Have you ever ever frightened about cash? After all you might have! We’ve all been there, even on the perfect days. However when life modifications immediately, that weight will get lots heavier. I’ve been there too—when instantly, cash fear feels just like the least of your worries, however someway nonetheless important for shifting ahead.
That’s the place Susan discovered herself. In a single day, her world shifted. She misplaced her husband, most of her family earnings, and the life that they had constructed collectively. And in the midst of all that heartbreak, she nonetheless needed to make choices—hold the lights on, take care of her daughter, and determine what got here subsequent.
In these moments, readability can really feel unimaginable. Nevertheless it’s additionally when readability issues most—when understanding what your cash must do subsequent can supply simply sufficient grounding to take yet another step. That’s the form of readability Susan discovered in the midst of heartbreak, and the sort that helped her rebuild a life she wasn’t certain was potential within the early days of her loss.
Susan shared her journey with us by means of the YNAB Tales survey. It is a deeply private story of how she rebuilt her life after a profound loss, and we’re so grateful she allowed us to share it with you all. Let’s dig into the life Susan lived in the beginning modified, the second that altered her world, and the quiet readability that helped her rebuild one thing new.
At first modified
Earlier than her world shifted, Susan and her husband had been dwelling a steady, intentional life. They’d begun utilizing YNAB a number of years earlier, constructing wholesome habits and readability round their cash.
Her husband earned over $104K per yr as a pharmacist, typically bringing in a further $1,600 on the weekends by means of aspect work. Susan labored very part-time as a Registered Nurse making about $29K per yr. Collectively, they saved 6% of their earnings constantly, constructing a 9‑month emergency fund.
They didn’t comprehend it on the time, however that readability—and their behavior of giving each greenback a job—would develop into the regular floor beneath Susan throughout one of many hardest chapters of her life.
The day all the things shifted
Then got here the unthinkable: Susan tragically misplaced her husband very instantly.
Along with overwhelming grief, Susan confronted a steep monetary cliff. Their family earnings dropped from over $135K to about $54K.
I used to be left with our 15‑yr‑outdated daughter’s Social Safety advantages of $16K/yr and my continued part-time earnings. I additionally discovered I used to be eligible for some small pensions that amounted to $8,500/yr.
She additionally realized that the life insurance coverage that they had assumed would cowl a minimum of a yr of his wage was capped at $40K.
I didn’t notice that the life insurance coverage from his work was solely $40K… that was an surprising loss as properly.
Susan was grateful for the earnings she was in a position to deliver collectively, but it surely was nonetheless far under the earnings her household had come to anticipate. In a second the place readability ought to have been unimaginable, she wanted it now greater than ever.
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Discovering readability in chaos
Monetary choices in grief can really feel like making an attempt to drive by means of down a busy freeway on a foggy morning. You’re already exhausted, making it that a lot more durable to react to the surprising. However Susan had one thing to information her.
Due to the funds in YNAB, I used to be in a position to shortly decide what bills may very well be decreased or eradicated.
Susan took a machete to her month-to-month plan, and that couldn’t have been straightforward. She doesn’t bear in mind each minimize she made, as a result of who can bear in mind particulars throughout a yr like that? However she does bear in mind the way it felt. Removed from feeling restricted, she was grateful for the readability that carried her by means of the toughest time in her life.
Her home fee was over $1,800 monthly, fairly steep at her new earnings degree. And but…
…I by no means missed a fee. I by no means missed a invoice. I used to be by no means unable to pay for an emergency expense.
Regardless of the pressure, she remained dedicated to generosity, a observe rooted in her religion that had all the time grounded her when life received actually messy.
I continued to offer a minimal of 10%. It was a small funding of gratitude to the one individual I knew may and would maintain me and provides me the knowledge I wanted to get by means of this loss.
Her emergency fund, the $40K life insurance coverage payout, and the readability of giving each greenback a job carried her by means of a yr when all the things else felt unmoored.
