In this episode of Sex and Money with Jess, I delve into the importance of starting your financial journey, regardless of your age or past hesitations. I share my personal experiences and the realization that it's never too late to take control of your finances and work towards your goals.

I discuss the societal pressures and shame that often hold us back from pursuing our financial dreams. I reflect on my own hesitations about starting this podcast and how I overcame the fear of entering an already established market. This journey has taught me valuable lessons about growth and the power of starting, no matter how late it may seem.

I open up about my goal of buying a house within the next year and the steps I'm taking to achieve it, such as cutting back on expenses and saying no to certain opportunities.

I encourage you, to identify your goals and the reasons behind them, and to take small, consistent steps towards achieving them. Starting earlier might have led to different outcomes, it's the decision to start now that truly matters.

I believe in your ability to reach your goals and the importance of taking action today. I invite you to join me on this journey of financial empowerment and to share this message with others who might benefit from it.

Remember, it's not about where you could have been, but where you can go from here. Let's chase our dreams together and create the future we desire.

Connect with Jess

Website: www.lovealwaysjess.com/getstarted

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love.always.jess

Welcome.

2

We're officially on episode six, which has

me excited and in awe that we're already

3

halfway through our money conversations.

4

This was a project that I wanted

to start a couple of years ago.

5

I just never got around to it, and

here I am taking a leap of faith.

6

And in your ear talking to you

about a topic that I love so much.

7

If you would've told me two years ago that

I would actually be doing the thing, I

8

would've probably laughed in your face.

9

we're here and

10

it, I, I feel so.

11

I'm grateful and I feel so, you know,

honored to be able to be doing this.

12

I hope that so far you've been able

to take some key takeaways away.

13

Found some moments in your life

that maybe you want to change,

14

things you want to be better at.

15

I know I certainly have.

16

I.

17

I have actually been listening back

to my episodes, and personally I'm

18

taking things away from this that

I didn't even think about, and I

19

think that's really insightful for

myself because I'm just like you.

20

I get caught up in the day to day,

I get caught up in what life is

21

supposed to be like that I forget.

22

There are areas within my own

personal finances that I wanna be

23

better at, that I wanna change.

24

You know, I forget how much I've

grown over the past 10, 15, 20

25

years that I've pretty much had my

own financial journey, and there's

26

always lessons from my past self.

27

I'm always trying to take away and

be like, oh yeah, I've done this.

28

I've been here before.

29

What did I learn in that situation?

30

And what can I learn now?

31

Which is why I think it's important

for myself to listen back to my

32

podcast episodes to remind myself.

33

When I get in those moments where I want

to do quick fixes or feel shame around

34

something, I can remind myself how to

get out of that cycle and then make the

35

proper decision that benefits my end goal.

36

When I say that I'm happy that

I've started this, I truly mean it.

37

Podcasts have been around

for a long time and

38

the idea of stepping into a market

that's already there and not being

39

at the forefront of it is kind of.

40

I don't wanna say scary.

41

Scary is not the right word.

42

It kind of makes me feel sometimes

as if it's a waste of time.

43

Like why would I start now?

44

There are already podcasts out there,

on the topics that I wanna talk about,

45

It's important for me to be here for

myself, for you guys, and that's kind

46

of what I wanna talk about today is

47

it's never too late to start

48

when it comes to your

personal finances, especially.

49

As you start to get into your late

twenties, your thirties, your forties,

50

so on and so forth, you start to

feel as if you've lost X amount of

51

years to do better, to be in a better

situation, to be in a better place,

52

or maybe not better necessarily.

53

Just different.

54

And I think.

55

As humans, we sometimes look at

where we could be we'd let that

56

where we could have been potential.

57

Stop us.

58

From our actual potential.

59

I think about my life right now.

60

I am thirty-five.

61

I live in an apartment complex.

62

I have a pretty decent retirement

portfolio, but I don't have.

63

What I think would be a

good investment portfolio.

64

' cause really it's nothing.

65

Um, and there are places that

I sometimes feel like I should

66

be at as a 30 5-year-old.

67

I should own a house.

68

I should have.

69

Multiple six figures

in my savings account.

70

I should have a good investment

portfolio and those should haves

71

and the place that the economy is at

currently sometimes make me hesitate.

72

And think, maybe I shouldn't start.

73

What is the point of me putting a hundred

dollars a month into a Fidelity account?

74

What is the point of me saving up

money for a down payment on a house?

75

Because if I think about a it,

76

we all saw.

77

In 2020, when the pandemic happened

through 20 21, 20 22, housing market soar.

78

Like housing prices went up through

the roof, interest rates came down.

79

It was kind of a glorious time

to be both a buyer and a seller.

80

Because if you're a buyer, you

had really low interest rates.

81

If you were a seller, you got a

really good bang for your buck.

82

And then when we started to come in

to 20 twenty-three, we saw interest

83

rates continuously creep up, making

it more difficult to become a buyer.

84

And looking at the economy,

I'm constantly hearing.

85

You need to buy now because it's only

going to get worse, or interest rates are

86

supposed to drop in 2025 or any of anybody

else's predictions, and it's those words,

87

that feedback coming from the outside

world that's telling me you are too late.

