Why #nursemath is keeping you broke

Weve all heard it, i budget by shift or “budget” and one shift equals a handbag or a vacation or some item we probably dont need…but what if you focused more on protecting yourself and your financial health so you have the option to leave jobs or situations that dont serve us?

Im not here to tell you what to spend your money, this is more of a big sister “ive done that before and it didnt work out well”, kind of talk.

When i was a new grad, i thought i had made it and i was making the “big bucks” that would fund the lifestyle i always wanted, but boy was i wrong. Instead, i quickly found myself in more debt and had to work more shifts in order to pay my bills. This is the norm for many nurses ive talked to and if this is you too know you aren’t alone. We take out massive amounts of debt to pay for school and now with cost of living increases and most things being very unaffordable its become even worse. So how can you get ahead and still feel like you are living the life you want?

Stop looking at your money in shifts! Instead actually create a budget that includes your priorities like savings and investing in your future and use your primary hours to fund that. The goal is not to have to pick up extra! Many of us have seen overtime being cut or not as big of bonuses as we had a few years back, so better to not depend on it. If you choose to pick up, use that money to get yourself ahead because one day you want not like your job anymore and you don’t want to be stuck. One day you may find yourself in a situation you never saw coming (like my divorce) and you will be glad you were prepared!

If you are nurse mathing your way through your paychecks make sure you check out our podcast episode on @nicegirlswearscrubs and the resources i have on my website!