Near the end of 2018, while working on a short project, I did something out of the ordinary.
I did something extremely far from what I was used to. It was worlds away from my comfort zone. My hands were sweaty, I stared at the computer screen where I prepared talking points, and I occasionally glanced out the window to a busy street out of nervousness. I tried not to stutter while we were talking about numbers.
So what did I do? What happened?
Money. Why 4/10?
Not many people will admit their income in such a public space, but I want to be transparent. In 2018 I made under $15,000. Now, in Canada, to be considered as a low-income earner, you must be earning less than $23,000 as a single person. But also, I was officially a full-time freelancer, securing gigs, and transitioning fields - away from the not-for-profit sector. With my low income, I managed to move out of my mom’s house, travel to South America and USA, contributing to my investment accounts, and still pay my bills. Sure, it was a struggle, sometimes I spent money unwisely, and I often had breakdowns about money, but I also know I can survive off of $15k, so when I make more it means I can thrive.
"The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go." - anonymous
Introspection is harder than I thought.
