That Gatsby Life

Reason #4 your 30s are actually awesome:

You aren't dead broke. (only kinda broke...)

I am not rich. Let’s get that out on the table right now. But, ladies, gone are the days of Barefoot and Sutter Home. My standard wine is $12 a bottle. I’m a pretty classy broad. I vividly remember how poor I was in my early 20s. It is almost palpable. I literally lived paycheck to paycheck and borrowed money from my mom in between. And she still paid my car insurance and cell phone bill. Ahhh...the good old days. Let's all take a moment to Thank Barak Obama for health insurance until you're 26. And life was still so hard. Of course, I had to prioritize, so that was a lesson worth learning. Rent, car payment, groceries, gas, happy hours...no exceptions.

These days, I am a bargain shopper. But, that is by choice, not necessity. I don’t have to check my bank account every single day. If I need a new $30 mascara, I can just buy it. I felt like royalty when I was able to buy real furniture and no longer live in the hodge podge that I’ve collected from parents downsizing and “vintage” finds from the Habitat for Humanity Restore. I can afford my own Netflix account and not mooch off of my college ex-boyfriend’s uncle. They say money can’t buy happiness, and that is so true. But, money can buy you a lot of financial freedom to enjoy this life.

One of my favorite things to do with these new found dolla dolla bills is vacation. If you were ever, at any point in your life, 22 years old, then you dreamed of traveling the world. Backpacking Europe. Scuba diving in the Mediterranean. Safaris in Africa. Ok, so I can’t afford any of those trips, nor do I have the PTO to take them. BUT, my husband and I responsibly save our nickels so that we can go on nice vacations every couple of years. Traveling is basically my love language. I would rather have a trip than anything else in this whole entire world. Being able to turn those pipe dreams into reality, slowly but surely, is one of my greatest blessings. Seeing the world and making memories with my best friend is more than I could’ve ever hoped for in this life.

Here's our most recent Gatsby Life Adventure. Whisking off to Napa (by whisking, I mean, planning 8 months in advance and having a savings plan) for my big 3-0. Celebrating Napa, Gatsby style. That's so #thirty.

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