Since leaving my corporate job in February to focus on my blog, I’ve been congratulated many times and told that I am brave. Many more times, people are simply curious about “how I did it”. The short answer is that I prepared, planned, and sacrificed in order to make it happen. I suppose to those who ask “how did you do it” in hope of gaining insight into how they can do it, too, this isn’t the most appealing answer. Because it’s not a shortcut.

Not Everything In Life Is Hackable

We live in a society that’s obsessed with hacks, engineered efficiency, hidden secrets and recipes to success. But life isn’t always hackable. I could’ve given this post a click-baity subject line such as “10 Things to Do In Order to Quit Your Job & Be a Full-Time Blogger” and I bet that would get the post at least 10x more views. But that would be deceiving. I can’t possibly promise you that you can do the same that I did, following the steps I took. Because I don’t know if you’re willing to give up the things I gave up. What I can do, though, is to share the things that I had to sacrifice and give up in order to live the life I do right now. That’s right – not what I did, but what I couldn’t do anymore, in order to live this blogging full-time life.

So, the list below is to strip away the glamorous surface of “full-time blogger” and reveal the struggles one has to come to terms with to live this #lifegoal. Here are 7 things that I had to give up in order to become a full-time blogger.

*Disclaimer*: 1) This list is heavily personal finance-related. If you are not interested in learning about my personal finance habits, you’d probably want to skip this post. 2) I don’t want to downplay the fact that my husband still works and brings in a decent income and how that is the main financial force that sustains our life together right now. But I also don’t want people to assume that I continue to shop, eat, live just the same way as I did before when I had a full time-salaried job. I don’t. These changes are what this post is about. 3)I have a fledgling blogging business. There are way more established bloggers out there that don’t have to live the way I live. But in order for me to get there, this is how my life ought to be now in terms of my personal expenses.

7 Things I Gave Up For The Full-Time Blogging Life

1. My Shopping Budget

Ever since our wedding in March 2017, the purchase of our first home in May the same year, and moving in, furnishing the house… etc., I’ve been operating with a $200 per month shopping budget. When I was preparing for my eventual exit from the corporate world to work on my blog full time, I knew it had to change. I couldn’t justify spending anything at all on clothes, accessories, shoes when I still don’t make enough to cover the basics. So, my current shopping budget is a whopping ZERO dollars a month. Now, one exception I give myself to this rule is that if I make anything from my Poshmark account, then I get to spend that money on whatever I want.

2. A New Car

Not a brand new car, no. Just an additional car to the household. You see, since my car-crash in March 2017 (just 2 short weeks after our wedding), we’ve stashed away the insurance money for a time when we’d have to buy a new car. For now, I’ve been driving my college car: a trusted 2004 Honda Accord with 180K miles on. My husband works from home, so he doesn’t need a car for daily commute. So, when I was driving down to Del Mar every day for work (a 25 miles trip), I drove his car. We use the Honda Accord for local trips to the grocery stores and restaurants. Do I want a more reliable and newer car? Sure, I do. Do I absolutely need one? Not so much. And now with me focusing on growing my blogging business and my income still in its infancy, I definitely don’t need to be buying any car any time soon.

3. Gym/Yoga Studio Membership

I loved doing hot yoga, or just regular yoga. I also love trying out new classes like barre, spin (which I have yet to try) or aerial yoga. But they’re too costly for someone who’s not making enough money. And if asked myself, do I have other alternatives when it comes to working out? Heck yea – there are plenty of options out there like YouTube videos (I used to work out to Cassy Ho’s videos all the time) or doing squats, lunges, planks in my living room. Sure, it’s less motivating and way less exciting. But is that a reason to splurge on expensive yoga or even gym membership now? I’ve made a conscious choice to say no.

4. The Ability to Randomly Drop $50 On A Dinner

Of all the things I’ve outlined in this post, this is by far the most painful. This is the most open, exposed, and public type of change that I’ve had to make. It involves having conversations with friends that I can no longer participate in our outings where we randomly pick a restaurant that happens to be $$$ and shell out $50 on dinner. It’s just out of the question. Now, if we plan ahead and pick a reasonably expensive restaurant ahead of time, then I can try to make it happen by altering other aspects of my living expenses. But it doesn’t always work. It sucks.

5. Daily Work Routines And Structure

Now we are charging into the more intangible area of the things I’ve had to give up. This was one of the most surprising elements that caught me completely off-guard. My days no longer are defined by a clear beginning and a clear end. I can no longer count on meetings to plan my time and they used to govern my working days. I am the only person responsible for making progress, for defining progress and for setting goals… it was overwhelming in the beginning. It also made me miss the corporate world incredibly much.

