So long, 2022… and hello, 2023! We started off the New Year in Hawaii for a little longer before heading back to the East Coast. We slowly made our way out of the winter weather, as we made our way south through the Carolinas to Georgia.

Aiea, Hawaii

Oahu is not short on hikes by any means. The Aiea Loop Trail is a great woodsy hike at the top of Aiea Heights, the hill I grew up on! This 5 mile loop is shaded for almost the entire time, but you’ll still feel the 1,300 ft total elevation gain by the end of this. On part of this loop, you can see the H-3 Freeway going into the mountains!

Kahala, Hawaii

It’s never a trip home without stopping at one of my favorite beaches. I used to come to this little beach all the time in high school to get away from all the *drama* of teenage life. It’s still a nostalgic place for me to visit to this day! Plus, it’s never crowded, so you feel like you’re on a semiprivate beach.

Norfolk, Virginia

After 24 hours of flying from Honolulu to Los Angeles to Chicago to Norfolk, we made it back to the east coast! We enjoyed our housesit for a sweet beagle named Daisy. The neighborhood it was in had a great running path along a river, so we bundled up and made sure that we had time to get daily walks/runs in around this gorgeous town.

Charleston, South Carolina

After Norfolk, we headed to Charleston, because I had a work retreat to attend! Unfortunately, the hotel they put me in was not pet friendly, so my husband and the pup had to stay at a different neighboring hotel. But we still got to spend the evenings walking around and exploring this historic town!

This picture above is at Rainbow Row, an eye popping row of pastel painted homes. The old Southern charm architecture in this city has been really well preserved, which makes this town feel like you stepped back in time in the Soouth.

Charlotte, North Carolina

We spent about a week in Charlotte housesitting right in the heart of “Uptown” – which is technically their Downtown, but no one really knows the history as to why it’s called Uptown! This picture is the view we had from the condo we stayed out, and it was such a stellar view of the city skyline.

Charlotte is a fast growing city, with so many people moving here for the lower cost of living and *relatively* mild weather. But I can see why! There are a bunch of hip and trendy neighborhoods, with food halls and a ton of breweries to go around. We were very surprised as to how much we enjoyed Charlotte!

Asheville, North Carolina

While Asheville may be known for their brewery scene and the next hit destination for bachelor and bachelorette parties, we got to enjoy the nature as well!

Asheville is nestled up in the Blue Ridge mountains at just over 2,100 feet. This somewhat secluded nature town has a long list of hikes that can be explored almost year round. What we were surprised to find was how many waterfalls we could hike to, and how close we could get to them!

Tybee Island, Georgia

We capped off January back at the beach…but this time, on the Atlantic coast! This little off-season sleepy beach town is located right outside of Savannah, Georgia, just south of the South Carolina border. Since it was off season, it wasn’t crowded at all. But we still enjoyed daily walks along the beach, and just taking in the chill, relaxed ambience of the beach town.

Although we could see some great sunrises off the coast, if you head southwest side of the island, you can watch the sunset as well. I never thought I could watch a sunset over the water on the East coast until now!

We’ll continue our travels south and spend the next month in Florida! We’ll visit some theme parks, check out some springs, and hit the beach again. And hopefully we’ll encounter some Florida wildlife along the way!

Like what you read? Check out some of my other most clicked blog posts!

• Side Hustles For The Allied Health Professional
• What Is Passive Income?
• Tips on How To Achieve a >50% Savings Rate
• Values Based Spending – Determining Your Core Values

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters. 

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

• Student Loan Planner works with you to help customize a plan to most efficiently pay off your student debt! Click here to book your free consult today!
• Trusted HouseSitters is our favorite way to find free lodging through vacation pet sitting. Click here to learn how you can become a pet sitter, or request a house sit!
• DankLite is the premier manufacturer of hemp & CBD-related products. Click here to see their line of amazing products!
• Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

We made it to New York City! We stayed the whole month of October in a cozy Airbnb in the Upper West Side. The location was perfect for exploring the city during our semi sabbatical. And we definitely took advantage of it!

