Welcome to Urban Departures

So after four seemingly endless years of late nights, my $30k of student debt and a pair of engineering degrees later, Emily and I waved goodbye to the student life and were excited to get on into the real world. We moved back to the big city and started looking for the “big money making jobs” that everyone promised our educations would deliver. Six months into our searches, we both landed stable jobs with modest entry level salaries working for respectable companies. We worked our 9 to 5s, wiped out the nagging student loan, and put aside some funds for the future.

We tied the knot two years later and pooled together all our money for a downpayment on a condo in Toronto. We were young and dreamed of exploring the world for all the unimaginable wonders it would possess. We decided that we would go see some of them. We raided the tombs of the Pharaohs, climbed Kala Patthar for a view of the world’s highest peak, and marveled the beauty of Angkor Wat at sunrise. The world, as they say, was our oyster.

We let the good times roll. We enjoyed travelling, dining out, catching the latest shows, buying things we didn’t need. We never spent more than what was made and what was left in the chequing account was labeled our “savings.” As time wore on, it dawned on us that this just wasn’t going to cut it.

The mind grapes have been spinning about our financial situation for quite some time. We make a good living in an expensive city with an outstanding mortgage and no consumer debt, but we don’t know the first thing about managing our money. Sure we can save it…but what does one do with saved money other than spend it?!

With that, we welcomed a little one into our family in the spring of 2012. We noticed that somewhere between the lack of sleep and the dirty diapers, there had been an inevitable coming of age. There wasn’t any epiphany or eureka moment; rather, it was a natural progression of thought resulting in a shift of priorities. As immigrants to the country, both our parents started out with very little and worked hard to provide us with better opportunities. Their hard work and sacrifices taught us to appreciate the value of what is earned. Yes, we want to leave our kid with more; but we also want to be good stewards of the blessings we have been given and in turn provide opportunities that benefit others.

Now all the cards are on the table. We’ve only really started out on trying to map out this mysterious land of personal finance and this here marks our departure from the urban mindset. I’m talking about the groupthink that keeps the hungry masses looking to satisfy its need for instant gratification through the consumption of artificial wants. Instead, we will be practical and set goals. There will be boring numbers and budgets, but we will be accountable. We will make mistakes in this uncharted territory; we will learn and be better for it. One thing’s for sure, we’ll have heck of a lot of fun along the way.

Wish us safe travels and a hearty farewell. Better yet, strap on your seat belt and join us for the ride.