6. My Prized Identity as a Working Woman

Whether you are a mom, an athlete, a gardening enthusiast, or a cat lover… there are things in life that we do, and love doing, that is part of who we are. It’s one of those things that you list on your Instagram profile that you want everyone to know about you. For me, having a well-paying job in the corporate world and living that 9-5 life was one of these things. It’s who I am. Or who I used to be for a long time. This is how I know this exit isn’t permanent – it’s merely a temporary break. It’s meant to allow myself the opportunity to foray into entrepreneurship and give this little thing I’ve built over 3 years the chance to flourish. But I miss saying that I’m in biotech/marketing and say that with complete confidence. It’s probably just the lack of practice, but when people ask me what I do (especially at 10:30 Am in the grocery store on a Monday) and whether I am a student, I stutter a little bit when I say “I’m a blogger”. I’m still practicing owning this fact. #thestruggleisreal

7. The Peace Of Mind That Even If I Stop Working For A Few Days Or Even A Few Weeks, I’d Still Have Income

The beauty of paid vacations… and as clichés would have it, I never realized it until I lost it. March and April were difficult months for me for more reasons than one. I couldn’t write. Some days I could barely get out of bed. My working productivity dropped to rock bottom. Consequently, my income was affected. Had I been working at a corporate job, I would’ve probably been able to just take days off here and there and still have a full day’s salary while I rested at home. Whoever came up with the paid vacation policy in the modern workforce is a genius and we should all thank that person.

Conclusion

With all of that said, I hope I was able to paint a clearer picture for you about what it’s taken me to begin this blogging life. I didn’t just stumble onto this #lifegoal, and it certainly doesn’t come without a price. While this isn’t the circumstances that I’d naturally prefer to live with, it has afforded me the opportunity to live my dreams. So, above all, I am grateful.

All photography by Natalia Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post 7 Things I Gave Up For The Full-Time Blogging Life appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Arbitrary or not, most would agree that the six-figure salary is a significant milestone. For many white-collar professionals, a 6-figure salary is something to strive for amongst getting a C suite title, having a corner office, managing a big team, etc.  In fact, in 2017, the average annual income of 25-to-34-year-old Americans was $40K, and the average 35-44 year-olds made $50K (CNBC Money). What is somewhat depressing is that after this age bracket, annual income basically stays the same until the retirement age of 65 and it plummets to $47K. So, the average group of Americans don’t ever make a 6-figure salary in their lifetime.

My Humble Beginning

When I began my marketing career back in late 2000’s, I had an annual salary in the $50K range. On average, that is a decent starting salary. But being in California, having just gotten my MBA and seeing where my classmates had landed salary-wise, it did not feel like a high salary in any way. Over the next few years, with a couple of job change and promotions, my salary slowly increased to the 60K range. Then the 70K range. And then it plateaued here for a few years.

And Then It Happened

I was OVER THE MOON when I received the job offer back in September 2016 that finally brought my salary into the 6-figure range. Imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and overall disbelief all aside, it was a yuuuuuge (lol) confidence boost. Additionally, my fiancé and I were planning a wedding at the time, so we knew the increase in my salary was going to be a big help. Yet amongst all things, I was really surprised at the thoughts that receiving this offer and having this $6000+ (after tax) a month salary trigged in me.  I never thought these were the things that would surface when I got a 6-figure salary offer.

The first thought that followed “I got the job” was “what am I going to buy myself as the reward?”

Old (bad) habits die hard. This is how I’ve equated any success in my adult life to – the materialistic reward that I’d allow myself to indulge in afterward. It almost makes sense on some levels: “I make more now, I can buy more.” Right? It’s so scary that this was how my brain had been wired for years. When I have the financial means, the first place my thoughts went to was how I could spend my money on materialistic things, and not pay off debt, not increase retirement savings, not increase investments. In hindsight, after I’ve taken the journey to become a more financially responsible person, it’s frightening to face my old habits up close and personal.

I was actually able to shorten the pay-back plan of my car loan.

When I was in debt, I’d stare at my Mint account with the amount of debt I had and silently wish to myself “If only I win the lottery tomorrow or have some kind of windfall of money. That would wipe this all off and I can start anew!” This job offer with the 6-figure salary was exactly that. My car payment at the time was $680 a month. I can’t help but CRINGE at that figure now that car payments are out of my life for good. With the increase in salary, I was done with my car payment within 5 months. This 6-figure salary actually helped me pay off my car loan sooner than I’d thought!

It gave me the confidence I needed to progress in my career  

I generally don’t like talking about things like “imposter syndrome” because I think people (women) have the tendency to use it to legitimize or give more voice to their inner demons. But, there is a reason why this term is so popular these days and there’s some truth in its popularity. Having a nice 6-figure salary is one of the best weapons to battle imposter syndrome, at least in my experience. Nothing says “you are worth it” than your negotiation resulting in the salary you asked for. It’s empowering, validating, and a defining milestone. It also gave me more assurance when I negotiated other job offers & compensation packages later in life.

I was still the same person I was, with the same challenges, flaws, hard decisions to make in life.