Central Park, Manhattan

Our Airbnb was right off of Central Park West, so we walked into Central Park every single day during our stay. The park is massive, and a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. My favorite part about the park was watching the leaves change color over the month! Fall is such a great time in New York City.

You can really get lost in the park and forget you’re in NYC. Enjoy a picnic in the Great Lawn, take a stroll around the Reservoir, or go on a long run around the whole park. It’s a must see when visiting NYC! We really enjoyed going during the week, when it wasn’t as crowed. The benefits of being on a semi sabbatical!

Riverside Park, Manhattan

Riverside Park is, in my opinion, the most underrated park in Manhattan. It follows the length of the west side of Manhattan along the Hudson River. This park is so special to me, because this is where I found my love for running during PT school. Going to school up in Washington Heights, running down to Riverside Park and running up and down the greenway was such a great escape from the stresses of my program.

It’s still so wild to me that New Jersey is just on the other side of this river! You can get to New Jersey from Manhattan over the George Washington bridge (pictured above), or through the underground tunnels either via car or subway. For Manhattan being an island, there is no shortage of ways to get access in and out of the city!

One World Observatory, One World Trade Center

We went to the One World Observatory at night, where we got 360 degree views of the city! You take an elevator ride up to the top, where they dramatically reveal the views from the top. You can walk around and see Manhattan, New Jersey, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The Statue of Liberty even looks tiny from this view!

Broadway – Harry Potter and The Cursed Child

We couldn’t come to NYC and not see a show! We love musicals, but we decided to opt for something different. As Harry Potter fans, we really enjoyed this play! This play is about Harry and Ginny’s son, Albus, and the adventure he goes on with his unexpected best friend, Scorpius Malfoy. Definitely worth watching if you love Harry Potter!

It was also great because we were able to score discount same day tickets through TKTS. We caught a midweek show, which was nice because it wasn’t that crowded and we were able to score some great tickets close up for a discounted price!

All. The. Food!

New York City has a pleuthra of amazing food to choose from. So don’t mind the excessive amount of food pics here 🙂

We did the Ultimate Chinatown Food Tour, and we were not disappointed! In 2.5 hours, we tried 5 different restaurants, all within a short walking distance of each other. We tried peanut noodles, soup dumplings, fried dumplings, har gow, and ube sponge cake!

We had the biggest platter of spaghetti I’ve ever laid my eyes on at Carmine’s. The portion sizes are enormous, so this platter fed us again for lunch the next day!

It wouldn’t be a trip to NYC without dim sum! We decided to try Jing Fong on the Upper West Side. We got the shu mai, har gow, steamed pork buns, and fried dumplings – delicious!

And we obviously had the NYC classics – pizza slices, bagels, halal food, etc. We are leaving NYC with full bellies, and full hearts!

For me, the best part about visiting NYC was seeing all of our friends from PT school. The hubby and I met in NYC while we went to PT school. Since graduating over 6 years ago, while some of us have moved to other parts of the country, we still have friends that have stayed in the city. Being able to spend so much time with them this month was so amazing. This confirmed why we decided to take this semi sabbatical – to help us reconnect with our loved ones across the globe!

We’ve got a bunch of travels coming up in November for month 8 of our semi sabbatical. We’re looking forward to exploring the Northeast!

Like what you read? Check out some of my other most clicked blog posts!

• Side Hustles For The Allied Health Professional
• What Is Passive Income?
• Tips on How To Achieve a >50% Savings Rate
• Values Based Spending – Determining Your Core Values

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters. 

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

• Student Loan Planner works with you to help customize a plan to most efficiently pay off your student debt! Click here to book your free consult today!
• Trusted HouseSitters is our favorite way to find free lodging through vacation pet sitting. Click here to learn how you can become a pet sitter, or request a house sit!
• DankLite is the premier manufacturer of hemp & CBD-related products. Click here to see their line of amazing products!
• Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

Before we could begin to travel full time and live out of one car, we had to get rid of most of our stuff. Sure, we could have rented a storage unit and kept it all there while we traveled. But we weren’t attached to most of our belongings. In fact, it was more freeing for us to let go of these things and move on to the next chapter of our lives.

