My friend Liana Silva-Ford posted what she called a “rant” on Twitter this morning about blogging and earning money. “Folks gotta eat, yo.” Indeed, they do. Reading her Tweets has spurred me to write this post.
One of the topics I’ve been vague about on this site is my own financial situation. A couple days ago I spoke with David Austin Walsh from HNN, the History News Network. He asked me whether it was common in Canada for people in my situation to be, well, in my situation: able to not work while figuring out what work they want to do. Definitely not, as far as I know. Here’s what I do know: I had good funding for a few years plus decent funding in other years, lived cheaply, and tracked every penny I spent. I came into my PhD program with money in the bank, and I left it with money in the bank.
Here are some of the choices I’ve made over the years: I worked part-time during my undergrad; I did my BA and MA at a university in my hometown; I TA’d almost every year of my graduate education; I lived with my parents until beginning my PhD; since then I’ve always had a roommate; I rarely drink and I’ve never smoked. In short, I’ve lived relatively cheaply even though I could have spent more without going into debt.
A few things have worked in my favour, yes. I grew up in Ottawa, and Carleton University had programs that appealed to me. My parents worked good middle-class jobs and I never had to help support the family financially or pay rent while living with them. My mom is extremely conscientious with money, highly organized when it comes to financial matters, and both my parents tend to cringe at the thought of paying full price. (Mom, are you still thinking about starting that blog?) More broadly and no less importantly, I’m a white, Anglo-Saxon, native-English-speaking, Canadian-born, able-bodied city-dweller from a middle-class family that values education and hard work. Etc.
I was and am fortunate in many ways, but I’ve also made money-conscious choices.
The choice to mostly not work while I explored this coaching thing came more than a year after I finished my PhD. For most of that time, I actively tried to earn money (with minimal success). The thought of not seeking paid employment was something I had to come around to. Over time I realized that I needed to invest in myself. For once! (This “for once” is only a very slight exaggeration.)
And so here I am today, not rich but certainly eating, grateful that I was and continue to be able to make choices that align with my values, and hoping this investment will pay off—literally and figuratively—before I reach the bottom of my bank account.
