to acknowledge & accept, I've given my worries over to the Lord in hopes that he shows not only my but my family that there is a greater purpose out there for it.
When I attended Prudential's #WomenInspired event I had no idea I would get so much out of it. Not only did I learn that I wasn't alone in my financial fears but I learned that there is help out there! There is tons of help for us mommas! (Read some awesome information here) There are people that you can talk to. We don't have to suffer in silence & carry the world of worries on our backs. If we would just open our mouths & talk to one another. That's probably the biggest thing I took away from the event, talk to each other. The conversation that we had there was so deep & so vulnerable. That's definitely something that we don't get a lot of. We are taught to suck it up & put it away until you break down in the restroom later by yourself while everyone's sleeping (#truestory)
So with the help of all my newfound knowledge from Prudential, I feel like I have the knowledge to not only regain my sense of control over my current financial situation but also start helping my mom out with her medical bills, and how to start putting money aside for Camila to go to college.
What are your financial fears?
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