I don’t know about you, but paying taxes, choosing health insurance, and budgeting weren’t covered in my college skills class. When I graduated from college in 2015, I entered into life with my husband without a good grasp of how to navigate all of our bills, taxes, and other responsibilities.

This year, we’ve committed to breaking bad spending habits. If you use a credit or debit card as your main form of payment (and you probably do), you know how easy it is to swipe your card without thinking twice about it.

Mondays… am I right?

It seems that as we get older, many of us fall into the never-ending trap of working hard all week, living for the weekend, and then dreading the moment we must return to work. Occasionally we find things to look forward to mid-week, like fitness classes and happy hours, but for the most part our days become monotonous: eat, work, sleep, repeat.

I am soon approaching my one year mark of graduation with already two jobs under my belt, and I do not feel disadvantaged, in fact, I feel encouraged! Encouraged to share 5 things that my jobs have taught me in the past year. This week has been especially telling, and has encouraged me to spend some time soul searching. With changes in my job, I have been forced to search for a new career, but am struggling to find a good fit. I know that I do not want to simply jump into a job because an offer was extended, yet I fear being too selective.

I used to think by the time I was 24, I’d be married with a baby. By the time I was 30, I'd have had a few promotions at work. At 35, I’d have traveled the world. 40, I’d be attending my son’s high school football game. I’d be stuffing the van and taking my kids to college by 45. 50, I’d become an empty nester. I’d buy a boat or an RV or something luxurious at 55 and call myself adventurous. 56, I’d welcome my first grandchild.