This was the most sobering fact that dawned on me a few months after I started this job. Having the 6-figure salary I wanted was not some silver bullet. Getting paid this much didn’t change who I was or the problems I had. It boosted my confidence, sure, but it didn’t give me confidence that I didn’t have. I still had to commute to work, felt anxious before a presentation, had co-workers that were so annoying I wish I didn’t have to deal with them… my work life did not magically transform into something else better. And as naïve as that sounds, I used to hold on to the thought of “if only my salary was much higher” and then things would magically improve. This definitely didn’t happen.  

The satisfaction wears off fast. The mind latches onto new goals, and the hustle starts all over again.

It’s human nature. We set a goal, achieve it, feel overcome by a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction…then it fades. And we move onto the next thing we slave away to accomplish. This is a big concept in positive psychology called the hedonic adaptation. It describes the fact that “happiness doesn’t last”; you buy a new car, get a big promotion, win the lottery, etc. But after a while, the excitement and euphoria wear off and you’re back to your baseline of emotions. And you feel like you’re back at square one, with new goals to tackle in order to find that “high” again. On this front, I highly recommend three books to read on finding ways to create meaning and measure happiness in life: How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christenson, The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, and Designing Your Life by Bill Burnette and Dave Evans.

What’s your salary story? How does your current salary make you feel and why?

The post I landed a 6-figure salary job by age 30. This is how my life changed. appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Top: Equipment Alma Silk Top, size S // Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

To a lot of my newer friends, I probably seem like I have it together when it comes to personal finance. However, what I’m sharing today about the untold realities of living a financially responsible life will introduce you to a different side of me. Oh and in case you’re interested about more personal finance articles I’ve written as a fashion blogger, here’s the 9 ways fashion blogging ruined my finances.

Hello, My Name Is Jessica. I Am A Shopaholic.  (This is where you say “Hi, Jessica.”)

Do you know someone who you’re pretty sure has a shopping addiction? If you knew me before 2016, you’d probably think that I was one of them. Perhaps the word addiction is a bit of a hyperbole, and I certainly never received a clinical diagnosis. But the impulsivity, utter disorganization, and unending appetite that I shopped with indicated something was, at the very least, behaviorally wrong with me on the personal finance front. And yes, something was indeed wrong – I had no idea what I was doing wrong!

An Incarnation Ago

I knew all the common knowledge – you need to save, and you shouldn’t spend more than you make, start investing in retirement early, etc. But I was still shopping the way I did anyway because I worked hard. I was living a privileged life, sure – I lived in my parents’ house and they were kind enough to not charge me rent, I didn’t have a student loan to deal with also thanks to my parents, and didn’t have anyone that I was responsible for financially. But I also worked hard at my budding marketing career, putting in all the hours and oftentimes overtime work too. So, I spent pretty much all my hard-earned money on fun – eating out, traveling, and of course, shopping. And I’m talking about designer shopping – $600 a pair of shoes and $2000 handbags kind of shopping. I think my record year was $30K spent on online shopping. Over a period of 3 years of having a full-time job, I had no savings, retirement or cash, and racked up about $5000 in credit card debt along the way.

The Change

2015 was a transformative year for me. It was the year that I moved in with my then boyfriend (husband now) and we started merging our finances together. I attribute most of my transformative progress in becoming a financially responsible person to my husband. He patintly showed me the way and shouldered our expenses together as I paid off my debt in 2016.  Another positive influence came from personal finance expert Dave Ramsey and his $100, 9-week course Financial Peace University which my husband and I took together. We often tell people it was our version of pre-marital counseling sessions. It was a difficult year to say the least, filled with many trials and tribulations and a lot of growing pains. I had to change my problematic shopping behavior and tendencies and most importantly of all, my money mindset. I can write a book on this process. Leave me a comment if you’re curious!

Top: Equipment Alma Silk Top, size S // Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

Fast Forward To The Present, 2018

A wedding, a new house, and 2 new jobs later, we are living a married life that I couldn’t possibly have imagined before. We have a budget we share and hold each other accountable for. We have a mortgage but are on a 10-year track to pay it off. We are a one-car household (that’s a rarity in California) but we make it work. I sometimes wonder how would the 2014-Jessica view my current life, if she could travel ahead in time and peer into it now? I think she would be puzzled, confused, and overall questioning how it works. So that leads me to what I’m here to write about today…

Top: Equipment Alma Silk Top, size S // Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

The Realities of Living a Financially Responsible Life

There’s the good and, of course, there’s the bad. What I would say is that all the bad is completely worth the good. And in the end, the bad isn’t so bad when you accept it as a way of life.

The less-than-glamorous side of living a financially responsible life:

1. It’s not just about the budget anymore. 

It’s about sticking to the budget, and checking and re-checking, aligning and re-aligning month after month. It does not stop. The only time when the budget feels like it’s not there anymore is when you and your budget are so in-synch, you don’t need to rely on it to know when to spend or when not to spend. But then life throws curve-balls at you. A flat tire. A leaky water heater. A friend who you haven’t seen decided to visit you last minute. Any of these things might put you in front of your budget again. I had to learn to be good friends with my budget and know that it means well so I don’t get sick of seeing it again and again.

