Allow Myself to Introduce…Myself

You might have noticed lately that Joe’s not the only one writing over here. You might have even seen me linking to friends, checking out Doug’s trivia, putting up silly pictures, making the site look different, and so on.

But I realized I’ve never introduced myself.

Hi, I’m Kathleen.

Joe and I decided to combine forces about two months ago (you can read the series here) and I’m happy we did.

Who the Heck am I?

I am a 33-year-old recovering stupid money idiot. I woke up on my 30th birthday still in credit card debt. I couldn’t believe how I’d gotten to that point (I’m a smart person! I am gainfully employed! I am so stupid!) and since none of my offline friends were in the same boat, I turned to the internet. So, I started a blog to publicly announce my plans for financial fitness.

I was instantly hooked. Writing in a public place about money was exactly what I needed to get my act together. Starting Frugal Portland was one of those turning points in my life that led me exactly where I am today. Out of debt, married, working as a blogger for a living (seriously, it’s my day job in addition to my hobby!), and plugged into the internet scene.

My Money Philosophy

• Save as much money as you can. In fact, save until it hurts. The more you can save, the less you have to work for someone else.
• Be in charge of your money. By that I mean, get out (and stay out!) of credit card debt! When you have credit card debt, you’re not in charge of your money. Your money is in charge of you.
• Invest in index funds. I use Vanguard as a savings account.
• Use money as a tool for your life. When you’re focusing on goals, it’s easy to let money thoughts dominate your headspace. But there’s no sense in fretting over every single purchase. If you have a framework on how you’re going to live your life (mine is, “let’s save half our incomes this year”), let that guide you. Otherwise, you’ll stare at a menu and make yourself crazy trying to convince yourself you want the $6 item, when you really want the $8 item.
• It’s not serious, it’s just life. Make your life as fun as possible, because that sure beats the alternative! If you can’t laugh at your situation, you’re not trying hard enough.

So, that’s me, in a nutshell. Help! I’m in a nutshell!

I’ll be telling more stories as the weeks and months progress, and I’d love to hear from you! What’s your story? What’s your philosophy on money or life?

Drop us a line and let me know!

Bonus points for getting the references throughout this post. Hey, maybe we’ll make that Doug’s trivia this week. You never know!