Being a blogger who writes about teaching my son personal finance — maybe you think I’ve always been good with money. That’s what gives me the creds, right?
Eh… not exactly.
I’ve never been in a really bad place, but I’ve never felt really good — like I was in control and going in the right direction.
It’s not for lack of trying. I tried for YEARS to get it together and feel good about my state of affairs. I’ve always balanced my checkbook and attempted budgeting at various points in my life (even enlisting my cousin’s help as she learned about it herself). There were homegrown worksheets and an elaborate configuration involving a shoebox and manilla folders with the days of the month for organizing receipts.
But I didn’t have a system that worked. I didn’t have a direction, or goals, or practical steps to take to meet those goals.
Until three years ago.
