It has been a long time since I’ve written here.
Years, actually.
And if I’m being honest, I didn’t really know how to come back.
A lot has changed since the last time I sat down to talk about my money, my life, my goals, and what it means to build a future on purpose. Some of those changes have been beautiful. Some have been painful. And some are still unfolding.
But I’m finally ready to talk about it, not because I have everything figured out, but because I don’t.
And maybe that’s exactly why I need to be here.
My Life Looks Very Different Now
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that Budgeting Backwards has always been about more than spreadsheets and saving money.
It has always been about building a life that your money can support.
Well, I’m at a point in my life where I have to practice what I preach.
My personal life has become…complicated.
I’m navigating a complicated situation with my son’s father, and there have been some experiences over the past year that changed the way I see my relationship, my future, and myself.
I’m not ready to tell that entire story.
Maybe I never will.
But I will say this: sometimes something happens that forces you to look at your life differently.
It makes you question what you thought was permanent.
It makes you reconsider what you’re willing to accept.
And it makes you realize that even if you don’t know exactly where you’re going, you know you can’t stay exactly where you are.
That’s where I am.
I’m Preparing for a New Beginning
I don’t know exactly what my life will look like a year from now.
And for the first time, I’m okay with that.
What I do know is that my life is going to change drastically.
I’m preparing for a brand-new beginning, not just emotionally, but financially, logistically, professionally, and personally.
And I have my son to think about.
That changes everything.
I want to make sure that whatever happens next, I’m not making decisions from a place of fear because I can’t afford to make a change.
I want options.
I want freedom.
I want the ability to say, “This isn’t working for me anymore,” and actually have the financial foundation to do something about it.
That means I have to prepare before I need to.
Comfortable Isn’t the Same as Prepared
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
I’m comfortable financially right now.
But comfortable isn’t necessarily secure.
And comfortable definitely isn’t the same thing as prepared.
I have a lifestyle that works for me right now. But if my circumstances change, I need to know that I can still provide for myself and my son without completely panicking.
That means I have to make some temporary sacrifices.
I have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
There are things I could spend money on today that I’m choosing not to spend money on.
There are things I want that I’m going to have to tell myself “not right now.”
There are conveniences I may have to reconsider.
There are financial goals I’ve talked about for years that now need to become actual numbers, actual accounts, actual plans, and actual discipline.
Because this next chapter of my life can’t be built on vibes.
It needs a financial foundation.
Enter: The 90-Day Run
So, I’m doing something different.
Starting September 1st, I’m going on a 90-Day Run.
For 90 days, I’m going to intentionally put myself in an uncomfortable financial position, not because I’m struggling, but because I’m preparing.
I’m going to challenge myself to live differently.
To spend differently.
To save differently.
To think differently.
To stop making financial decisions based solely on what I can afford today and start making decisions based on the woman and mother I HAVE to become tomorrow.
This isn’t a punishment.
It isn’t a crash diet for my finances.
And it isn’t about pretending I don’t enjoy my life.
It’s about creating momentum.
Because I know myself well enough to know that sometimes I need a hard reset to get moving.
What Happens After the 90 Days?
I don’t know.
And that’s the exciting part.
Maybe I’ll know exactly where I’m headed.
Maybe I’ll have enough money saved to make a major move.
Maybe I’ll have changed my career plans.
Maybe I’ll have started something new.
Maybe my family dynamic will look completely different.
Maybe I’ll have answers to questions I don’t even know how to ask yet.
But regardless of what happens, I want to enter the next chapter ready.
Financially ready.
Mentally ready.
Emotionally ready.
And most importantly, ready to give my son the stability and future that he deserves.
So, I’m Coming Back.
Budgeting Backwards is coming back too.
But I think this version is going to be different.
Because I’m different.
I’m not writing from the perspective of someone who has everything figured out.
I’m writing from the middle of the story.
From the uncomfortable part.
The part where you know something has to change, but you don’t know exactly what the change will look like yet.
And maybe that’s where some of you are too.
Maybe you’re in a relationship you’re questioning.
Maybe you’re financially comfortable but know you’re not financially prepared.
Maybe you’re approaching 40 and realizing the life you thought you’d have doesn’t look anything like the life you’re actually living.
Maybe you’re a parent trying to figure out how to build a future while still taking care of everything happening today.
If that’s you, I want you to come along with me.
For the next year, we’re going to talk about money, motherhood, starting over, building wealth, making uncomfortable decisions, entrepreneurship, lifestyle changes, and what it really looks like to financially prepare for a life you haven’t even fully imagined yet.
I don’t have all the answers.
But I have a plan.
September 1st starts Day 1.
And 90 days from then, I want to be able to look back and say:
I didn’t know exactly where I was going.
But I prepared myself to go.
Welcome back to Budgeting Backwards.
And welcome to my next chapter.