When we started the process of downsizing, I remembered the show on Netflix, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. I found her show while scrolling through Netflix, and I was hooked immediately! I loved how she focused on keeping what you value, or as she would say, “Spark Joy.” If they no longer sparked joy, thank the item for the great memories, and let it go. Genius!

She even trademarked her philosophy – The KonMari Method™ – and has helped so many people worldwide tidy up their homes and their life.

In this post, I wanted to share how her 6 rules helped us to downsize to allow us to travel (note – I am not affiliated with the KonMari Method, I’m just a huge fan lol):

Rule 1: Commit Yourself to Tidying Up

It’s not just about saying that you’ll start tidying up. “…resolving to put in the time and effort required…”¹ is the first and foremost rule of tidying.

For us, we had a timeline – we needed to tidy up and downsize before we could start traveling. But we found that having that timestamp really helped our case. We were also intrinsically motivated, as we have been waiting to travel for a while now. So we were excited to start this new chapter.

You may not be traveling like us, but maybe you just want to clear up some space. To be successful with this, you need to figure out the WHY behind your commitment to tidying up. If you don’t really know WHY you’re doing this, then chances are you will not fully commit.

Rule 2: Imagine Your Ideal Lifestyle

Tidying up your home isn’t just about having it look pretty. It’s a lifestyle change! This allows you to reflect on what you value and to live your life based on your values. For The KonMari Method, tidying up is a huge step in your life. Its purpose is to provide you life long changes for the better.

Our ideal lifestyle in this moment in time was to fully experience the world without too many distractions. The clutter in our home represented the distractions that did not allow us to really live the way we want to live our lives. Once we reflected on what we valued in life, the tidying up and decluttering was easy.

Now that we only have a handful of items to worry about as we travel, we can focus on being in the moment and creating memories. We have space in our minds, hearts, and our car, to enjoy every aspect of this adventure!

Rule 3: Finish Discarding First

The KonMari Method points out that discarding is not the main point, but still an important piece, as it allows you to “learn from your past experiences. If you let go of a belonging you never used, it taught that you have no purpose for something like it in your life.”

Reflecting on each item you possess, and how it aligns with your values, will allow you to start building the habit as you go on in life acquiring new items.

A great example of this is a photo frame we had with 10 photos of us in 10 different national parks. We still have the digital versions of these photos, and the memories we have from those trips are far more valuable that the physical copies. So we thanked the photo frame for giving daily reminders of our adventures, and for inspiring us to start this new adventure. Then we happily discarded it, knowing that it had done its job for that chapter in our life.

Rule 4: Tidy By Category, Not By Location

This is how we used to tidy up. Start in the bedroom closet, move on to the drawers, then tackle the kitchen, etc. But we found that this didn’t really give us a real sense of how much stuff we actually had of each type of item. By going through our stuff by ITEM, not where it was located in our home, allowed us to really see how much we had. And from here, we were able to slowly but surely tidy up our lives.

Living out of our car, we don’t have multiple places to store things. Because of this, tidying up by category made more sense. If we’re looking for something in our car, we know exactly where it is. This is because we have a place for everything. And since we have less, it’s much easier to find!

Rule 5: Follow The Right Order

Marie Kondo has a very specific way of tidying your belongings in this order: clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items) and sentimental items. This order starts with the easiest items, followed by the most challenging. By doing it in this order, your enthusiasm to complete the tidying stays upbeat. Kinda sounds like the snowball method for debt payoff, right? 😉

I’m glad that we followed this order when we were downsizing, because the sentimental items were VERY challenging. If we had started with those items first, we probably would have been burnt out to complete the other items! But as we were downsizing and tidying up our clothes, our books, and going through the order, we found it surprisingly got easier.

Rule 6: Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy

I absolutely LOVE this concept about the KonMari method. It’s easy to keep items because you “may need it in the future” or you’ll “probably use it again.” But these answers show that you have not truly reflected on WHY you want to keep these items.