88

You should have bought a house

in You should never have moved

89

into an apartment complex.

90

You should have gone

straight into a house, or

91

when we saw the economy kind of dip

during the pandemic, the investments,

92

some stock prices went to a lower price.

93

My brain is telling me You should have

bought it that time instead of now.

94

And it's really scary.

95

It's really overwhelming hearing

all of these external opinions and

96

predictions when it comes to me.

97

Little old thirty-five year old, Jessica.

98

Trying to be like, Hey, I want

something different for my life,

99

but what is any of it possible?

100

You know, it's, it's, it's overwhelming.

101

So I sit here and I ask myself,

why do I wanna buy a house?

102

There are multiple reasons.

103

This past week, um, my partner and I

were getting a little frustrated with

104

our apartment complex, um, because

we'd been without hot water for a

105

few months and him and I had a phone

call with each other, and at the

106

end of the phone call, we both said.

107

This is the last lease, so obviously

here I am feeling the pressures of

108

I'm not extending this lease, at

least not for another 12 or 15 months.

109

I might have to do one or two

months depending upon where I

110

am in the house buying process.

111

I certainly am frustrated and

not looking forward to having

112

to stay here , past January.

113

That pressure is a little scary, but it's

also, it's exciting because I know my

114

why and there are a lot of other reasons

besides the hot water issue that play into

115

me not wanting to extend my lease, but

116

as scary as it is.

117

The idea of saving up all this money

for a down payment and buying a

118

house in about a year, it's exciting,

and I know that if I don't start

119

now, I'm not going to get there.

120

My brain tries to do a lot of quick math

to be like, oh, I'm only gonna have X

121

amount of dollars in my savings account.

122

I've got to figure this

part of my bank account out.

123

I've gotta figure out

my student loan debt.

124

I've gotta figure out

this area of my finances.

125

it starts to ping through everything that

I have to do, and then I get overwhelmed

126

again and I go, what am I doing?

127

Why am I putting myself

through the stress?

128

But also at the same time, starting

now, 11, 12 months out from when

129

I'm going to buy that house?

130

Is going to give me the time

and the tools and the space to

131

figure all of that noise out,

132

and I can sit down and I can take the

time and look at each individual scenario.

133

Each individual account and massage

what I need to massage, change what I

134

need to change in order to be prepared

135

when we get stuck in that fear trap.

136

And we

137

try to think about where we could

have been had we started when we were

138

25, when we were 18, when we were 36.

139

brain.

140

Starts to panic and we start to

kind of revert back to that shame

141

feeling of, I didn't do it right.

142

I'm not good enough.

143

I don't deserve this,

and that's not the space.

144

We want to be in when we're

thinking of our future, when

145

we're thinking of our goals.

146

It's not the space that we want to

be in when we're trying to figure

147

out how to make that goal happen.

148

Because when we're stuck in the fight

or flight mode, when we're stuck

149

in the fear and the foundation of.

150

I should have done, I

wish I would have done.

151

We keep focusing on the past

and that that needs to stay in

152

the past, you can't change it.

153

Would it be nice to get a time machine and

go back in time and change things around?

154

Absolutely.

155

I would love to do that, but.

156

I also know

157

that by sitting where I am today and

saying, okay, it might take me a little

158

bit extra time to achieve my goal because

I'm starting later, but you know what?

159

At least I'll get there at least.

160

I will be able to achieve what I want

to achieve when the time is right.

161

I started the preparation for

this podcast back in October.

162

There's a part of me at that time who

said, well, you could have started this

163

two years ago, and where would you be now?

164

But by focusing on

165

2024 and what I wanted to present in 2024,

that allowed me to sit down in October and

166

November and December and kind of map out

what I was going to do to show up here.

167

It allowed me to find the

production team I wanted to hire.

168

It allowed me to figure out

what I wanted to talk about.

169

It allowed me to feel at ease.

170

Speaking to a microphone, and

also it gave me the time to build

171

the confidence up to be here

172

if I would've stayed and focused

on the, you should have started

173

this X amount of years ago.

174

I would still be there.

175

I wouldn't be here.

176

We wouldn't be here today on episode six.

177

So pause for a moment.

178

Ask yourself, where do you want to be?

179

I.

180

What is your goal?

181

My goal is to buy a

house in the next year,

182

forgetting about the past.

183

What do I need to do today

to make that happen for me?

184

That looks like saying no to

further education for this year.

185

That looks like saying no

to paying other coaches.

186

I love working with business

coaches and other life coaches.

187

But this goal that I want to achieve

requires me for 12 months to say no.

188

It requires me to cook more at home.

189

There's a lot of things that I

should be spending my energy on

190

instead of focusing on the

what-ifs, where could I have been?

191

So I'm choosing.

192

To spend my energy, um, what is right

in front of me, what pieces can I change

193

outside of buying a house?

194

I also wanna spend more

time in the stock market.

195

I.

196

Understanding learning,

growing my money there

197

because I'm in the process of

trying to save up to buy a house.

198

I don't just wanna dump a lot of money

into the stock market, but am allowing

199

myself to play around a little bit.

