Hey there, I’m Megan! I’m so glad you found my blog!
I am a 27-year-old automotive engineer & newlywed living in Southern Indiana.
I help other young professionals learn how to save & invest their first $100k and build wealth by budgeting, paying off debt, and investing in low-cost index funds.
In 2018, I graduated college with a mechanical engineering degree, my first full-time job, and $56,000 of student loan debt.
Shortly after starting my job, I began to understand the real cost of “adulting” and started tackling the mountain of student loans I had accrued over the last 4 years.
I also started to wonder “is this corporate America thing really what I want to do with my life until I turn 65 and can retire?”
It soon became my mission to learn about and optimize my personal finances to find the perfect balance between enjoying my life now while preparing for the future.
I spent hours googling, reading, and listening to podcasts all about personal finance, which sparked my passion for helping young adults learn how to manage their money better.
I quickly learned that money equals freedom and that you can realistically retire much sooner than age 65!
Having money isn’t what motivates me, though.
The freedom that building wealth gives you is what I’m after.
Learning about the time and location freedom that money provides caused a huge mindset shift for me.
I began dreaming about the future that I really wanted instead of just doing what society tells you to do.
Having the freedom to quit your 9-5 before age 65 and spend more time with your family, start a business, or move somewhere new became very appealing to me.
After months of seeing my peers buying brand new cars, shelling out half of their income on rent, and spending mindlessly on things that don’t really matter to them, I began noticing how those choices affect your future.
It was this huge wake-up call for me.
I never really thought much about money until I finally had some of my own.
After starting my first “real job,” I realized that Americans are broke!
We consume way too much stuff and don’t think about the future impact of our current financial decisions.
We cannot delay gratification to save our lives.
We finance everything from cars, to mattresses, to sofas because we only care about the monthly payment instead of the full cost.
And it’s robbing us of a secure financial future and comfortable retirement.
I just want to shake every recent grad with a $60,000 annual salary and a brand-new car and scream, “that $600 monthly car payment invested for your future becomes millions at retirement and would let you quit working decades sooner!”
Since I can’t shake every recent grad who forgoes their 401k match and buys a brand-new SUV after their first “real” paycheck hits their bank account, I started a blog instead.
The purpose behind Megan Makes Sense is to help other young professionals become more intentional with their finances and build wealth for financial freedom.
More About Me
- In just 2 years, I managed to pay off $31,000 of my student loan debt and grow my net worth to over $50,000 through the use of a budget.
- I am a huge spreadsheet nerd. When I started budgeting and tracking my finances, I made a ton of spreadsheets to keep track of everything.
- I also believe that buying used cars and driving them for as long as possible is a major wealth-building move. Cars are depreciating assets that sneakily steal your wealth through predatory financing and opportunity costs.
- I believe that you must live below your means so that you can build wealth and achieve financial freedom. It is your own responsibility to take care of your personal finances.
- However, I don’t believe that you have to sacrifice everything you love in order to build wealth!
- I love to travel, hike, and explore new places with my husband, friends, and family.
- I studied abroad in China for a semester my junior year of college. It was my first time out of the country and also the place I met my husband! I also started my first blog to document my experience there (megantakeschina.wordpress.com- I’m sure it’s still out there somewhere!)
- My husband and I got married in May 2021 in a tiny town in Southern Indiana near my hometown. We had a relatively big wedding and paid in cash!
- I moved to the Detroit area for work after graduating, but decided that I wasn’t a city person after my few short years there (and winters were roughhh). My husband and I decided to move back home a few months after getting married!
Blogging is definitely a whole different world than the automotive industry, but I’ve found it to be a great creative outlet to exercise a different part of my brain.
It also gives me a platform to share my personal finance advice with as many people as possible.
I’m excited to see how Megan Makes Sense grows and I hope you’ll stick around for the journey!
Feel free to subscribe to my email list for a FREE financial game plan, follow me on Instagram, or check out my budget template shop!
I look forward to connecting with you!