Penny for Your Thoughts
by Amy L. Thran amy@farmvet.com

A special thanks to Amy for being our first contributor for this exciting new column. If you would like to submit your own story of a personal struggle or triumph with money, please email me at shannah@slcinsuranceservices.com.

First Step is to set a Goal

As a child being reared by a single mother who was struggling to bring home $12,000 a year as a Teacher’s aide and constantly fighting to get the $200 a month child support out of my father, I learned early on how to make a dollar last. Going to Taco Bell and getting a $.50 bean burrito and going to the dollar movie was a big night out for the two of us. Cutting coupons out of the Sunday paper became a ritual and garage sales were our favorite shopping spots. The funny thing is, if you had asked me I would have told you that we were loaded. In the words of Marlene Dietrich, “There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich.” We didn’t have a great deal of money but we were rich and I will always be amazed how she got where she is today (a Learning Disabled Teacher with her Masters, I love to brag about her).

My mother’s struggle to make it on her own but her ability to stay happy and keep smiling set an example for me and has since been my inspiration for becoming a financially independent woman. I live by the wise words of Neil Merlino, “Think bigger! Be a millionaire, don’t marry one.” This quote might lead you to think that I am a greedy feminist but trust me I am the complete opposite. I love having a man on my arm (currently I am modeling a 6’6”, blue eyed, glasses wearing intellect that showers me with more love then you can imagine) . But honey, trust me when I tell you, if something happens to that man (I pray this is a keeper, because lord knows I have been through a slew of them) I can tell you one thing I am NOT going to be eating at Taco Bell again. The days of being taken care of by a man are long gone and we as women have to share the tricks of the trade on how to provide for ourselves. Even after we do meet that man of our dreams and get married I am a firm believer that you should always have your own mattress stash.

My first mattress stash was enough to by my first car (a very sharp maroon Honda Accord, I was so proud of that car) and I haven’t looked back since. I am a true rag to riches, don’t get me wrong it was not easy, lots of hard work and tons of lucky breaks but I now own rental property in West Palm Beach, Atlanta, and Nashville, TN. All it took was taking that first step of setting my lifetime financial goal, I want to eat more than a bean burrito on a big night out and I want to clip coupons because it is a great way to save money not because I have to in order to eat.

In This Issue: