Today’s money win is different.
It isn’t strictly financial. There really aren’t any exact dollars and cents.
Unless, of course, you count the dollars and cents that I spend on my blog. If that’s the case, this money win has a negative sign in front of it.
But it’s worth every penny. Really!
Over the summer, I really started to notice how little wins were never talked about. Not really. I would see a tweet here (and send a celebratory GIF in response) or a mention there, but where were the blog posts? Where were the podcast interviews? Where were the book deals?
I know the headlines wouldn’t be quite as sexy as something with a comma or even six figures in it, but I still wanted to see them. So I sent out a tweet. I figured I would put together a series once a month throughout the summer giving a shout out to people’s money wins.
By my totally impulsive estimate, if I got six responses, I could say mission accomplished, jackpot hit. What I didn’t bank on was that not only would I get dozens of responses to my tweet, my Twitter DMs blew up, and I started getting emails from readers, not just bloggers. I was winning. Money wins were winning.
Then, Plutus happened this year.
This money wins series was nominated for an award. I was dumbfounded. Not because I don’t think everyone’s wins are amazing (I do! You’ve seen the GIFs!), but because it was exactly what I had hoped when I sent that first half-baked tweet: The idea that you might not always be financially flawless but you can still win with money in little ways all the time was being recognized.
So that’s my money win for today. Without further ado, here’s Jo-Anne’s money win. (Spoiler: It’s a B-I-G deal!)
Jo-Anne
(Penny’s note: Jo-Anne is an awesome-sauce reader who made my day with this email! Thank you, friend!)
What is your money win?
This week is a big one for me…I finally hit $50k in my personal retirement account. This is me taking my play money and picking a mix of mutual funds and stocks. I turned one of my longest losing stocks into a positive this week, which is also a huge win for me. I know 1/2 of this had nothing to do with me and a quick flip in the market means I will likely go back under, but at least once (so far) I can say I had 50K in my retirement account!
Why am I pumped?
I have been hovering just under this for a couple years despite regular savings/deposits, so it means I can set a new target (as long as this one stays stable!)
What can others learn from it?
Money wins are not always quick. And goals can sometimes take YEARS to achieve but persistence does pay off… eventually! And you get to set a new goal once you have achieved the current one.
Final Thoughts on Celebrating Money Wins
Celebrating other people is fun. Not just because of the GIFs, but because it’s impossible to read how happy someone is and not share in it. Plus, looking at someone like Jo-Anne work so hard to make retirement money magic happen is absolutely contagious. Off to my Vanguard dashboard I go! Happy weekend, pals!
If you missed any of the past money wins, check them out here:
Volume 1 – Kate, Revanche, Melody
Volume 2 – Jody, Aitza, Little Miss Fire
Volume 4 – Zero, Kat, Mystery Money Man
Volume 5 – Anna, Debra, Claudia
Volume 6 – Kate, Are We Adults Yet, Money Saved is Money Earned
Volume 7 – Leigh, $76K Project, Josh
Volume 8 – Jill, Verokina, Mr. Green
Volume 9 – Budget Epicurean, Felicity, Erin
Volume 10 – Kris, Revanche, Aaron
Psst…I’m pushing the pause button on the series next week, but I hope to relaunch this fall with a whole new round of money wins. If you’d like to join the money win party (even if you’ve submitted before!), drop me a line at shepicksuppennies (at) gmail (dot) com with your answers to the three questions. Or you can fill out this brand-spanking-new survey I created to streamline the process. Whether you are a blogger or a reader or both, you are welcome to party here!
This is an awesome money win, Jo-Anne!! It would have been so easy to get discouraged, stop making regular contributions, change up your investment mix, or just throw your hands up in the air… But you persevered and broke through! Onward and upward ?
Penny, I am so excited for you that this tremendous little series was nominated, and I really hope you win! I’m still honored to have been a little part of it.
Hollaaaahhh! Hey now, that’s two years in a row that you’re up for a Plutus, girl! I have a good feeling about this year. 🙂 I’ll be at FinCon in spirit!