![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Man, Viewing my World
Jun. 26th, 2022 07:25 amAfter a visitation yesterday, I have found my own views of others having cleared. I have clarity. I don't know why or where it came from, but my own world has changed so much that the difference in others is apparent.
I will never ever ever say that I'm "wealthy" because I surely am not. I am STILL living paycheck to paycheck but only because of design....I'm still actively budgeting, paying cash and tracking spending with the goal of saving my 3 month emergency savings (and damn, who knew it'd be so difficult lol). But I am in a completely different place than I was 3 yrs ago. Once that savings is complete, the amount of immediate cash will be fruitful.
I have two debts that I'm actively paying down, both are 0% totaling about 2k so payoff will be easy. I'm contributing to my company's full match to my 401k. I was just able to pay our whole year's home insurance from my mutual fund. I am able to cash flow much of our immediate needs. I am never hurting for money. And my mentality has completely changed. That is probably why my view has changed.
The visitation yesterday was for a family member's adult child, who probably died of overdose. This family is part of my kids' family....Josh's (dad) uncle Tom. Tom and Ann (wife) are Josh's uncle and aunt, so related to my kids. Their daughter Pamela was the daughter who passed. If you remember years of journal entries, Josh's family is huge. I've known them all since the late 80's and it's a huge stew of people from all walks of life. Tom and Ann seem to choose poverty.
They were not prepared to pay for an adult child's death. I have absolutely no idea if they even have a savings account. Sounds like Tom gave a lot of money to all three of the adult daughters, which left him without. They're the sort who are absolutely anti-vax, and only because of their "rights". So through the pandemic, the family was split from the others who wanted to do their part for the greater good.....all are fully vaxxed etc. When Pamela died, older sister started a GoFund Me to help her parents out.
Me, I was the first to donate from the family (and I'm not necessarily family anymore). This then led to Josh donating, Havalah after, brother Isaac, ex MIL Pam etc. And I was really surprised to see all of them at the visitation yesterday.....it was in Viroqua and they traveled from the cities to attend. Cousins Karen and Sher arrived with grandpa Fred Sr in his wheelchair, all of their children from the cities were there etc. That's another part of the family who has always chosen to live off the state (Karen and Sher even moved from La Crosse WI to Minneapolis because they lost their assistance in WI). I remember back then, the little boys watched gutters and sidewalks for found change out on walks. They literally grew up in poverty, on purpose.
But the OTHER half of the family is now in real estate investing; Josh bought a duplex with new wife years ago, it is now an air b&b after they've bought another house. His parents own multiple properties etc. And I could FEEL the difference between families.
And it's sad to say, I WANT to feel wealthy. Well off? Not a victim of anything, at the very least. But not in "looks", but more in accounts.
The hard work that I went through was worth it. I made it through from there, to here. And I will retire gracefully....while I do not know if I'll ever be in the "real estate" world, I'll at least have investments to use someday. That is important to me. Thom quit his long time job because of a vax or testing ruling at his job, so stupid.
I remember when Josh was first doing his own financial journey, he told me "your financial situation is not MY problem". I could have fought back saying he never paid child support, Scott Walker took my Food Share away etc etc. But in the end, he was right.....it was mine. And I found my way through it.
Eyes wide open all around.
I will never ever ever say that I'm "wealthy" because I surely am not. I am STILL living paycheck to paycheck but only because of design....I'm still actively budgeting, paying cash and tracking spending with the goal of saving my 3 month emergency savings (and damn, who knew it'd be so difficult lol). But I am in a completely different place than I was 3 yrs ago. Once that savings is complete, the amount of immediate cash will be fruitful.
I have two debts that I'm actively paying down, both are 0% totaling about 2k so payoff will be easy. I'm contributing to my company's full match to my 401k. I was just able to pay our whole year's home insurance from my mutual fund. I am able to cash flow much of our immediate needs. I am never hurting for money. And my mentality has completely changed. That is probably why my view has changed.
The visitation yesterday was for a family member's adult child, who probably died of overdose. This family is part of my kids' family....Josh's (dad) uncle Tom. Tom and Ann (wife) are Josh's uncle and aunt, so related to my kids. Their daughter Pamela was the daughter who passed. If you remember years of journal entries, Josh's family is huge. I've known them all since the late 80's and it's a huge stew of people from all walks of life. Tom and Ann seem to choose poverty.
They were not prepared to pay for an adult child's death. I have absolutely no idea if they even have a savings account. Sounds like Tom gave a lot of money to all three of the adult daughters, which left him without. They're the sort who are absolutely anti-vax, and only because of their "rights". So through the pandemic, the family was split from the others who wanted to do their part for the greater good.....all are fully vaxxed etc. When Pamela died, older sister started a GoFund Me to help her parents out.
Me, I was the first to donate from the family (and I'm not necessarily family anymore). This then led to Josh donating, Havalah after, brother Isaac, ex MIL Pam etc. And I was really surprised to see all of them at the visitation yesterday.....it was in Viroqua and they traveled from the cities to attend. Cousins Karen and Sher arrived with grandpa Fred Sr in his wheelchair, all of their children from the cities were there etc. That's another part of the family who has always chosen to live off the state (Karen and Sher even moved from La Crosse WI to Minneapolis because they lost their assistance in WI). I remember back then, the little boys watched gutters and sidewalks for found change out on walks. They literally grew up in poverty, on purpose.
But the OTHER half of the family is now in real estate investing; Josh bought a duplex with new wife years ago, it is now an air b&b after they've bought another house. His parents own multiple properties etc. And I could FEEL the difference between families.
And it's sad to say, I WANT to feel wealthy. Well off? Not a victim of anything, at the very least. But not in "looks", but more in accounts.
The hard work that I went through was worth it. I made it through from there, to here. And I will retire gracefully....while I do not know if I'll ever be in the "real estate" world, I'll at least have investments to use someday. That is important to me. Thom quit his long time job because of a vax or testing ruling at his job, so stupid.
I remember when Josh was first doing his own financial journey, he told me "your financial situation is not MY problem". I could have fought back saying he never paid child support, Scott Walker took my Food Share away etc etc. But in the end, he was right.....it was mine. And I found my way through it.
Eyes wide open all around.
