Most of us spend each and every day just trying to survive the day, the week, or maybe a month. We can barely handle the small things that life sends our way like a car repair or an unforeseen home expense. So when something bigger happens like a job layoff, a medical emergency or a national pandemic, we just aren’t equipped to handle it.
Emotionally, financially, or logistically.
We are not prepared.
I am writing this on March 21, 2020, in the midst of a pandemic that is sweeping across the globe. I am in the United States and at this very moment we are experiencing social distancing, a national emergency and many states have shut down all non-essential businesses and have issued stay-at-home orders.
Personally, I am more afraid of the impact this virus will have on our future and our economy than I am about actually catching it. And I know that many other people feel the same way. Not to downplay the dangers of this illness, but sick is easy compared to the fear of losing your livelihood. Sick only impacts your life for a short time. Sick doesn’t mean you run out of food or toilet paper. Sick doesn’t mean that the economy of the entire planet lies in the balance.
Before you get mad at me, I know that sometimes sick leads to far more serious repercussions, but when you don’t have financial independence, the fear of job and income loss is far scarier than a virus most people recover from. Again, I am not downplaying the horrific nature of this virus, nor being flippant over the lives being lost. Rather, I am illustrating that most of us can’t afford to fear a virus when we are so busy worrying about the financial impact a worldwide pandemic will have on our families.
Fear of the future.
As I watch the fear of the future spread, even among those of us with strong faith, I realized that at any moment the rug can be pulled out from under us. And unless you are exceptionally wealthy, this moment we are living in right now will impact the rest of our lives. And likely not for the better.
This pandemic has already caused people to lose their jobs. People will go into debt (or deeper into debt). Savings accounts will be drained. People may lose their homes, and end up in a financial situation that makes it hard to feed their families.
Fighting back.
So what do we do? Those barely scraping by, those who live paycheck to paycheck, and those who had saved up just enough to see a light in their future. How do we come out the other side of this pandemic not decimated by tragedy, both emotionally and financially? How do we prepare without becoming overzealous, wacky, extreme preppers living in the middle of nowhere stockpiling everything we can for a future zombie apocalypse?
I believe we can come out of this better prepared for our future. There may be a big hole to dig out of in a few weeks or months, but we need to learn from this pandemic so that the next time something like this happens, we don’t have to react with fear and panic. And we can stop and focus on what matters, being and staying healthy.
Me.
I don’t know exactly how this process will unfold, it will be a journey for all of us. My family is not wealthy but we had finally surpassed the paycheck to paycheck cycle, we were paying down the last of some debt (a car loan) and really had a solid plan for our future.
I am confident we will get back to this place again, but probably not without taking a few steps backward first.
In the meantime, I feel compelled to share my recent path towards financial independence and connect with those who are feeling discouraged right now. We are all in this together and I hope that we can all be a little bit more prepared and come out this facing our future full of hope.
Kung Fu Cabbage?
So seriously, I know that you really came to this page to find out why the heck I chose this name. And I’ll tell you – it made me laugh. But I also loved the idea that it could stand as an anthem for taking control of your money and your finances.
Definition of kung fu
: any of various Chinese martial arts and related disciplines that are practiced especially for self-defense, exercise, and spiritual growth
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kung%20fu
Definition of cabbage
1a: any of several brassicas (Brassica oleracea) of European origin especially: a leafy garden plant (Brassica oleracea capitata) with a short stem and a dense globular head of usually green leaves that is used as a vegetable
1b: any of several plants related to or resembling cabbage
2 slang: MONEY, CASH
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cabbage
Kung Fu Cabbage is self-defense for your money. It stands for taking control of your life so you don’t have to live in fear. No matter what your income. No matter how much you have saved now. No matter how old you are.
With budgeting tips, money resources, information for planning your future, and even some advice about prepping for a zombie apocalypse, hopefully, I can help guide you towards your black belt in financial confidence.
At the very least, we should have a few laughs along the way.