My Story and Why I Started MoneyByRug

I've always been passionate about personal finance and also wanted to spread my knowledge to others around me. But my journey to getting here wasn't a straight line.

Dark Times and Hard Truths

A couple of years ago, I finished my bachelor's degree and I was in a bit of limbo. I was dealing with a lot of imposter syndrome. I wasn't sure where to apply, what my starting salary should be, and I was just struggling with the uncertainty.

To be honest, those were dark times. I didn't have much to my name, maybe $300 in total. It wasn't just about the money, either. I was dealing with housing insecurity, health issues, and loss. There were so many external stressors and a constant, heavy feeling of financial insecurity.

A Different Perspective

I grew up in a humble family that weren't high earners. Investing wasn't something we talked about. I never knew it existed, and I certainly never pictured myself in the position I am today, or having the level of success I've achieved relative to where I started.

However, growing up in that environment taught me responsibility, integrity, and the value of hard work. The struggle led me to be persistent and to make a way for myself. I decided I wanted to turn things around for the better and make sure I never wasted the privileges I did have. I wanted to ensure I was never in that vulnerable position again.

Building the Foundation

I started applying for jobs, interviewing, and eventually landed my first big job. At the same time as getting my footing professionally, I started researching. I started dabbling in personal finance reddits and YouTube channels, really trying to learn. I was lucky enough to be living rent-free and mostly expense free, which let me save aggressively. The first 8 months was just building an emergency fund.

Eventually, I started dabbling in investing. I opened a TFSA and started putting small amounts into a big bank, following the traditional ETF method. Once I had the comfort of job security, a large emergency fund (about 6+ months of expenses), and a better understanding of the markets, I became more confident. I started making investments and reaching financial goals and milestones that I never would've fathomed.

The Cost of Security

At some point, I started discussing investing with friends at work. They were in similar positions as me and also relatively new or novice. I found it a passion to learn and explain how simple it is, and how I'm an example of it.

After 3 years of saving, investing, and chatting with my buddies, one of them started getting into personal finance too. I talked about how much I had saved and they were surprised. This led me to reflect on it for a while. All this money came at some cost. The tradeoff was life experiences and treating myself. I realized I still feared the situation I was in 3 years ago so I just kept running forward without letting myself stop and enjoy the moment.

Learning to Take My Foot Off the Pedal

After years of running, I had to learn how to find the balance between saving for the future and actually living in the present. It sounds simple, but for me, taking my foot off the pedal felt wrong. I had to slowly unlearn the guilt of treating myself.

It started with hobby upgrades, then it became about filling the gaps in my life that I had ignored for so long. I realized I didn't have to skip meals or stay away from restaurants. Taking a vacation wasn't just a trip. It was the first time I had ever prioritized making memories over just making money. I was finally stepping outside the office walls and realizing that the safety I had built was meant to be used, not just watched.

Why MoneyByRug Exists

That is why I'm writing this. This is an outlet for me to not just make tools and educational content, but personal updates too. It's an outlet for me to write about my journey, which in many ways is very psychological. I'm hoping it's relatable to someone out there.

Of course everyone's path is different, and my story and circumstances won't apply to the majority. My goal is to at least reach and resonate with one person, and maybe have aspects of my blog or articles be useful or relevant to a few more people.

I want to encourage everyone to educate themselves about personal finance and money. It's not scary, and there's advice out there that's useful to anyone. It may change your trajectory and story for the better, and eventually, you can change the story of others around you.