Self-reflection on what makes you happy is crucial to the success of tidying up with the KonMari method. According to the KonMari method, “Only you can know what kind of environment makes you happy.”² As you go through tidying up, using your feelings to make the decision of whether or not to keep these items is a great way to reflect on what you value and if that item aligns with your values. Ask yourself, “Does this item spark joy?” By selecting only those items that spark joy, you’ll find that you will have a more clear idea of what you value and will start to live your life based on those values!

We found that many items gave us wonderful memories, but did not spark joy in our lives anymore. As we get older, our values have shifted. And that’s okay! We thanked each item for the memories it provided us, and we kept the items that continued to spark joy within us.

I hope that you find Marie Kondo’s method of tidying up useful. If you want to learn more about the KonMari method, click here!

Check out some of my other related blog posts:

• Values Based Spending – Determining Your Core Values
• 3 Methods to Pay Off Your Debt
• How I Curbed My Spending Habits As a New Grad PT

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters. 

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

• Student Loan Planner works with you to help customize a plan to most efficiently pay off your student debt! Click here to book your free consult today!
• Trusted HouseSitters is our favorite way to find free lodging through vacation pet sitting. Click here to learn how you can become a pet sitter, or request a house sit!
• DankLite is the premier manufacturer of hemp & CBD-related products. Click here to see their line of amazing products!
• Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

1. https://konmari.com/about-the-konmari-method/
2. https://konmari.com/marie-kondo-rules-of-tidying-sparks-joy/

It’s crazy to think that this year is coming to an end so soon! 2021 had its ups and downs, but the biggest thing that came out of this year was starting FIREd Up For Allied Health. It was scary at first, but after I attended FinCon in Austin, TX, in September, I was inspired to finally take the plunge and dive into this passion project of mine to help other allied healthcare professionals take control of their financial life.

Here is a list of my top blog posts of 2021 for you to go back and read!

• 4 Podcasts That Changed My Financial Life

I have to give credit to these 4 all-star podcasts for helping me learn more about the world of personal finance and the FIRE community: ChooseFI, Afford Anything, Frugal Friends, and Marriage Kids and Money.

When my husband started commuting part time to LA from San Diego in September of 2019, he got into listening to podcasts. I couldn’t understand it – I found them to be incredibly dull, and I much preferred to jam out to music while I drove. But he would come home from his 2 hour drive, he would talk to me about what he learned from whatever podcast he was listening to at the time. At the time, it went in one ear and out the other. I would hear “index funds” or “investing” or “financial independence” and I could care less. I was happy for him that he found entertainment in podcasts, but I just stuck with my 2000’s throwback playlist on Spotify.

Once I finally caved in and started listening to these podcasts, let me tell you… I was HOOKED. I didn’t think I could learn so much from people talking into my ear while I walked the dogs, or while out on a long run, or while commuting once we started going back into work. I found myself diving deep into these podcasts, and basically catching up to my husband so that we could plan our financial future together and, to his relief, finally be on the same page.

Most (if not all) that I know about the personal finance and the FIRE community I learned from these people. Click here to access that blog post, where I list out my favorite episodes from each of these amazing podcasts.

• 5 of My Favorite Personal Finance Books

If your New Year’s resolution is to read more, then I would highly suggest picking up one of these 5 personal finance books that I recommend in this blog post. From index fund investing, to budgeting, to the FIRE community, to real estate and entrepreneurship, to lifestyle improvement, these books all have had a huge impact on me this past year.

Click here to access my summaries and the links these amazing books and start reading today!

• What is a High Yield Savings Account (HYSA)?

A high yield savings account (HYSA) is a savings account that you can open that earns above average yields as compared to your basic savings account that you may have gotten with your checking account. Some of these banks do have brick-and-morter locations, but most of them are actually online banks. So you can transfer your money into these accounts from the comfort of your couch!

While the average traditional savings account has an annual percentage yield (APY) of only 0.01%, this means that as your money is sitting in your savings, earning you back next to nothing, it’s losing its value over time due to inflation.

With a HYSA, the APY is higher, around 0.50% APY. You earn back more money off of your deposits, and when you take compound interest into consideration, you can rest assured your money is not losing its value over time.