2. The impromptu Target cosmetic-aisle shopping-spree is no longer.

This used to be my cure-it-all whenever I was having a bad day or just feeling down. The fluorescent lighting, plethora of new cosmetic and skincare products, and the HOPE of perfect skin almost always lifted my mood when I was down. But it was nevertheless a temporary solution. After the novelty and excitement wore off, the neon-orange shopping bag (when the remedy was the Ulta sort instead of Target) would scream at me and remind me how and irresponsible I was with my money. Then I’d feel worse. Not to mention, I only have a $250 shopping budget now. If I walked out of Target with $150 in purchases…. I’d only have $100 left!!

3. Designer things are a dream-like, remote possibility.

OK, guys, please don’t judge me or hate me for this fact. But I have a confession to make. I have 5 Chanel, 4 Louis Vuitton, 3 Gucci and 1 Proenza Schouler purses/handbags. Some of them came as gifts, but most of them I bought. I no longer owe any debt on any of them, but a few of them I did put on credit card when I bought them at the time. I have a weakness for luxury goods, obvi. But the last designer bag I purchased was in 2016. Ever since I went through the personal finance transformation, it’s become clear that designer goods purchase cannot be a frequent occurrence in my life anymore. It’s questionable whether there would be an occurrence at all. Unless I find another job where I make 6 figure again, I need to eliminate this reality from my life. No more designer bag purchases in the near future.

4. I have learned to either say NO, or wait patiently to save up for what I want which is not within my budget.

Saying no to things I want is hard. But it’s even harder to say no to things that feel like they are a need.  For example, my hair. You see my long & super grown-out roots? They’re so grown out they’re barely roots anymore. But I have been waiting for a time when I have $200-$300 so I can fix it. I am also contemplating going black again. Because that perfectly ashy brown color? VERY expensive to maintain. Another example is our unfurnished master bedroom. We just completed a $25K master bedroom renovation in December. We went over budget. The next thing on the list to do was to furnish our bedroom (the only thing in it now is a queen-sized bed on a box spring and nothing else) but since we went over budget, we decided to wait a few months to replenish our cash reserve before shopping for our master bedroom furniture.

Top: Equipment Alma Silk Top, size S // Handbag: Palla A-Bag use my 15% off code “Cubicle_chic” (P.S. They’re also available on Amazon!)

The unexpected UPSIDE of a living a financially responsible life:

1. I appreciate things now for what they are, and not what they represent.

I still enjoy designer products, but they don’t mean the same thing to me anymore. When it comes to the things that I use in my daily life now, I am much much more about quality than the brand. For example, this pink little handbag I am carrying in the photos in this post – it’s made by a company called Palla. This is the A-bag and it’s made of natural leather and is the most versatile bag I’ve had for as long as I’ve had this blog. It can be worn crossbody, on the shoulder, it’s got a little point pouch attached, and it’s reversible so it can be pink or it can be gray. Palla has generously agreed to give me a unique discount code for Cubicle Chic readers “@cubicle_chic” – use it to get 15% off if you wind up purchasing one of the Palla bags. And if you do, can you do me a favor and tell me about what you think??

2. I am living life fuller than ever now because owning material things is no longer an excuse I can use to feel like I am living well. 

Like I mentioned above, a shopping spree at Target or Ulta is no longer a viable option as a pick-me-up when I feel uninspired or just down. So, I started going to the library. Cleaning the house. Picking a playlist on Spotify and have a one-person dance party. Binging on an oldie-but-goodie favorite audiobook like When Breath Becomes Air. Calling and talking to a friend who I haven’t spoken to in a long time. Reading a book that’s been sitting on my desk for months. I started LIVING more.

3. Financial peace is a real thing and it’s awesome.

One of my cats was diagnosed with cancer in October last year. She is 14-years old and to say she is the love of my life would be an understatement. Sometimes I even question how much I’d love my future kids because it doesn’t feel like it’s possible to love anything else more in this world. And when she was diagnosed with cancer, we actually caught it early and were lucky to have a few treatment options available. We decided to go for the treatments even though it costs about $500 a month. But even before we decided to move forward with the treatment plan, we’d already spent a couple of thousands just in the test we ran to get the right diagnoses. If it wasn’t for the cash reserve we built up in our emergency fund, this sure was going to put us in panic mode, needing to scrounge up this kind of cash. It was enough of an emotional roller coaster to go through the process of finding out the love of my life has cancer. We really appreciated not having to worry about the financial aspect of putting her through the treatment.

4. We are able to be more generous.

My husband and I love having friends and family over. We LOVE hosting parties. We love preparing delicious food and entertaining our guests. We both derive a lot of joy and pleasure out of ensuring our guests have a good time in our home. For example, we threw a Friendsmas party this Christmas and we had the most fun having 12 grown-ups and 5 kids over – it was such a blast! But hosting people comes with some real financial commitment. And having a budget with flexibility within it so we can be generous in providing hospitality when we want to – is a real joy.

