30 Journal Entries to Self Discovery - Day 28

Hey y'all! Welcome to day twenty-eight. *Insert feelings about how close we're getting to the end here.* I hope everyone's journal is packed with writing and notes from this journey and I hope it's getting hard to add more. Anyway, here's the quote of the day: "An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this." - Stephen King

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT: IF YOU WERE GIVEN $50,000 WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT?

If I were given $50,000 I would pay off my student loans and with the last two dollars I would buy myself a taco from Taco Bell. Just kidding. Only slightly, but I'm just kidding. I'm actually doing okay at paying back my student loans. I would like them to disappear, but that isn't what I would do with $50,000.

If someone walked up to me and handed me a check for $50,000, no strings attached, I would ask them if they were insane. Then I would take it and run like hell. I would pay off my minor debts. It's not a lot. A couple credit cards and a medical bill that hangs over my head laughing at me, but nothing outrageous. Anyway, I would pay those down. Slowly, like $100 a month on each one so that I didn't pay it off all at once cause I heard that can actually hurt your credit score. I have no idea if it actually does, but I try my hardest not to hurt my credit score so I'll try this and hopefully it works.

With the other $45,000 I would pay my daughter's daycare for the rest of the year. I know this sounds crazy. Why would anyone waste their money paying a monthly bill that they should be used to paying by now? But my daughter's daycare cost more than the rest of my bills combined a month. It's basically like paying a second rent. No, it is like paying a second rent. I pay more for child care than I do for rent. Isn't that crazy? What is wrong with this country that child care cost so much? Oh well. Anyway, I would pay for a full year of child care so that I wouldn't have to worry about paying that bill for a whole year! I'd actually be able to put money in my savings account.

After paying off her day care for a whole year and paying off my smaller debts, I would have about $30,000 left. No, that's not an exaggeration. That is an accurate amount. I hope you all learned to never criticize another parent who needs assistance paying for child care. Thank you. Anyway, with my remaining $30,000 I would take about $20,000 and put it towards the down payment on a small house for my daughter and I. I know exactly what house, I've been watching it and praying for it for a year. So I would put my down payment down on it finally and cry massive tears of joy all over my new kitchen floor. (The kitchen is my go-to place when I want to joy cry.)

The last $10,000 would go into my daughter's investment account. I set up the account when she was born so that when she turns twenty-one she has money and can travel or buy a house or leave it to gain interest, whatever her heart desires at the time. But the last $10,000 should go to her. Obviously, not right now, she's two and doesn't understand what money is. But eventually, I want to make sure I have set up enough for her so that she has something to fall back on. If I'm not around, if I pass away one day, I want to make sure that she is financially taken care of.

I know these might all sound lame, but honestly, nothing would make me happier. I would be able to accomplish so much with $50,000. If anyone is giving away $50,000, I will gladly take it off your hands and send you thank you letters every month till the day I die. But until that magical moment, I will continue to work my ass off and hopefully get my bills down to something more manageable than they are now.

My thoughts: This question isn't for everyone. I think this question really depends on your age and your financial situation. Some people wouldn't discover anything new about themselves for the mere fact that to some, that isn't a lot of money. But, to the right person, this is a great question. Maybe just not a question for the masses.