MAKE A PLAN

Hello beautiful people! I know it’s been a minute since you’ve heard from me. I’m still in disgust with the whole “Surviving R Kelly” documentary. There is so much more that has come out after it aired and I think that we can only expect more.

But I am not only disgusted about R Kelly, but I’m even more disgusted by our government. Not just one party, but both. If you work, you should get paid! Government workers have been forced to work for 31 days without being paid because “Republicans and Democrats” can’t come to an agreement on a wall and the ones that they serve, “us” who this wall is supposed to protect are the casualties war.

Those working paycheck to paycheck will not be able to make their rent or mortgage payments and if it continues will then start to trickle down to utilities and banks. 

This whole ordeal has got me thinking about what we can do to protect ourselves from this point on because nothing is guaranteed. 

I have already started a savings plan for this year and it has always been told to me to save up to three (3) months worth of rent or in some cases mortgage payments in case of an emergency. Some would call this an “emergency fund”. 

Now, this is easier said than done, especially if you aren’t making much money. But every little bit counts. Below is the 52 Week savings challenge by The Land of Milk and Honey that you can put to the test.

Another way to protect yourself is to have a side hustle. Let it be Uber, Etsy, Youtube, etc.. You have to have something other than a 9-5 in place. Think out the box. Reevaluate your income and what you have to do to sustain yourself and your family. So when you dream, dream big! Continue to educate yourself on the law of the land and how you can support yourself.

Let’s not forget about investments. It’s as simple as saving your spare change (in the stock market rather than a piggy bank). You don’t have to be an avid trader or broker to invest in the stock market. Download the Acorn app. They invest for you. All you have to do is sync your bank account. The leftover change will be invested once it reaches $5. Simple as that. You will still have the ability to add additional funds if you like or take money out as well.

I know this is hard times, but with planning and patience, you can sleep easier going forward. Hope this was helpful! My heart goes out to everyone that is suffering and I hope that the shutdown ends soon. After this ordeal, the government needs to reevaluate their tactics. The ones we appoint should be in place to help, not hurt us.