Conclusion…

So, now that I’ve shared my life story with you… it’s your turn! Tell me: where are you on your personal finance journey? What’s your biggest obstacle right now, budgeting, saving, making more income, or something else? If you can travel through a time machine and ask your future-have-it-together-self, what would you ask him/her?

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

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The post The Untold Realities of Living a Financially Responsible Life appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Most of us know having a lot of debt is a bad thing and being debt-free is a good thing. Yet most of America is in debt and things like student loan and mortgage are as common as having a pet. Just this week, one of my favorite podcasts Death, Sex, and Money did a two-part series on student loan how the massive amount of debt is affecting the lives of Americans. And it really got me thinking.

The misconception about having debt 

It’s common sense that if you borrowed money, you have to pay it back, regardless of who you borrowed it from; your parent, your friend, a shady company, or the government. But conventional wisdom also says “there is good debt and bad debt; good debt is good” or “you need to be in debt in order to build credit”. How do we reconcile these two things, especially in the face of daily advertisement and promotions that bombard us on Facebook, email inbox, even freeway billboards? Going into debt feels so natural, so easy, and normal because “everyone has it.” Not to mention the elusive concept of being debt-free… just how does that even feel?

It’s like a weight-loss program

Much like trying to lose weight, if you don’t know why you want to be in shape or what the benefits of being in shape are, you’re not going to have much progress toward the goal. Yes, we all know being in shape means you’re healthier and your clothes might fit better. But how does being fit change your daily decisions? How does being fit change the way you interact with people? Would it change your self-image? How does being fit change YOU on a deeper level?

Replace “fit” in the above paragraph with “debt-free”, you’ve got a series of questions you need to ask yourself, in order to truly understand why you should become debt-free.

My becoming debt-free

I’ve mentioned a few times (here, and here) about the fact that my husband and I have become debt-free. It was one of our biggest goal in 2016 before we were to get married. We reached our goal at the end of 2016. We kept that debt-free lifestyle for about 6 months until May this year, when we have purchased and moved into a first house together. Yes, this officially put us back in debt with our mortgage. Even still, it’s our plan to have the mortgage fully paid off within the next 5-7 years.

Those 6 months of being truly, completely, and utterly debt free gave me one of the most transforming experiences I’ve ever had. In today’s post, I’d like to share with you how becoming debt-free has changed me, my mentality, my habits, and my outlook on life.

1. It made it possible for me to walk away from a job that was draining me and detrimental to my well-being.

It was a dream company to work at. Getting the job in and of itself was such a milestone for my career. But as fate would have it, this position became one of the worse professional experiences I’ve had. I needed to walk away from it, and I did. I was only able to do that because financially we were able to do that as a household. We had no more bills to pay other than our monthly expenses for the basic essentials

2. It made me NEVER want to go back in debt again.

This was a  very  subtle change in my attitude. So subtle that it took me a while to notice. When you are $2000 in debt, adding $20 on that credit card bill feels like nothing. It’s like finishing up a big shopping trip and adding in another  impulse-buy thingy at the check-out counter. That’s how they get you. Once I was CLEAN from any debt whatsoever, putting $5 on my credit card made me re-think my decision. So then I’d decide to put it on my debit card instead, which made it even harder because now I was spending cash. Did you know that research shows spending cash feels more painful in our head than credit card transactions? All things point toward a credit card-less world for us and that’s how we do it today. Debit card and cash. The only exception is mortgage I guess. In California it’s nearly impossible to save up the kind of cash you need to purchase a decent home.

3. It makes me more vigilant when I spend money.

Along the same lines as the above sentiment, being debt-free makes me re-consider all of my purchases. I talked about how I am so much more vigilant about how I spend money related to the up-keep of my blog.  But even in my life outside of the blog I’m finding myself paying attention to coupons (I was never a coupon clipper), second guessing my urge to purchase something, or abandoning a full shopping cart (online). (Do you guys do that??) Take our new house, for example. I could’ve gone to Home Goods plenty of times and just go crazy on home decor stuff. Which trust me, I totally wanted to. And the backyard… don’t get me started on the backyard. I SO wanted to buy all these patio furniture!! But no. It’s not in our budget right now, not to mention we still have boxes of stuff to unpack. So we wait, maybe next month or the month after we will slowly get to the bits and pieces of new purchase we will need. But waiting is the new virtue I have gained now.

4. It made giving & being generous easier.

My husband and I are both the type to like entertaining friends and family, such as hosting dinner parties or pick up the tab for a gathering. When we were in debt, there was something uncomfortable when we did it and also when we didn’t do it. It felt irresponsible picking up the tab when we knew we still had other debts to pay down. But if we didn’t, something irked at us. Same thing for when I see an ASPCA ad (do they get you guys too?? I am such a wimp. I cry when I see those ads and take my wallet out…). You want to help, and you know you make good enough money. But you can’t. Because you have debt.

Once we were debt-free, it all changed. Because we have a written budget, we put down a certain amount of how much we want to spend on treating our loved ones. Because we have no more car loan or credit card bills to pay, it feels like we have extra money to dedicate to treating family and friends.

