Learning to save for things that are important to me has been a part of my story for a long time. Back when I was first dating my husband, he noticed and appreciated that I managed my money wisely. I worked hard to make money, save it and help it grow. Because of this, even as a young couple, we were able to fund a wedding, a reception, and a honeymoon in Jamaica all from the balance in my savings account.
I wasn’t born rich and didn’t have any special knowledge or insights that made money management easy. For most of my childhood, I never thought about money but instead was busy doing what children do – learning, playing, being silly, and having fun.
That changed one day when my father left our family. He took everything in our bank accounts and disappeared. We were left with nothing. For my mother it was a shock. She was in no way prepared to support the family, to pay the mortgage, buy the groceries, plan for our future or even imagine what that future might look like.
My mother helped make one thing clear to us. What happened to her was never going to happen to any of us. She taught us to save by paying ourselves first, prepare for anything and to have plans should an emergency occur. So, I did.
The decisions I made as a young professional fresh out of college helped set the trajectory of a life living within my means. I rented a room instead of a full apartment. I drove a 1982 Chevy Chevette (hardly a luxury vehicle) and kept my living expenses to a minimum. With no cable TV, I read books instead, and made do with whatever was on the TV for free. No meals out, no vacations or travel for pleasure. The outfits I bought consisted of professional clothing I could wear to work.
Long story short, my savings grew. I made it hard to access my money by separating my money into account “buckets”, which helped me resist making impulsive decisions and only accessed the funds for an emergency.
My story continued to unfold and I met the love of my life, got married, found my way to Canopy Credit Union, and now spend my days working to make the financial lives of our members more secure, healthy, and full of promise. I hope my own story of saving up for the important things in life encourages you on your own financial wellness journey.
If you want to learn more about saving and taking steps toward a healthy financial future, please take advantage of Canopy’s FREE financial coaching that is available to everyone. Log on to canopycu.com/coach to sign up for a time to sit down and talk through your story and dreams with one of the amazing Canopy financial coaches.
At Canopy Credit Union, we are here for you. Because here, you grow.
Charlotte Nemec
President/CEO
Charlotte Nemec
President/CEO
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