What Do You Do When You Get a Raise at Work?

I received the biggest salary adjustment of my career and couldn't figure out what to buy. I had to buy something, and I decided I was going to do it. So, I bought towels. Yep, you read that right. All my bills were paid, and my mortgage was paid off, so I thought about how to treat myself with the pay increase I had just received. Typically, the only place I spend money is at the hair salon, so I upgraded my towels. Now, these aren't your regular towels. They are soft, plush luxury towels from Frontgate, and I love them!

I Saved and Invested Some, Too

Now, I'm not going to lie. I saved and invested a considerable part of my increase. I increased my retirement contribution percentage to the maximum allowed and called my financial advisor to see how to invest more of my income. That may sound scary in today's market, but it's the perfect time to invest. I'm just going to sit back and wait for the market to rebound.

A portion of the money I saved also went towards future unexpected expenses and the oh-so-fun travel trip with my husband. We love to travel and have visited Antigua, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Turks & Caicos, and Jamaica. Living in Florida and Georgia, we've visited all the hotspots like Savannah, Atlanta, Orlando, Tallahassee, and more. Next up is Los Cabos, Mexico, this summer and Curaçao in December. Through sheer diligence with our savings and paying off our bills and loans far in advance, we can pay cash for our vacations and any other significant purchases we may have.

Annette Harris visiting Sandals Antigua

See my feature in Gen Z: Here's How You Can Save For Travel On a Tight Budget

My Husband Encourage Me to Buy A New Purse

I wanted to buy a summer purse for our upcoming summer trip to Mexico. I was debating between two different purses on the Michael Kors website. So, I asked my husband for his advice. He said since you only bought towels when you got promoted, why don't you buy both purses? This was also in celebration of my 10-year anniversary at work. Ultimately, I only bought one purse because that was what I initially sought to do.

Living Within My Needs and Treating Myself Every Now & Then

I tend to live within my means. I know the normal term is living within your means. However, living within my means helps me continue saving and investing for my retirement. It's a few years away, so living life based on my current needs allows me to double down on my retirement savings. My goal is to continue ticking off travel places on my bucket list and bring my husband along with me. Happy travels!