5. It changed our relationship by changing our relationship with money.

This is probably the number 1 game changer when it came to how being debt-free changed my relationship with my husband. Finance used to be such a taboo subject, because every time we talked about it we wound up having some sort of fight. He was always the responsible one, and I was the free-spirit. I used my decent income as an excuse, and spent, spent, and spent. When we moved in together and our finances started to merge, there was a really uncomfortable period of time we went through. My husband is has gentle spirit so he never wanted to hut my feelings. But issues inevitably would bubble up and it would force us to have the conversation. I sometimes ended up tearing like a child that realized she did something wrong, or stormed out the door because I felt embarrassed and humiliated.

The solution, came in the form of a financial guru by the name of Dave Ramsey.  In short, Dave Ramsey teaches people how to get out of debt and how to live a debt-free life, and does so with black and white principles that are very easy to follow. He’s funny, sarcastic, very harsh but rightly so. Personal finance is such an important aspect of our daily living but if you think about it, there’s no instituted learning in our education that teaches you anything. What we know we learned from our parents, social media, and our friends. It’s no wonder most of up end up messing up at some point in their life on personal finance.

Since completing Financial Peace University led by Dave, my husband and I are in-sync, speak the same language, have the same expectation, and can talk about any money issues openly and calmly. We have Dave Ramsey to thank. Check out his program… it changed our lives. I hope it changes yours too!

6. It gave us complete financial peace.

This is an intangible and very subtle change in our mentality. It’s very hard to describe, but it’s this general feeling that…you’re okay. There is no fear or anxiety when we look to our future together. We know for a fact as long as we stick to the basics –  a good budget, no-debt, always talk to each other – we will be okay. They say the number 1 reason for divorce in America is finances. We have complete confidence that we won’t have this issue. This kind of peace won’t come from large incomes (trust me, when we had the most fight was when we made the most money as a couple). It won’t come from you guys being math geniuses. It won’t come from some kind of financial windfall like an inheritance or winning the lottery. Because if you don’t have a plan, you won’t be able to build wealth or keep wealth.

Get on a plan today. Get out of debt. If you find what I talked about here foreign… you will have that ah-ha moment when you finally get rid of your last dime of debt. Trust me.

P.S. This is NOT a sponsored post. Victor and I have completed Financial Peace University in March, the same month we got married. It was one of the best experiences ever. Find one near you!!

All photography by Natalie Alvarado @ Stylenfuse

The post 6 Ways Being Debt-Free Transformed My Life appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

I started blogging in 2015. I’d never positioned my blog as a straight up fashion blog because it’s so much more than that. But I knew fresh and consistent fashion-related content was how I could most rapidly get people’s attention. In the beginning, I told myself I would go through my closet and style things that I already had, and only buy things from resale websites like Poshmark, i.e. things heavily discounted and sometimes pre-owned. Over time, I started going overboard with the shopping especially when the holiday seasons came around. You know how it goes… every corner you turn you see a cute “corporate holiday party dress. Slowly but surely, I progressed to buying things whenever there was a topic that could use a brand-new outfit. Over the first year of creating Cubicle Chic, I blazed through what I had in the bank and started piling up credit card debt. And it just kept going.

What was worse was my existing shopping condition. As many metropolitan professional women earning a decent income could relate (and as Cubicle Chic’s top banner may suggest), I have a weakness for luxury goods. There’s always been a tender spot in my heart for name brand stuff in that I can’t explain. Now, I can’t say that tendency is a thing of the past. What I can say though, is that I no longer impulse-buy “nice stuff” – designer bags/shoes/things that I don’t have a planned budget/saved up cash for. Currently, I do live somewhat of a reformed life, financially speaking.

How is this life reformed, you ask? Well, I have no debt (other than our mortgage) and I live with a budget that I share with my husband now, and every month I know exactly how much I’m supposed to spend in each category. I still go over in some categories occasionally but it’s done with control and comfort. This current financial stability is the result of a slow, arduous, and long transformation that took place from early 2015 to the present. During this time, I had moved in with my boyfriend (husband now), got engaged, planned a wedding, got married, and bought a house. This transformation was guided by my husband’s help in shaping my financial foundation and the teachings of a real personal finance guru, Dave Ramsey. As painful as it was, it was the only reason we managed to cash-flow the wedding and secure a good down payment for the purchase of a new house.

So, in my financially uneducated and uninformed days, starting a fashion blog really took a toll. A year into it, I had no savings to show for the hard work at my full-time job or my blog. My credit card debt fluctuated between a monthly balance of $2000-$5000. The worse part was that I didn’t even know I was on the verge of being broke.

All of this isn’t to say that having a fashion blog WILL ruin you financially. But blogging is not for the ignorant and the uninformed, which I totally was 2 years ago.

