Hey guys and gals! My name’s Alex, and welcome to my blog. Here, I try to compile my findings as I search for new and creative ways to save money. Overall, I am on a quest to achieve financial independence, and I think the easiest way to get there is by spending money wisely.
My financial journey started when I was about 10. As a kid, I was a saver on every account. I would go with my dad to work at his grocery store, and he would have me do odds and ends for the day: stocking shelves, sweeping the floor in the storage room, and sometimes helping my dad count the cash register money. At the end of the day, I would make $10, which was a lot for me. Instead of going out and buying matchbox cars and candy bars, I would save the money. Believe it or not, that $10 was going to help pay for my first car.
I continued to have random jobs through my teens, whether I was shoveling snow, raking leaves, umpiring baseball games, or helping my elderly neighbors install their AC unit. All of that money was getting saved to buy my first car, and eventually help pay for college.
I went to a state college to save costs and commuted because living there was too expensive in my eyes. After busting my butt for a few years, I finished and got an engineering degree.
My first engineering job out of college was just before COVID-19. It was interesting, and I liked it, but I didn’t love it. It was about six months into my job, where I was sitting in my bedroom at my desk doing a design (we were working from home some days due to COVID) when it dawned on me. This is it, I thought. I’m about six months in and have about 40 years to go. Then, I retire and… I didn’t know what I was going to do after I retired. Travel? Move to Florida and share a retirement community with alligators? Get another job because I would be bored otherwise? Play video games (assuming I would be able to understand the technology)?
After my epiphany (or breakdown, depending on how you look at it), I decided to turn to Google for the answer. I typed in a simple, but life-changing search: “how to retire early”.
That was two years ago. Now I’m not saying I’ve “found God” in a financial sense. I haven’t. I’m still working out the kinks. But now I have a plan to better use my money so I can live the life I’ve dreamed of (and it’s not shooing alligators off my porch when I’m 65).
In this blog, I hope to show you new ways to save money that you may not have considered. Maybe I can help you make the switch to cheaper alternatives, knowing someone has tried it and seen positive results. I want to help you get smart with your money, really dig down and find those things you desire, and help you purchase those things instead of the everyday purchases. I believe everyone has the ability to save more than they think, and depending on how willing you are to save a few bucks, the payout can be huge.
I also want to help you if you are just starting out your financial journey, like me. I want to show you the options you have (yes, there are more than work until you’re gray and win the lottery), and how I make my decisions regarding where I put my money. Overall, if you learn even one thing from my blog, I’ll be happy. I wish you the best on your financial journey.
Happy Spending!
-Alex a.k.a The Spendgineer