Introducing ArchiFinance

What do you remember  when you think of your design studio days? Does the thrill of an all-nighter come to mind? Maybe you enjoyed making models or drawing exploded axons. Maybe you’re in school right now, doing something amazing with a CNC machine and parametric modeling. 

My favorite phase of design studio was doing research. I loved exploring an idea, coming up with sketches and experimenting with how I could take all of my interests and merge them into a cohesive project. 

When I graduated, I felt like I still had so much to learn. The rigor and energy to get a project out the door at an architecture firm was the same, but I quickly became overwhelmed by the transition from student to intern architect. I was struggling to find affordable housing and drowning in student loan debt. To make matters worse, my husband experienced a medical issue that completely changed our lives. After that, I lost my job, and we lost our apartment and savings.

I’m still researching, but now the topics have changed. I found myself learning about how to pay off debt, reading up on tax advantaged savings accounts, and tracking my net worth. I learned how to budget, refinance my student loan debt, and open a Roth IRA. I’m slooowwwly turning this ship around. Now I have a job I enjoy, a house, and emergency savings.

You’d think it would be easy – just spend less than you earn, pay off debt, and invest the rest. But like any beautifully simple design, it takes hard work, planning, and perseverance.

If you’re a student, new grad, or design professional who has been through job loss, medical emergencies, or seemingly-insurmountable debt, I’m here for you. I’m on a mission to share what I have learned about personal finance specifically for busy creatives in the construction industry. 

Enter ArchiFinance – a new personal finance community dedicated to financial literacy especially for design professionals. 

Here’s what you can expect:

• A weekly article on topics like student loan debt, credit cards, retirement accounts, and more.
• Discussion on issues specific to architects, like paying for the ARE exams, professional dues, and affording conferences and more.
• A bit about my life and personal journey in tackling massive debt and building savings while chasing my goals.
• A private, judgement-free community of like-minded creatives working to become their happiest, wealthiest selves.

If you’re not in the design profession, there’s still plenty here for you, too. I’m glad that you’re here, and I’m excited to be sharing this journey with you. I want to share my experiences because it’s time to remove the stigma in our field when it comes to talking about earning, spending, and saving. My goal is to help create more financially wise and wealthy architects. I hope you’re one of them.