Rebuilding a life: One intentional step at a time
By this level within the story, I used to be already choking up. I can’t appear to get by means of a YNABer story like Susan’s with out getting emotional. It simply amazes me how resilient YNABers are within the face of such hardship. However Susan’s story was removed from completed!
The yr after her husband handed away, Susan did one thing exceptional: she went again to high school. Let me inform you, I’ll be blissful to by no means take one other tutorial take a look at once more. However even in her grief, Susan was able to tackle a brand new problem to spice up her profession.
I began again to high school to be a Nurse Practitioner.
A scholarship helped cowl tuition, books, and even some dwelling bills. Even so, Susan made the exhausting resolution to simply accept a giant tradeoff, which helped her get by means of faculty with out accumulating new debt.
I additionally bought the costlier home and selected to downsize to chop bills and maintenance.
That’s some severe sacrifice. However despite all of it, she by no means frightened about cash. Susan leaned on the talents she had constructed up over time to deal with all the things life threw her approach. After three years of dwelling on much less, she accomplished NP faculty.
My earnings elevated to the extent that my husband’s had been previous to his demise.
After three years of grief and exhausting work, you’d assume Susan would get somewhat spendy at this level, proper? However even then, she saved her habits. She knew precisely what was essential to her, and despatched her cash to these issues first. She continued to stay on much less till she rebuilt a full six‑month emergency fund. And even right now, she continues to save lots of 6% each month. It is wonderful how a lot she was in a position to accomplish amidst such grief. YNAB saved her grounded.
Budgeting with YNAB made one of the demanding, disorienting years of my life somewhat simpler. I nonetheless use YNAB and might’t think about life with out it.
A brand new chapter: Love, stability, and pleasure
Susan rebuilt her life, made strides in her profession, and noticed her daughter develop into a full-fledged grownup. After which a decade after her loss, life expanded once more.
I remarried 2 years in the past… and I launched him to YNAB (he was already a saver/budgeter—wouldn’t have married him if he wasn’t).
Susan by no means forgot her beloved first husband, but it surely’s heartwarming to see she may rebuild her life and let love in once more. And simply take a look at the life the 2 of them have constructed collectively! They’ve constructed one thing priceless: a life with out cash fear:
- They paid off their home.
- They’re utterly debt‑free.
- They stay comfortably on his retirement earnings.
- Susan works half‑time for “enjoyable cash”—mission work, giving, holidays.
And, to prime all of it off, Susan’s legacy extends to the following era.
My daughter and her husband have had some wonderful wins with cash. I like that these values have been handed on to her.
Trying Forward
So what’s subsequent for Susan? As she’s accomplished her complete life, she’s firmly centered on her prime priorities. The primary factor she’s saving for now could be journey. She desires to see extra of the world, and has a plan to make it occur. And her lengthy‑time period objective? It is all about leaving an enduring legacy.
I need to save sufficient cash to stay on in retirement so I can go away my daughter $250K or extra.
Susan rebuilt her life after a loss all of us worry. And right now, she’s thriving!
Readability within the Darkest Moments
Susan’s story sums up all the things that YNABing is all about. When her life shattered, she discovered readability as a substitute of chaos. She made intentional choices when all the things round her felt unimaginable. She rebuilt a life, a profession, a house, and even discovered love once more.
Gah! Might Susan’s story be any extra inspiring? It may be your story, too. I do know you’ve frightened about cash earlier than. Who hasn’t? Susan actually had her share of cash worries, however not anymore. She realized to get good with cash. And people abilities caught along with her, even within the darkest moments.
In the present day, she lives a life crammed with confidence, goal, and pleasure. And she or he shared her story with us to encourage you, to point out you that you are able to do it, too.
When you’re prepared to seek out readability in your individual cash story, YNAB may be your information. Obtain YNAB, get good with cash, and by no means fear about cash once more.