Financial Literacy, the 'Guy from Last Year,' and My In & Out List for 2025
I opened Spent and saw the words “disease of the spirit” and "Financial Literacy." The latter two words I'd somehow never paired together before. It reminded me of the first time I saw "Porn Literacy"
If I were Hemingway, I would start this post by saying that the warmest summer I ever spent was a December in Austin, Texas.
I'm writing to you from my porch. The disco balls are catching and reflecting light from the sun all around me. I'm wearing shorts, a bucket hat, and an oversized T-shirt—none helping prevent the mosquitos from nibbling on me. The birds are chirping, and the Frenchie’s are lying on the pavement, soaking it all up. Aside from the occasional smack and scratch, it's beyond glorious this weather, albeit a little strange for winter.
Last night, I purchased Spent: Break the Buying Obsession and Discover Your True Worth (is it ironic??) to implement new tools and practices for this coming year.
For the majority of my life, when it has come to money, paying bills, spending, budgeting, saving, etc, I have had this recurring thought:
"I'll figure it out later. I need to take care of school clothes for kids, course for my work, pants for a date, vacation for the family-fill in the blank- now..."
Well, later, is at the door, my friends, and the time is now. My future self can't afford to let me keep shopping and spending like this. Honestly, current me doesn't even recognize half of what's in my closet anymore, nor do I feel comfortable with most of it. People love to shame others for buying knockoffs, but honestly, I started feeling all sorts of shame wearing designer labels I couldn't afford. Nothing says 'fake' like drowning in debt for a logo.
This shame isn't new. I started grappling with it back in the summer of 2022 when I visited my Mom's home in New Mexico and saw how she was living. That moment hit me hard in the gut, and while I'm not eager to unpack it all yet (it's still tender), I believe sharing this journey is part of my healing and recovery process—and maybe it'll resonate with some of you, too.
On a lighter note, I watched It's a Wonderful Life for the first time ever on Christmas Eve. My boyfriend took his Mom and me to see it at the Alamo Drafthouse. (Shoutout to them for keeping the classics alive!) If you've seen it, you'll remember how it starts with angels discussing someone needing help. One angel asks, "Is he sick?"
"No," the other replies. "It's worse. He's discouraged."
His discouragement, though fueled by life's curveballs, was rooted in money problems. That really stuck with me—especially as I opened Spent and saw the words “disease of the spirit” and "Financial Literacy." The latter two words I'd somehow never paired together before.
It reminded me of the first time I encountered "Porn Literacy" in Peggy Orenstein's New York Times piece. That article completely shifted how I approached conversations about Porn with my kids and others. (Midlife women new to dating, take note: understanding Porn literacy is more important than learning how to use dating apps.)
Here's the link if you're curious: NYT: Teaching Kids Porn Literacy.
Then again, my brain always seems to default to sex, so maybe that's just me.
The point is I'm ready to shift my behaviors and patterns around money in 2025. If you're feeling the same way, consider this a safe space to do it together.
Along with diving into a new book, I created an In and Out list for 2025.
I can get down with this vs. getting in the weeds with naming resolutions or goals. I have a few ideas already, but as you may recall from my last post, I always have something, usually the same thing, in mind.
Maybe 2025 will be the year of less talking and more doing... Wait! More writing :)
Speaking of talking, the most asked question at *literally* every holiday party I attended this month was;
“Is that the guy from last year?” Although my favorite version was,
“oh, you stuck around!”
It's cooooool, guys. I get it—it's hard to picture the girl who turned single life into a (bad) performance art piece on Instagram stories and narrated it like a Netflix docuseries, now quietly committed and in love.
But I mean, if Hemingway could experience his coldest winter during a summer in San Francisco, then maybe I can experience the art of staying— and saving!
I like your list of "Ins & Outs." And I know that, in 2025, you will not perfectly achieve all those changes. But you will share your journey with us in ways what are funny, wise and vulnerable.
Happy New Year, Ash!
HOLY FUCK THAT IN/OUT LIST IS 👌