Word of the Week: Open

Life Lesson:

People often ask me: “How did you make it work financially when you quit your corporate job?”

There is no quick answer but here are a few key factors:

• I saved a shit ton before I did it.
• I have a supportive working husband (which I know makes me privileged).
• My parents paid for my education so I don’t have any student loan debt (which I know makes me extra privileged).
• I’ve had to make some sacrifices.

While I will never be someone who tells anyone off the street to quit their job so they can live a happier life (which I don’t even think is true…corporate is a great option for some people), I think it’s important to take a hard look at what you are actually willing to sacrifice to chase after your dreams. A lot of us get stuck in poverty mentality (myself included) when that’s not an accurate reflection of our reality. We make excuses about how we can’t “afford” to leave a corporate job we hate when the actual problem is that we are scared we will fail out on our own and somehow end up on the street (the narrative gets dark fast, doesn’t it?).

Andrew and I definitely had to make some lifestyle adjustments after I left corporate and we went down to one income. Here are some things I/we gave up:

• Eating out (we only eat out about 1-2 times per month now, plus some lunches with friends here and there)
• Fancy dinners (we used to blow $200+ on dinners semi-regularly)
• Bi-weekly manicures (reserved only for special occasions)
• Yoga studio membership (I exclusively practice at home)
• Gym membership (we work out at home or run outside)
• Space (our apartment is about 300 square feet)
• Cleaning support (not as hard to do by yourself when you live in a box)
• Weekend getaways (there is a lot to see right in NYC!)
• Entertainment (90% of outings are to free events)
• Happy hours (I ask people to meet for tea instead)
• Crystals! (I think I have enough )
• Retreats (I don’t find myself needing an escape anymore)
• Destination bachelorette parties / girls trips (I prefer 1:1 catch up anyways)
• Expensive presents (looking back, I’m surprised at how much we spent on wedding gifts for people we didn’t even know that well)
• Personal growth workshops (my friends and I run them informally for each other)

At the same time, here are a few “splurgy” things that we’ve agreed to continue to budget for because they are important to my health and happiness:

• Therapy
• Acupuncture
• One big vacation/year
• Trips to visit family
• Kombucha
• Herbs/supplements
• Concerts with our favorite artists

While it might not seem like much, saying goodbye to our old lifestyle was harder than I expected. In many ways, though, being on a stricter budget and funneling any extra dollars into my company has taught me more about my money story than any of the gazillion financial empowerment books I’ve read. It changed how I interacted with people (I became much more selective about who I spend my time with), it forced me to look at my giving/receiving patterns (why did I feel obligated to give so many gifts to people?) and bolstered my boundaries (I now had a reason to say “no” to events I didn’t want to attend in the first place).

Do I second-guess myself about leaving corporate? All the time. But when you are doing something that feels so unbelievably core to who you are and why you are on this planet, somehow it all becomes worth it.

Ask Yourself: Do you tend to have more of an abundance or poverty mentality? What would you be willing to give up in order to chase after your dreams? What are you open to gaining by chasing after your dreams?

Weekly Mantra: I am open to change.

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