I have been very blessed. Even though life hasn’t always been easy, God has always been good. I am a mom of two beautiful babies, and I love to travel and go on adventures. Growing up I had some experience with money; I loved working, but I also loved spending the money I made. I did save some money in a 529 plan, but I also spent a lot on gifts for people, on adventures with my friends, and on things that I really didn’t need. I have been to college 3 times, thankfully without student loans (thanks to the 529 plan and some other savings), but I was really considering taking some on to pursue a doctorate and masters degree. My life ended up going in a different direction though, and after having babies I stopped working so I could stay home with them, and our income dropped significantly. We were in the red almost every month, and I was stressed about money all the time. A few months after my daughter was born, our lives changed dramatically, and I ended up becoming a single mom. I had to go back to work so I could afford to pay my and my kids’ bills. It was a struggle at first and I had to make a lot of sacrifices; being a spender, I had to learn to become a saver and though it wasn’t easy, it was so worth it. Between the money we got back in taxes, and some money that we had laying around I paid off the last $7,000 of debt that we had after a few months, then I worked to build an emergency savings. While it is still stressful some days, I am much more at peace where I am at now then where I started.

I don’t have anything in retirement, but I plan to start investing in that in the next couple months. I am currently working on saving up for my kids’ college, and I would love to pay off my mortgage early. My goal is to increase my income so that I'll be able to achieve all these goals and have enough money so I can take my kids on adventures with me.

I hope that my story will inspire and motivate you, and give you hope and excitement for your own financial future. My story includes just some of the possibilities. I look forward to working with you to help you achieve your financial goals, and to find your debt-free adventure.

-Ashley