Click here to learn more about how to open and use a HYSA for your savings.

• What are Low Cost Index Funds?

As allied health professionals, we are BUSY, amirite? We don’t have time to sit at a desk all day and day trade! And let’s be real, if you’re not in that realm (and even if you’re in that realm – cue the distain from those people lol), it’s a HUGE gamble. And most professional investors tend to not even keep up with the market in the long term. So since we can’t control the market, let’s focus on what we can control, which are the fees.

Index funds are a type of mutual fund that are designed to track the performance of stock market indices. Instead of hand-selecting the stocks you hold, the fund’s manager buys all (or a representative sample) of the stocks or bonds in the index it tracks. The philosophy behind index funds is that this type of investment allows you to pay low fees, brings diversification of a few asses classes, to which you hold onto for the long term.

Click here to learn more about how index funds can be a great way to invest your money for the future.

• Values Based Spending – Determining Your Core Values

Once you are ready to start being a more savvy spender, this blog post is for you. I go over how to figure out what your core values are, and how they relate to your spending and shopping habits. Understanding where your money comes and goes will allow to you have more control over your finances, simply because you’re keeping track of it now. And the first step is to determine your core values.

Determining your core values can help you figure out not only what you are spending your precious time and money on, but WHY you are making these choices. And if you find that your choices do not align with your values, you can set up your budget to more accurately reflect your values down the road, so you can be happier with your financial choices.

Click here to learn more about establishing your core values and connecting them to your financial life.

As we come into 2022, I look forward to continuing to help educate you on your personal finance journey. Comment below and let me know what you are interested in learning more about!

If you are ready to take the next step in your journey towards financial independence, and want some one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters. 

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

• StudentLoanAdvice.com was created to help ease your anxiety and take charge of your future by providing answers for optimal student loan management. Click here to reach out today!
• Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

I am very lucky to be a physical therapist (PT). I enjoy my job and the people that I serve. I’ve been able to work in a variety of settings – a children’s hospital, in the patient’s homes, and in privately owned outpatient clinics – all which have helped me to grow in my career. I have trained under wonderful mentors to help me be better in the realms of pediatrics and pelvic health PT. Being a PT is wonderful, and I look forward to continuing my career and seeing where it takes me!

It was hard work though. After undergrad, I spent 3 years full time in my graduate school program. I went to class from 8-5 everyday, spent every night studying, and most weekends I occupied the library. My clinicals and internships were not paid, and I would spend my free time babysitting for families in the city to make extra money.

Once I graduated and started working, although I never went into PT for the money, I was astounded to see my financial situation in such a mess. Wasn’t the whole purpose of me going to graduate school was to be able to find a job that would provide me financial security? But after crunching the numbers, I found that there was an imbalance.

According to U.S. News, the average PT in the US made a median salary of $89,440 in 2019. It is projected that the PT field will grow around 18% between 2019 and 2029. However, the range was what stood out to me. The >75th percentile made $104,210 that year, while <25th percentile made $73,940.¹

This doesn’t sound too bad, but there are other factors to consider. This salary is BEFORE TAXES. So you have to account for federal, state, and potential city taxes (based off of where you are working) that are deducted from each paycheck. You also have to account for FICA – social security and Medicare, which also get deducted from each paycheck. Then, you also have to consider your benefits if they are offered to you – medical, dental, vision, and your 401(k), which also get deducted from each paycheck.

So let’s do some simple, estimated math on this.

Here’s Jane, a super awesome PT who’s been at it for about 5 years. Let’s say Jane makes that median salary as a PT – $90,000 (rounded up for simplicity’s sake). Jane is 30 years old, single, with no dependents. She is living in a city with fairly average state tax rate.

If we estimate that her effective tax rate is 20% (which includes federal, FICA which is 7.65%, and state), then: 90,000 x 20% (0.2) = $18,000 total income taxes. So after taxes, her income is actually $72,000.

But Jane is a good planner and preparing for retirement already (good for you, Jane!). So she is maxing out her 401(k), which for the year of 2021 is $19,500. So subtracting this contribution from her income after taxes, her take home pay $52,500.

