Stilettos or Savings

On May 15, Mr. Cabbage and I made the final mortgage payment on our house.

When I hung up with the loan officer (yes, they actually make you call and talk to a real live human), I sat there, stunned. That’s it? No confetti? No parade? Coal and Vanilla, our two kittens, were passed out like it was any other Wednesday. But it wasn’t just any Wednesday, it was the end of a long, hard-fought battle to save $262K — and we won big time.

That same day, you know, the day I officially became debt-free, I needed a next chapter. So, I walked myself into my home gym—fully stocked and shamefully underused—and got to work.

The new project? Me.

Not some “new year, new me” overhaul. Just a quiet return to movement. I just got started. Mr. Cabbage cheered me on (with some surprise), and the cats? They’re pretty awful personal trainers, but they come for the hang and the tunes.

I started small: three days a week. Then four. Now I’m lifting real weights, not just fidgeting around like a hamster on a wheel. I even started tracking my food again using the Lose It app—basically the financial spreadsheet of calorie counting, which makes my budgeting brain feel right at home.

And here’s what surprised me: the same mindset that got me out of debt is getting me back into shape, consistency, and saying no when it matters – like to the donuts, candy, cookies and all the other crap I find within arm’s reach at work. Every time I prep a workout or skip a snack I don’t need, I hear the echo of every smart money decision I made along the way.

Truthfully, I gained about 15 pounds over the last year with life stressors creeping in and sucking my will, but now I’d like to lose them—but more than that, I want to feel powerful in my own skin and be able to zip up each and every beautiful dress in my closet. I want to walk into my closet and feel like I belong in every single outfit and not have to think about whether it will zip up or pinch me.

Coal and Vanilla remain unimpressed. They both lurk and stretch like interested, judgy little gym bros – saying you can lift more than that, and run faster too while you’re at it. It’s not fancy, and I definitely don’t look like a cute Instagram influencer while doing it, but it works.

This isn’t a 30-day challenge. It’s not a phase. It’s my new normal.

I built financial freedom. Now I’m building physical strength to match it. Because what good is being debt-free if I’m too tired or achy to enjoy it? I want to live longer, healthier and happier than my mom did. And most of all I want to enjoy every single day with Mr. Cabbage and these crazy kittens.