Here are 9 things about starting and having a fashion blog that pushed me further down the financial drain:

1. Keeping up with new trends

Keeping up with the Jones’ is real when every other person on Instagram is the Jones’. That new pair of Adidas sneakers, the new Celine bag, a new one-piece swimsuit, or a beach straw-bag.  Instagram fuels our shopping addiction, which is why companies paid $31 billion in the on Instagram ads in 2016 and continue to do so.  To avoid buying things I don’t need/won’t use for my blog, I now stick to a master editorial calendar. Because of it, I already know what I’m writing this month, next month, and the following month. If I catch myself wanting to buy something for blog content, I try to see how it’s going to fit into my editorial calendar. If it doesn’t fit, I don’t buy.

2. Paying for expensive photography

This is another topic that I can probably write a book on: how to find the right photographer for your blog. Creating visually pleasing aesthetics for a blog is so, so, so critical. Some people have photographer inclinations/skills/boyfriends/husbands which make this easier. For others, finding someone who understands your vision, is flexible with your schedule, and offers the right price is HARD TO FIND. I started out paying between $200-$400 for one photography session which consisted of about 90-120 minutes and 2-3 different outfits. That was definitely more than the industry standard for fashion blog photography. I was very happy with the result, but the cost was unsustainable and I quickly realized that. Over time, I met and worked with many other photographers and became more educated about pricing. At the same time, I learned to model better and learned what looked good for photos. To date, I’ve worked with almost 10 photographers. I have finally found my one and only photographer who I work with regularly now. She charges me a very reasonable price, is flexible with our shooting schedule and provides me just the right creative input to help me improve my overall aesthetics. I wish someone had taught me this before I started so I would’ve been more judicious about my blogging expense.

3. Creating an archive of outfits

I feel that as a blogger I need to showcase a suite of outfits that tailor to different events and functions. Like right now, I still feel like I need that power suit to round out my working professional wardrobe collection. I probably will get a power suit at some point when it makes sense for a post I’m writing or an event I’m attending, but not right now. The heart of this problem lies in the lack of organization and visibility of the stuff I already have. This Spring, I gave my closet an overhaul, i.e. throwing out stuff I didn’t wear anymore and getting re-acquainted with stuff I had but wasn’t wearing enough. That exercise allowed me to physically see that I already have an archive of good outfits.

4. Getting brands to notice me

Someone once told me the best way to approach a brand to collaborate is to show that you are already their user/fan. What brands are you already a fan of? So, I’ve internalized this philosophy and started telling myself “It’s okay to buy because I am trying out for myself before I can work with the brand.” This is a very dangerous path because I can literally justify anything I want to buy this way. Again, I’ve learned now to default to my editorial calendar to see if there’s even a reason to try the product. If it’s not aligned with my editorial calendar, I don’t buy.

5. Attending events

Almost two years into my blogging career, I’ve signed up for an event 5 times (PoshFest twice, The Collective once, Simply Stylish twice). The tickets on average cost about $90-$300 for each event. Going to events quickly turns into a money suck because I’d have to get my outfit ready, and for the first few events I was also trying to sort out my business card situation which cost money too. This year, I am only attending one event (Simply Stylist in July). I plan on being very responsible in how much I invest in the outfit for the event. The only other event that I will try to attend in the future is Create and Cultivate. It’s even more expensive (think $350+) but I know I will save up and pay cash for it.

6. Paying for online classes

If you’re reading online about how to improve your finances, chances are, you are a regular for online courses. I’ve taken online classes for business writing, blogging techniques, photography tips and tricks, SEO know-how, and the list goes on. It’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like taking classes will be the answer to everything. Nowadays I try to find classes that are under $20. I also try to finish a class before I sign up for new ones. Psychologically speaking, paying for a class feels like progress. But I know that true progress doesn’t happen until I’ve implemented what I learn and see the impact.

7. The blogger discounts

If I had a dime every time a brand/company, instead of agreeing to collaborate with me, wants to give me a discount… Don’t get me wrong, I still appreciate their generosity. And given point #4 above, I used to give in more often than I should’ve. The truth is, if I have no need for the sponsor’s products and it doesn’t make sense for my editorial calendar, I shouldn’t buy it no matter how steep the discount is.

8. Paying for advertisement or loop giveaways

Aside from being desperate for more traffic as a new blogger, as a digital marketing professional, I told myself I needed to experiment with Google Adwords and Facebook ads, just to be able to say that I know how they work. In Christmas of 2015, I started a small Google Adwords campaign to promote the three outfits I created for Holiday Parties. Because of lack of experience at the time, the campaign cost me $250 before I found out about it. It got me maybe about 1000 clicks in total, but no one became a recurring reader. I quickly learned my lesson and never did it again.

There is also loop giveaways that Instagram influencers like to do. If you haven’t heard of it, this is what an Instagram Loop Giveaway. To date, I’ve joined 2 loop giveaways as an influencer. They were each about $30 for me to participate, and they earned me about 200-300 followers each time. This is really just a more glamorous and legitimate way of “buying followers”. I have not done one since then because the followers you get from loop giveaways drop you like it’s hot. It’s hard not to take the crazy amount of unfollowing that occurs at the end of the giveaway. I’ve learned to stay away.