But Jane’s employer also provides medical, dental and vision insurance. She chose a basic HMO plan, as she doesn’t have any big health issues. So she pays a pretty low amount of $1,500 a year pre-tax for these benefits. So now, her take home pay is actually $51,000.

With an average of 50 working weeks a year, this leaves Jane at just over $1000 a week of take home pay.

I am not saying by any means that this is bad. I understand that PT’s make a decent, liveable wage. But when I was a new grad, all I saw was the pre-tax salary and thought “Damn, I’m ballin’ now!”

So I spent my money frivolously with no thought behind every swipe of my credit card. I had no budget, I had no idea where my money was going, and even with a clinical doctorate degree, I still found myself living paycheck to paycheck and accumulating consumer debt.

What I’m trying to say here is that although your work contract may look good on paper, remember that the number you see is not what you’ll actually take home in the bank. And this is why I started this blog – I want other PTs and allied health professionals to see their income for what it is, learn to spend wisely and plan their personal finances accordingly, so you all can live your best lives and continuing serving the community and population you work with to your heart’s content without worrying about where your next paycheck will go.

1. https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/physical-therapist/salary

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters. 

Thanks for reading my latest blog post! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

• StudentLoanAdvice.com was created to help ease your anxiety and take charge of your future by providing answers for optimal student loan management. Click here to reach out today!
• Tello is a more affordable cell phone company that can help you create your very own Custom Plan. Combine minutes, texts & 4G data as you want. No contracts or fees, only the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade your plan anytime. Click here to get started with Tello today!

**Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, which support this blog at no cost to you!**

I’m not perfect. I have made financial mistakes in the past that I am not proud of. 

I’ve overspent on stupid crap that I didn’t care about. I went into credit card debt. I avoided investing because it seemed “too complicated” and also seemed “like a gamble.” I didn’t save money consistently. And the list goes on. 

Even though I went to grad school and was doing well in my PT career, I still felt overwhelmed by my finances. I was confused as to why I had a good paying job, but I still wasn’t happy with where I was in my financial life. Why was I happy with my career, but unhappy with everything else? Shouldn’t my career be enough?

As much as I love being a PT, I have other life goals as well. I want to have financial freedom. I want to travel and explore the world. I want to start a family. I want to be able to do what I want, without stressing out about finances.

So for this post, since I already share many of my financial mistakes in hopes to help you avoid them, I want to talk about how I recovered from this. Because now, I am in a much better position. But it wasn’t easy. I found solace in other member of the FIRE community inspiring me to stay on track and to realize that I was much more than my mistakes. 

So here is my 3 prong advice for how to recover from financial mistakes:

1. Forgive your past self

You can’t change the past. You can spend time dwelling on it, but where is that going to get you? I wish I could have all those minutes and hours back that I spent sulking about my situation and feeling sorry about myself. I could have used that time more wisely and actually start changing my behavior. 

The best way to let go of the past is to forgive yourself. Yes, forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for getting into debt. Forgive yourself for not saving or investing. Forgiveness will set you free and take that burden off of your shoulders. Once you can forgive your past self, you can let go of the past and move on.

2. Focus on what you can do in this present

Now that the past is a distant memory, focus on what you can do this very moment to help you achieve your goals. Do you even know what your financial goals are? If not, turn off the TV, put down your phone, and come up with a list of financial goals that you want to reach. By having these goals set, this will also help you look to the future.

When you have those goals, what is the ONE thing you can do to help you get closer to those goals today. I read the book “The One Thing” by Gary Keller, and what I learned from that book is that if you could do just one thing to make your life 1% better. If your goal is to save more, that’s great! What can you do this very moment to help? Do you have a high yield savings account yet…if not, sign up for an account! Can you sent up auto deposits into your savings…if so, go do that! 

By focusing on what you can do in this very moment, this will help you to stay focused, use your time wisely, and to be more productive.

3. Look forward to the future

Remember the days when you were in school, and you knew you wanted to be a PT/OT/SLP/insert your allied profession here, and all you could look forward to was to finally starting your career? It was tough studying for your tests and your licensing exams, but what drove you to those late night study sessions was knowing that your goal was to start your career. And once you were in your career, how good did it feel that you had finally made it? All that hard work had paid off, and now you’re in your dream career.

