I’m a recovering financial hot mess. Before 2011, organizing myself financially was never top of mind. Receiving a regular paycheck ensured that. I wasn’t an extravagant spender. Also, I suppose I lived within my means the way I knew how. For example, I cooked my meals most often, brought coffee to work, and took mass transportation when I could. From a salary perspective, I’d say I was fortunate. For most of my 12-year corporate career I earned anywhere from $85k to $110