200

To see what can happen

201

because when we open that

door for our money to grow and

202

be used, not only is it fun,

203

but it could be beneficial in the future.

204

You know, I think back to my parents

when I got my first job out of college,

205

they told me to start putting away into

a 401k, whatever the company matches.

206

Make sure you're putting

at least that amount away

207

because , the stock market grows.

208

We've seen crashes, but we've also

seen recoveries, and my parents told

209

me at that time, if I would've started

at your age, I would be in a much

210

better situation than we are now.

211

So I started.

212

With the minimum amount.

213

I think my company at the time

was matching 5%, so I started with

214

the minimum amount, putting 5% of

my pay, my paycheck at the time.

215

I've since grown that to more,

but similarly to me investing

216

into my 401k, I'm choosing to put.

217

A hundred dollars a month into my stock

account, and I go in and I pick and

218

choose stocks that seem interesting to me.

219

I try to spend time learning

the ins and outs, but I'm

220

starting small and over time.

221

That money will grow and it'll accumulate.

222

Sure, we'll see dips, we'll see

rises, ebbs and flows just like life.

223

The stock market follows that, but

by starting small, it allows me

224

wiggle room.

225

To not blow all of my money, because

sometimes that does happen, but it

226

also allows me to grow knowledge,

create a sound foundation, and

227

learn more about the stock market.

228

If I waited until I had

all the information,

229

I would miss out on a lot

230

potentially.

231

I don't know.

232

You never know with the stock

market, but if I waited until I was

233

ready, one, I may never be ready.

234

But two, I could have missed

out on a great opportunity.

235

So not only am I choosing to start

today so that I don't miss out

236

on a lot of great things in the

future, but I'm also choosing to

237

start today so that I can learn.

238

So that I can continue

to grow into the future.

239

Me that has a great investment

portfolio that has a house,

240

the beautiful thing.

241

About starting today is that we

have all the lessons we've learned

242

in the past sitting with us.

243

We have all the lessons waiting

to be learned in the future,

244

and we have this golden opportunity.

245

To say, Hey, I'm going to be different.

246

I'm going to create different

who I am sitting here February of

247

2024 is not who I am going to be.

248

Where I'm going to be, how I'm going

to be in February of 20 twenty-five,

249

20 thirty-five 20, forty-five.

250

However far out you

think you're gonna live.

251

So what is your goal?

252

Why is that your goal?

253

And what about that goal scares you?

254

Take some time to figure that out and then

ask yourself, what do I need to do today?

255

To start making that goal happen,

even if it's one small choice.

256

Make it today, repeat it tomorrow,

continue it into next week,

257

and over time, that goal will happen.

258

As I said, it might happen slower than

if you would've started 10 years ago,

259

or maybe by putting the energy into

it and getting the ball rolling, it

260

might happen quicker than you expected.

261

We don't know.

262

What the future is actually

going to look like.

263

But what we do know is if we don't start

now, that thing is not going to happen.

264

' cause in order for that thing

to happen, you have to start.

265

I think it's Elizabeth

Gilbert who wrote Big Magic.

266

I know it's the book Big Magic, but

forgive me if I have the author incorrect.

267

She talks about how there's these dreams.

268

Floating around in the universe.

269

And then they come up to somebody

and they're like, you are my person.

270

You are going to make me happen.

271

And they keep pestering

you saying, make me happen.

272

Come on, bring me to fruition.

273

And sometimes if you don't start.

274

The dream will flutter away and find

another person who's ready to start.

275

And other times it'll keep pestering

you and pestering you and pestering you

276

until you're ready to actually start.

277

And then when you start, it happens

like a lightning bolt, lickety split.

278

Be that person.

279

Be that person who says to the

dream, okay, I'm going to start.

280

We're going to make this happen.

281

I don't know how.

282

I don't know by when, but we're going to

do it because that is much more exciting

283

than regretting not.

284

Having ever chased the

dream down the road,

285

I believe in whatever

dream you are chasing.

286

I believe in your ability and

your power to make it happen.

287

You just have to start.

288

Don't worry about if it's too late.

289

Don't worry about if you would've started.

290

Just do.

291

Just do and believe and chase.

292

Start and get after it.

293

We are all capable of reaching our goals

294

and yes, I do mean you.

295

You are capable.

296

So choose to show up for yourself today.

297

Believe in your potentiality, and

get out there and do the thing,

298

because you can either choose to stay

exactly where you're at today, which.

299

I'm sure you're not a hundred

percent okay with, or you can

300

be in a different spot this time

next year, and trust me when I say

301

I have to take my own advice.

302

On this topic because I want that house.

303

I can't wait 5, 6, 7 months.

304

I can't wait until next year and start

house shopping and being like, oh, I'm

305

not exactly there with my finances.

306

I'll wait a little bit more.

307

No.

308

I have to start today, so join me.

309

Whatever your goal is,

let's do this together.

310

We've got it fam.

311

I believe in us.

312

I love you.

313

I hope that the rest of your

week goes well, and I'm excited.

314

To see where this energy, this freshness

of starting takes you, it's gonna be bomb.

315

I believe it.

316

Have a great rest of your day.

317

Love you.