My journey began just short of a year ago. I was glazed over looking at my credit card statements, school bills, and my loans. I was nowhere near the clear of getting out of debt and I had no real solution on how to. I would get a dollar and spend it with no real hope. When I thought nothing could get worse as I counted my pennies to get a happy meal at McDonalds, I ended up getting rear ended at a stoplight. While I watched the car head off the highway and straight towards the back of my car, I knew it was fate I would hit my all-time low today. The driver immediately hit it in reserve and drove through the grass and into the 4-way intersection coming close to clipping our friendly homeless person on the left of the street. I thought to myself great there is no way insurance is going to give me enough money for a car much less a way out of debt. After a good number of tears shed and a few big pours of bourbon I realized I was going to have to make a change to my life. 2021 was the year everything changed. I stumbled home from the bar that night and looked up Tesla on the web. I knew I had wanted a nicer newer car than my clunker I had been driving around that had a million problems. I had now owned two Ford cars at this point and both cars took every dime of my money. Between the constant fuel needs of my Mustang and the millions of visits to the car shop to fix something under the hood with my Fusion I was so over the maintenance. I jokingly sent to my friends what if I bought this all-electric car that advertises no maintenance HAHA. By the end of the week, I had enough research to go back to school and get a degree in environmental science and write my dissertation on Tesla alone. I drove to Tesla one Friday when I found out class was canceled and made a day trip out of testing the car. I immediately fell in love and on the entire ride back home I planned out how to get out of debt and buy this car in a year. This is where the real change came in. I started working 3 jobs. Yes 3! I know for some this seems unreasonable to work so much just to afford something but, to get out of bad shape you must put in the extra work. I worked full-time, part-time, and seasonal all-in order to get myself on track. Part of my money would go to savings and the other portion of my cash was being put towards my credit bills and debt. When I knew the reality of all of this and how inspiring this truly was, I decided someone else might need to hear this and took to TikTok. A year and 13K friends later I discovered that others needed to hear you can do this too. You too can work hard, set goals, and accomplish them. Wherever you might be on your journey I want to be there and cheer you on!
