Woah, did I really make that money mistake?

I’m decluttering on this beautiful fall day and getting ready for the shred truck to come by my house next week. But I had to stop and write this in the moment.

Revealing yet another dumb decision from my financial train wreck past, I found paperwork this morning from a retirement account I cashed out over 12 years ago. What a shock, I completely forgot about that! There was a decent amount in it, too, considering I only worked there for 3 years (one of the many pivots in my adolescent-20s). Right now I feel like somebody punched me in the stomach.

I’d like to get into financial education, first by educating myself and then by helping others to avoid mistakes like mine. In a hands-on way, not just in a share-my-journey kind of way. Is there a fast track to do this?

Reality check, I’m taking an Intro to UX Design course and absolutely love it, and don’t have the bandwidth for a FinLit credential right now. Also looking at this blog, I’m more interested in money psychology than in the nuts-and-bolts of numbers and budgeting.

What money mistake are you regretting? How are you moving past it?

2,235 and counting

A few months after turning down this job, I followed a link from msn.com to this MarketWatch.com article, How being a cheapskate became ‘sexy’ (Oct. 16, 2017). That was my introduction to FI* media. The timing was right, because I was finally ready for a change. From there my focus was climbing out of debt and getting to $0. Next came building an emergency fund, which never feels like enough, and planning to invest.

Does 2017 count as early majority FI? But this blog is late to the party, since as of this writing, there are 2,235 Personal Finance blogs in the Rockstar Finance Blog Directory (link on finconexpo.com).

The crazy thing is, there aren’t any other blogs exactly like this one. It’s amazing to think how many unique voices there are around some common themes. Learning Gold Can Stay is about crushing money blocks and allowing room for success. Yes, the struggle is real!

I’m training my high income skills as part of the process. One of these is copywriting. So those NYC poster ads with pouty open-mouthed models covered in pouty prose, like, I’ve actually been reading them. Just to see what’s current. Staring out the window riding by I’m thinking, someone got paid good money to. Write. That. And I have impostor syndrome why? Please tell me they hired that out on Fiverr…

My Intro to UX class is like meeting a long-lost friend. Like where have you been all my life and why didn’t I get to know you sooner? So if I ever go missing from this blog, you can find me learning wireframing or reading billboard ads for inspiration.

*Financial Independence, or Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE). Is it a grassroots movement, or a trending lifestyle brand?

What is Class C?

My online course obsession is still going strong! Right now I’m trying to decide if I’m serious about coding, or if the course is just another shiny object promising me time freedom.

Last week my burning question was about stocks, but my topic this week hits closer to home. The question came up in a podcast episode about real estate investing. The interviewer asked the expert about neighborhood classes, like Class A, B, C or D. How do you tell what class of neighborhood you’re in? Part of the answer given was, in Class A you see high-end stores like Lululemon, while in Class C you put bars over your air conditioner so people won’t steal the copper out of it.

I guess there’s no diplomatic way to talk about neighborhood classes, but the description still stung a little. I realized I spent most of my growing up years in Class C neighborhoods, and most of my adulthood in Class A or B neighborhoods with a lot of natural beauty like trees, wildlife, ponds and relaxing scenery.

I don’t take it for granted, but I did forget the subtle ways my surroundings changed my thinking. For example, for someone growing up thinking that money is bad, it’s eye-opening to meet a lot of nice, generous rich people! This brings me back to the journey of Learning Gold Can Stay, and believing I can succeed. My surroundings make it easier to visualize, wow, if I ask for something, the answer might be yes! If I dream of something, the answer might be yes.

Someone coming from a scarcity background could have feelings of alienation when stepping out of familiar surroundings. This may sound like impostor syndrome, but it’s different, because it’s based on inequities instead of insecurities. How to fight those feelings?

There was a mindset intervention at one university that led to improved graduation rates among first-generation students. The mentors gave students positive messages about belonging. It was so simple that people couldn’t believe it worked. More information can be found in this NYTimes.com article, Who Gets to Graduate? (https://nyti.ms/1gjJOoU)

Takeaways of today? A sense of belonging is a key to my Learning Gold Can Stay journey. It helps when others reach out to build it, but I can cultivate it myself by assuming the best of people and asking what can I contribute.