Some months ago a guy on Twitter took the piss out of me because my website’s slogan is ‘Money Mess to Financial Success’ yet I work in a supermarket.
I sometimes wonder whether there are others out there who think “here this lass is banging on about being a financial success when she makes just over minimum wage in a shop”.
The slogan isn’t necessarily about about me, specifically. It wasn’t designed to describe myself. I just thought it sounded cool and accurately described what I’d like Can’t Swing a Cat to achieve. I want to help people go from being bad with money to being good with money. It’s that simple.
With that in mind… am I a financial success? Absolutely! I’d say so. I’ve gone from being someone who had very little control over her income and expenses to someone who knows what she’s fucking doing when it comes to her cash.
Over the last few years I’ve gradually built a life for myself that enables me to work part time in a supermarket while using the rest of my time to focus on things that are more important to me like writing, reading, cycling and spending time with people I care about. If working part time in a shop was the only thing I did, I wouldn’t be able to get by! Here’s how I can get away with it:
1️⃣ I started a money saving blog in 2014 that over time has become a modest form of income in itself
2️⃣ I saved a deposit to buy a 2-bed flat & my mortgage repayments are considerably lower than if I was to rent the same apartment
3️⃣ I built up an emergency fund while in full time work so that when I was made redundant last summer, I didn’t need to find a new job straight away
4️⃣ When I was made redundant, I familiarised myself with my rights. When my employer tried to give me less redundancy pay than I was entitled to, I stuck up for myself
5️⃣ I got a supermarket job and rented out my spare room to a lodger so that I could support myself financially while trying to turn my writing dreams into a career
6️⃣ I’m saving for retirement & overpaying my mortgage
7️⃣ I’m writing this with my feet up in the garden, knowing that whether I get lots of work done today or not, my bills are paid.
I’m not suggesting I’m a ‘financial success’ because I’ve ‘worked hard’. Millions work hard & don’t get what they want because luck and privilege play a role too.
I just want you to know that being a financial success is whatever you want it to be. I’m not here to dictate your life to you. I’m a financial success because I say I am - and you can be too.
You can be a financial success whether you work in a supermarket or write best selling children’s books for a living.
You can be a financial success whether you clean other people’s houses or defend people accused of serious crimes in criminal court.
You can be a financial success whether you’re a childminder who works from home or a locum GP who travels around the country.
You decide what ‘financial success’ is. You don’t have to earn £80,000 a year to be one. If you’re in the job you want or you’re working towards it, you’re doing fine. If you’re not in the job you want but you’re doing the best you can to make things work, you can consider yourself a financial success too.
What does being a financial success mean to you? Click the Instagram post below to join the conversation.
