Snakes and ladders: How a house flood changed my life so I can change yours...
How Money Smarties® began…
The inspiration for Money Smarties® came about after living through a relocation/ catastrophe of major storm damage and flooding during winter of 2012. It took place on a house I'd just bought 260 miles away in Plymouth, Devon (UK) - my family base - after living in Bedfordshire for 20 years. I hadn't begun to even unpack belongings; or update suppliers, family and friends of my new address - when disaster struck. I then spent the next two years undoing the move to Devon, including £60,000 internal buildings damage and £20,000 external damage, as well as having to find a new job, retrieve my cat (never got her back from former neighbour), and somewhat miraculously selling the ravaged home inside of 12-months, and the costs of moving, storage (again) and finding a new house (that I could downsize into and afford).
All while finding and holding down a new, full time role - 260 miles back the other way, simultaneously homeless - and sofa surfing (with just two suitcases of belongings).
That was my life as I turned 40. Happy birthday to me.
Then, things got worse.
Snakes and ladders...
The appointed solicitor for my (next) rescue house back up in Hertfordshire decided, to close down the existing mortgage on the Plymouth house without, as clearly instructed, porting it simultaneously to the new property. Leaving me homeless, again - 8 days before Christmas 2013 - just as all the banks were closing. The new owners of the (house insurance dried and fixed) storm damaged house received their keys two days before the solicitors worked up the nerve to tell me the news about the situation they'd caused. My belongings, by now, were already stacked in boxes in the rescue house (not wise, but was so looking forward to not being homeless for Christmas). So, I lost another home, another round of debt from storage fees, and property surveys; and another year of my life fixing the fresh mess and finding another place to live, whilst still continuing to be homeless.
Sometimes, you can be up on a ladder, yet come down on a snake. (A metaphor from the vintage board game 'Snakes & Ladders!)
Gazelle intensity...
I made a choice to become gazelle-intense about clearing my debt, and building a home. Almost obsessively so. If I could pay off even 20 pence of debt, I did so. I scrimped, scraped, sold, made do, mended, did without (including forgoing a social life) and set sliced goal targets to be debt free, build an emergency fund - and save, save, save. I became focussed, creative, excited and passionate about personal money matters. It means something special to pass on knowledge, wisdom and understanding and share that with you so you can have that, too.
Where there is passion, there is purpose...
Make 2022 count
The condensed story I share with you here is true, and was far worse than I'm painting in a few, short words. However, the main, more exciting message I want to leave you with is this - I became pretty darn good at this money stuff. (Stories for another time.)
And my purpose, indeed my passion, has been and is to support you others with their personal finance goals - especially on the topics of creating and managing a budget, debt-free coaching, solid, financial basics teaching (I run a salary savers group at work), making money work harder for all - and creating pauseful habits to know and take firm decisions that your biggest wealth building tool is your income.
Money Smarties® is passionate about helping people develop consistent budgeting & saving habits for personal finance. Fund dreams, not debt. Money Smarties® make their money matter more. Money trackers, tools, tips, tech, training.
So, whether you're up on a ladder, or down on a snake, make 2022 count - and your personal finance zero-based budget is a great place to begin!
Thank you again for being a part of the Money Smarties® community.
Warmest regards
Kerryanne & Team Money Smarties®
MONEY SMARTIES® MAKE YOUR MONEY MATTER MORE
Website:
www.moneysmarties.com
Email:
hello [!at] moneysmarties.com
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?" Luke 14:28