This mindset is the same with your financial goals! Whether your goals are in reach in a few short months, or in multiple years, remember that feeling you had when you finally reached your goal and started your career. That feeling will be there once you reach your financial goals! 

Something I like to do is create dream boards! You can make one physically – I typically use magazines and cut out letter and words and pictures that inspire me. But you can also make them digitally!

If you’re ready to get started on your personal finance journey, click here to schedule your FREE 20 minute consult, and let’s work together to get you one step closer to your personal finance goals!

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst, or a CPA, or an accountant, or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! I am a self proclaimed amateur investor and personal finance enthusiast

Thanks for reading my blog post! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

• StudentLoanAdvice.com was created to help ease your anxiety and take charge of your future by providing answers for optimal student loan management. Click here to reach out today!

updated October 7, 2022

Happy Autumn! With the holiday season approaching us, and with the supply chain still being all out of whack, this is a great time to start thinking about your gift list for your family and friends.

As a minimalist, I don’t own very many things. But one of the few physical gifts I do enjoy are books. Especially books where I can learn something and that will help me to become a better person!

So here are my 5 favorite books that deal with personal finances, or simply to bettering your life:

*Disclaimer: these are Amazon Affiliate links – when you click on these link and purchase these books, a small portion will go towards this blog to help fund these posts. So thanks in advanced!*

The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins

This book outlines the easiest and best way to get your finances in order. JL Collins wrote this book as a tribute to his daughter on teaching her about money and investing. His daughter realized the importance of learning all of this, but did not want spend her entire life thinking about it. Enter The Simple Plan to Wealth, an easy roadmap on personal finances.

From avoiding debt, to an emergency fund, to the basics of the stock market, low cost index funds, retirement funds, and the overarching goal of financial independence, he writes as if he’s talking to you in person, offering you advice over a cup of coffee at a cafe on a rainy day. An easy read, albeit maybe more intermediate level content, but with quick chapters and conversational writing, I found it incredibly helpful for my own personal finance journey.

You Need A Budget by Jesse Mecham

If you want to start a budget but are unsure on how to go about it, this is a great book to help you get started. Jesse Mecham has 4 rules: give every dollar a job, embrace your true expenses, roll with the punches, and age your money.

These 4 rules will help you change the way you think about your money and will help you be in control of your finances. He has also created a budgeting system and app based off of these principles, and many have found it extremely helpful to get a handle on their personal finances.

Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin

This book is a little older, but has had recent updates to reflect our time. This book was written to help you learn about your relationship with money. Vicki Robin outlines a nine step program meant to teach you to live more deliberately and meaningfully. Mr. Money Mustache even wrote the forward to this updated version!

This more modern version also touches on topics like index funds, side hustles, tracking your finances online, and having those difficult conversations about money.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

This 20+ year book is still a financial classic to this day. But be warned – Robert Kiyosaki’s matter-of-factual way of writing is not for the easily offended. He challenges the belief that you need to have a high income to be rich, bashes on the school system and its inability to teach children about money, defines the difference between an asset and a liability, and how to help the next generation have financial success.

This newer edition also offers sidebars that show how some of the principles related to money, investing, and the global economy he learned over 20 years ago still have stood the test of time.

The ONE Thing by Gary Keller

Okay, this may not necessarily be a personal finance book. But Gary Keller has been featured on many of the FIRE community blogs and podcasts for this concept, and rightfully so.

This concept on focusing your time and energy on one thing at a time, instead of multitasking, helps people to live more rewarding lives in all domains – finances, careers, health, faith, and relationships.

By having less distractions, you can achieve better results in less time, decrease stress, and stay on track to reach your goals. This book has really helped me stay focused, and I can already see results panning out in my life!

Hopefully at least one of these books you will consider purchasing, either for yourself or for a loved one, to help reach personal finance goals and to learn more about money.

And remember, these are Amazon Affiliate links, so when you click on these link and purchase these books, a small portion will go towards this blog to help fund these posts. Happy holiday shopping!

