Welcome to Sugar and Money!

First off, Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog, Sugar and Money. There are so many blogs out there to read and we all seem to have a mile long list of things to do these days… Or is that just me? Either way, Thank you so much for spending your time here.

So, what is this blog about? Who is behind Sugar and Money? What is the Sugar part? Why do you want to talk about your money of all things? Isn’t talking about money taboo and distasteful? Everyone has debt right? Credit cards, car loans and student loans are all totally normal. So again, what is this blog about and why did you start it?

Sugar:

Well honestly, I came up with the name Sugar and Money because first off, I love Sugar. Ha-Ha. I know that isn’t the best item to have in your diet but all things in moderation right? I love all types of desserts: cupcakes, cakes, pies, baked cobblers, banana pudding, donuts, you name it!  However, Sugar on this blog will mainly represent a sweet life, meaning still enjoying treats in life like a weekend getaway, a planned out and cash flowed vacation, ordering a decadent dessert, purchasing a fancy aromatic perfume that is sure to turn heads, shopping or simply enjoying a nice self care day without worrying if your debit card or credit card will be approved. I am all about planning for purchases and cashing flowing items by not creating additional debt due to comparison to others or the “I deserve” mentality that has been ingrained into many of us. Therefore, Sugar is the lifestyle and fun part of the blog = Sweet Life.

Money:

The money part comes into play because money is such an important part of life – and not just my life – but I dare to say everyone’s life. Money or someone’s wealth determines: where you live, what you drive, what clothing brands you wear, how you dress, what school(s) you attend, what extracurricular activities you and/or your kids participate in, what foods you fill your shopping cart with, what you buy, how you support others, what causes you are able to give to, what type of lifestyle you lead, how you can invest in yourself, financial support for others, leaving a legacy behind, and the list goes on and on. The money part will be heavily focused on the decisions I made that caused me to get into $100,000 in debt (when tallied in 2009) and why $100,000 was so alarming to me! SIX-FIGURES in debt (non-mortgage)!

Then what actions I took to pay off $50,000 and now documenting paying off the remaining $50,000 in debt, totaled April 2018. I will also discuss things I am still doing while in debt, for example, I still contribute to my employers 401K, somebody may have let out a gasp! (That’s why its called personal finance, because it’s personal and I sleep better at night, knowing I am contributing to my future because I am not getting any younger) Lastly and most importantly, why I want to get out of debt,  then post debt plans. Who-hoo!

The Purpose:

This blog isn’t all about me. I am sharing my journey so you can see that debt doesn’t have to be normal and really shouldn’t be normal, how you can get out of debt, stay out debt and create your personal version of sweet finances. While you will see that I am saying, “No” to some things now, later I will be able to say “Hell Yes” to a lot of things.

My hope is that you will continue to follow along with my journey and be encouraged along the way. Maybe I will cause you to challenge some of your thoughts and beliefs around money. Or maybe you have some considerations for me to think about. Either way, I am already envisioning the land of debt freedom to be a magical place where I am free to do whatever I want with my time and eat as many decadent desserts that I want without gaining an ounce! Now, if that doesn’t sound like magic, I don’t know what does!

Thanks Again, stay a while and follow along on this journey of mine.