My Story
When I was thirteen, my parents had a friend who lost her husband. She had been a housewife for 25 years, and her husband had always taken care of the finances. I remember overhearing my parents talk about how helpless she felt. She didn’t know how much money was in the bank, whether there was an insurance policy, or even what bills there were to pay. Witnessing the aftermath of that experience made such an impression on me that I decided I would always be in charge of my own finances.
I felt like I handled things fairly well through my twenties, but still seemed to spend every penny I earned plus whatever the credit cards would hold. When I got married, my husband had no desire to handle the finances, which was perfectly fine with me. I was still in charge! When he passed away two years later and I realized how far in debt we were, I got my first hint that maybe I wasn’t so good at being in charge.
Suddenly a single parent, my focus shifted to providing what was needed on a day-to-day basis. I was able to buy a house and for many years we lived comfortably. When we needed more money, I would work a second job. I knew what money was coming in and what was going out. Again, I felt in control of my finances. I am very proud of the fact that I was able to raise my daughter on my own and provide her with all she needed.
However, I eventually began to see that being in control had not provided me with the security I always thought that it would. When I was presented with the opportunity to work for Abacus Wealth Partners, I realized that I had the chance to acquire, from people I trusted, all of the financial tools I was missing. Working at Abacus has shown me that being in charge of my finances involves so much more than being able to balance my checkbook. I needed a plan, guidance for setting my goals and accountability to reach them. It’s in this that I’ve found the security I was looking for and choices for my future that I previously did not have.
How I’m expanding what’s possible with money
I don’t spend money on impulse buys. I want experiences rather than stuff.
Outside of work, my passions include
My daughter and family, reading, hockey and baseball, and travel.