Like what you read? Check out some of my other most clicked blog posts!

• What is a Roth IRA?
• What are Low Cost Index Funds?
• Housesitting – How We Stay For Free While Traveling
• What is a High Yield Savings Account (HYSA)?

If you want one-on-one mentoring in your finances, let’s work together to help you on your personal finance journey! Click here to sign up for your FREE 20 minute consult.

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! This website/blog is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Please consult with your financial advisor(s) regarding your personal finance, investment, and tax matters. 

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

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No, I’m not a CPA. I’m not a financial advisor, either.

I’m an allied health professional, just like you!

If you stumbled upon this blog as an allied health professional who is interested in learning more about personal finances, financial freedom and the FIRE community, you have come to the right place.

2020: The Worst Year EVER

In 2020, my husband (who is also a PT) and I went through significant financial stressors. We moved to LA for his job, just two weeks before the COVID-19 quarantine. I lost my full time job and had trouble finding more hours to work. My husband drained his PTO and Sick Leave bank just to keep income coming in. Our new tenant was unable to pay the rent, leaving us to pay our condo’s mortgage and our LA rent. I found myself in a ridiculous lawsuit and had to pay a lot of money for lawyer fees. We lost one of our beloved dogs just a month after we began quarantining. We also lost three close family members, and could not make their memorial services. 

In summary, 2020 was just not our year. And this made me turn into the true definition of an “Ice Queen.” 

Instead of becoming an emotional wreck, I became the complete opposite. I became a stone wall – emotionless, void of warmth, outwardly stoic but internally crumbling. I did not acknowledge my true feelings with all this going on. Instead, I let it build up until I finally had a mental breakdown months into the quarantine. 

But how does this all fit into FIRE? 

My husband learned about the FIRE movement in 2019 from a podcast called Choose FI. He started listening to ChooseFI after Googling “best investing podcasts” to help the time go by during his commute. Because he was now working in LA part-time, so he was driving almost 4 hours daily. He soon found himself swept up into the world of FIRE. 

He would come home and tell me about this concept of “financial independence.” But instead of listening to him like a good wife, I ignored him. Everything he said would go in one ear and out the other. 

Decrease our spending? But I love eating out and drinking craft beer on tap every other night! 

Find a side hustle? I’m already working full time, if I work even more, then I won’t have time to do fun things like spending money on stupid things!

Investing? What’s the point, when I can spend our hard earned money now! 

Think ahead for the future? But I’m having so much fun NOW!

FIRE = Financial Independence Retire Early? There’s no way we can do that! More like ICE = Independence Can’t Exist!

(I love a good acronym haha).

Poor guy. Instead of pushing me to learn more, he patiently waited until I was ready to be receptive. He opened up a low cost index fund with Vanguard and began putting whatever money we had left over at the end of the month after bills and my insane spending into VTI. He switched his retirement contribution to VTSAX, and upped his contribution to 17% to max out his 401(k).

Meanwhile, I was bathing in my cushy life with a low contribution to my 403(b), could care less about a budget, and spending frivolously on items that gave me instant gratification but did not fulfill me in the long term.

Then 2020 hit, and my mental breakdown finally allowed me to open my eyes to FIRE.

FIRED Up For Allied Health Was Born

This blog, while I hope to help others in my situation learn more about the FIRE movement, is also a personal chronology of my journey. If you’re still skeptical, that’s cool, do your thang. I can’t force you to read my blog. 

But when you’re ready to learn, keep exploring my webpage, check out my Instagram, and let’s get started on your personal finance journey. 

Note: I am not a certified financial advisor/planner or a certified financial analyst or a CPA or an accountant or a lawyer. Remember, I am an allied health professional, just like you! I am a self proclaimed amateur investor, and personal finance enthusiast.

Thanks for reading my blog! I use affiliate links to keep this blog and its content free for you, so I would be so grateful for your support by clicking below!

• StudentLoanAdvice.com was created to help ease your anxiety and take charge of your future by providing answers for optimal student loan management. Click here to reach out today!