9. Thinking fresh new purchase = fresh content

This is a real struggle for any content creator. When you are in a creative rut and can’t think of anything to talk about, it’s easy to believe that buying something new will provide inspiration for new content. Again, my counter mechanism is always to default to my editorial calendar. I also plan about 2-3 months ahead for content, so I have time to reach out to brands and pitch my topics to them.

Conclusion

Fashion blogging has increasingly become a legitimate profession. But behind the pretty pictures and written content is a lot of hard work and investment. I’m grateful for the learning experiences running my own blog has given me. But I also want to caution those of you out there that are considering starting a blog… Be prepared and ready for the expenses and don’t make the mistakes I made!

The post 9 Ways Fashion Blogging Ruined My Finances appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

 Things I have bought from or sold on my Poshmark closet

1. For expensive and trendy items, always check Poshmark first!

If you follow any fashion blogs or news sites, you are probably constantly bombarded with the latest trends and IT items to buy. Let’s face it, your will power only takes you so far. Before you know it you’re giving in, taking the plunge and spending that money that’s REALLY supposed to go to your savings. And after all the ordering and shipping and opening the package, you’re already eyeing the next purse, pair of shoes, or fashion accessory that has you lusting all over it…

Except, with Poshmark’s help, you can David-and-Goliath your way out of pickle (kind of proud of this sentence). I have developed the habit of always checking the availability of something new and trendy that I’m lusting over on Poshmark, before I head over the Shopbop, Farfetch, or Nordstrom.com and click the ORDER button.

Here are a few things you might be so tempted to buy new but can find discounted (sometimes used, sometimes new) ones on Poshmark. Mansur Gavriel bucket bag? Here. Aquazurra shoes? Here. Kendra Scott earrings? Here. DVF wrap dress? Here. Rag & Bone booties? Here. And the list literally goes on, and on, and on…

If you haven’t already, I suggest you take your to-buy list, and check all the items one by one on Poshmark. You might be surprised what you find there!

2. Before making a new purchase, always ask “Can I resell this on Poshmark when I get tired of it? Will it have good resale value?”

As a continuation of the last topic, Poshmark also helps make me feel less guilty about purchasing something if I know I can re-sell it in the future when I grow tired it, or find out that a it doesn’t really fit my life style (as is always the case with shoes).  Or, if I know I am onto a particular style/type of item relatively early, I will feel better snatching it at full retail price knowing the demand is growing and I will be able to get my investment back by listing it on Poshmark when I decide to part ways with it.

Some examples of such trendy type of purchases that I was able to pass onto other fashionistas on Poshmark include several pairs of Rayban mirrored sunglasses, the Chiara Ferragne “Flirt” Slip-ons, the Quay “My Girl” sunglasses, the Michael Kors Selma bag, and the YSL Arty ring. These were all things that I knew weren’t going to come down on price too soon, and will continue to be desirable for a while so I bought them at retail, and re-listed on Poshmark after I’d moved onto other shiny things.

3. Too much loss to take to thrift stores but taking up unnecessary closet space?

If you have a shopping problem like I do (I did put the word “confession” in the title of this entry), you know this problem all too well. It was a good deal, it was a GREAT item, and it was what everyone was talking about! The only problem is it 1) doesn’t fit, or 2)you don’t have the occasion for it, or 3) never lost the weight you SWORE you were going to lose. Whatever the problem, this item remains in your closet. It brings a smile or two to your face when you think about how happy you were when you first bought it, but takes up the space in your closet and room that can hold OTHER items that will bring MORE smiles to your face! See how easily

Do not despair! Your solution is this little app called Poshmark. Take some nice photos of this item (find tips for photo styling here), type up your love story with it, and post it on Poshmark. Someone, no matter how long it takes, will give it its due attention as long as it’s something that’s in good shape and is truly desirable.  I’ve passed on many pairs of impulse shoe and sunglasses buys this way, and made friends and happy customers alike as a result.

4. Fangirling so hard after a fashion blogger (e.g. Wendy’s Lookbook, Claire Marshall, Le Fashion Monster), I wish I could raid her closet! Wait a second…??

With the ever expanding Poshmark community, more and more fashionistas are joining in, and many fashion bloggers who are practically household names these days, are no exception. Some of the most famous bloggers I personally follow have made their way to Poshmark where you and I can literally raid their closet!

 

 

I hope you found this article useful. Let me know if you have a poshmark account! I’ll be sure to follow and share your items as we say on Poshmark, Sharing is Caring!

P.S. I am going to be attending the 2015 PoshFest, Poshmark’s annual meet-up, in San Francisco this year! It takes place on 11/7 & 11/8 so it’s fast approaching. Leave me a note if you’re going too!!

The post Confession of a Shopaholic: 4 ways that Poshmark has Positively Changed my Shopping Behavior appeared first on Cubicle Chic.