Well, hello! It’s been quite a while since my last blog post. I’ll keep it real with you; I didn’t have the energy to do much creative writing this year. I know, I know. Excuses, excuses, excuses. But it’s true!
Take a look at what I’ve been up to in 2020 and what you can expect from me in 2021.
What I’ve Been Up to in 2020
Finances
If you follow me on social media (Instagram, specifically), then you know I’ve been all about my finances this year. In fact, my phrase for 2020 was “financial stability”. While I’m not a millionaire (in fact, my net worth is in the negatives), I’ve been taking my finances more seriously. I’ve been educating myself on what it means to be financially free and how I can create the best life possible for myself and my family.
Instagram has been a huge help with that. You might not know this, but there is an entire Debt Free Community on Instagram in which people make posts about paying off debt, saving money, and increasing their income. Following WOC (women of color) finance accounts like clevergirlfinance, boujiebudgeter, blackgirlbudgeting, citygirlsavings, poisedfinancelifestyle, zerobasedbudget, and so many more have influenced me to take my finances seriously, fund my emergency savings, and kick this student loan debt to the curb.
I’m not perfect, though. I used my credit cards when I shouldn’t have. I overspent for Christmas. I let money stress me out more than it should have. But I’m hopeful that 2021 will be my year in which I get it together.
Pro tip: Reading Clever Girl Finance by Bola Sokunbi helped me understand the basics of budgeting, investing, and saving. It also helped me realize that I need to get to the root of why I would constantly spend so much money and not stick to my budget. Check out the book here, or check out the Clever Girl Finance blog for helpful finance articles and online courses!
If you’re already a budgeting pro, check out her new book Learn How Investing Works, Grow Your Money here. I’ll be purchasing and buying it soon!
Jasmine, the Homebody
I think part of the reason why I was able to really focus on my finances in 2020 was because of the pandemic. I wasn’t able to go out like I used to, including to bars, restaurants, vacations, etc., so I was able to save some money.
Of course when the stores opened back up, I was spending money, but I kept my savings goals in mind and made sure I didn’t rack up too much money on my credit cards that I wouldn’t be able to immediately pay off.
Pro tip: Pay off your credit cards in full each month to avoid interest!
“Got a Bag and Fixed My Teeth”
In the words of Cardi B, I got a bag and fixed my teeth. And no, it was not cheap. In February (I think—all of 2020 is just one big month to me), I set up a free consultation at Uniform Teeth to find out about their clear aligners treatment because I kept seeing their ads pop up on my Instagram.
Ever since I was 11 years old or so, I wanted braces. I just wanted straighter teeth so I could be confident in my smile. After my dentist said my grandma would have to “take out a second mortgage to pay for them,” I pretty much didn’t think about braces until I moved out and got an apartment with my boyfriend.
In 2019, I made a consultation with a different dental group about the cost of braces vs. Invisalign. The difference in cost was negligible, but Invisalign would have cost me about $8,000, including some periodontal treatment I was interested in. At the last minute, right before my appointment to get Invisalign, I cancelled it. It was just too expensive for me.
Fast forward to 2020. I had a couple thousand dollars in savings and hadn’t planned on getting braces immediately, but I knew I wanted them eventually. I also did some research on my dental plan, and it covered quite bit of orthodontic treatment. I went to my consultation with this in mind, and when they quoted me a little under $5,000 for their clear aligners, I completely caved and signed right up. I don’t know why I did it, but I’m glad that I did because it would have been a pain going to that consultation at the beginning of a pandemic.
Fast forward to December 31, 2020 (the day I’m writing this blog post), and my teeth are almost completely straight! I’m over 70% done with my treatment, and I can’t wait to see the results. I’ll write my thoughts/a review on my experience with Uniform Teeth in another blog post!
Work & Freelancing
I was never a fan of permanently working from home, but I had no choice to adapt because of the pandemic. After my boyfriend and I moved into a bigger place, we were able to turn the guest bedroom into my beauty room/office. This definitely made it easier for us to have our own space whether we're working or just chilling.
Even though working from home wasn't too painful, I had never been challenged so much at a job as I have been at this one. This job has challenged me to really pay attention to detail, ask for help when I need it, take breaks when necessary, and make sure I ask for feedback on a regular basis. Also, I had never worked late or on weekends before this job, and let me tell you, it’s a lot. However, I am very grateful to have kept my employment during this pandemic.
My freelancing gig includes reviewing/editing resumes, cover letters, letters of recommendation, letters of intent, and blog consulting. I definitely didn’t make enough to sustain myself and quit my main job, but I did learn how to better manage my time so I’m able to put more effort into my freelance job during my downtime. I also learned that people aren’t always going to pay you when you want them to, haha!
Shameless plug: Contact me for your resume or cover letter needs! Just fill out this form, and I’ll get right to you!
2021 Goals
I don’t have many 2021 goals because I want to keep them attainable, but here they are:
Work out twice a week (e.g. going on a walk, yoga, indoor exercise)
Read 4 books
Ask for a raise and get the raise
Fully fund my emergency fund, and then consistently put money into my investment account
Increase my retirement contributions
1 blog post per month
1 freelance job per month
Put $10k toward my largest student loan
Pay off my smallest student loan
In my mind, these goals aren’t too specific where I’ll feel overwhelmed if I don’t hit a goal by a certain month, but they’re specific enough to where I know I can achieve it if I just put a strategy in place.
I’m looking forward to what 2021 brings. Are you?
Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored.
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