The Price of Freedom: What Financial Security Buys

It’s about making sure you get to experience life fully, on your own terms, for years to come.

Photo by Colton Duke on Unsplash

So what brings you to therapy *now*?

I was surprised to hear myself answer that question so matter-a-fact and confidently, telling her that I finally felt safe enough - Safe enough in my mind, in my home, and in my finances.

I’ve thought about my answer plenty since I gave it.

I grew up seeing money as something to count, protect, chase and stretch. It didn’t provide options. It wasn’t about comfort; it was about survival. As a kid, I wasn’t taught financial literacy and didn’t have positive examples to emulate.

You see – Before I was a teen, I had to help my mom choose how to use groceries for all four of us. I helped her handle toxic jobs, knowing walking away wasn’t financially possible. I had to help my adults navigate the impact of not-enough-money before I was old enough to get a job myself.

As I reflect on my answer to my therapist, I realize that sense of security I feel now wasn’t just about paying my therapy bill – it’s about creating a life where I don’t have to make choices out of fear in all aspects of my life.

Critically, it was about doing things differently than my family. The cruelty of the American dream we chase is that money does in fact buy safety, freedom, and yes, happiness – The ability to prioritize your health, to step away from what doesn’t serve you, and to enjoy the little luxuries that make life richer.

For better or worse, my good luck and work ethic did eventually move me into financial security. I firmly believe that my exposure to financial issues at too young of an age did atleast one good thing – It made me pursue stability early.

So, let’s talk about what financial security really means, why it’s worth pursuing early, and how our relationship with money can make or break our well-being.

While this post is a little different than what you’d typically find on With Design Roots, it’s important to me that I acknowledge the role our 9-5s play in our pursuit to slowing down and choosing to live an artful life. In a way, our job is a type of investment vehicles to our financial stability that then lets us have the freedom to slowdown, to have work boundaries, and to ultimately say, “no”.

So give me a chance to convince you to prioritize it – I am thinking of my friends during my late teens and twenties when writing this, but there might be something for all.

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What Financial Security Really Means

Financial security isn’t about luxury cars or designer handbags. It’s about knowing that if something goes wrong - if a job falls through, if an emergency pops up—you have the means to handle it without spiraling. It’s having “walk-away money,” the ability to leave a bad job, relationship, or situation without immediate financial panic.

It’s also about time and well-being. Having an income that allows me to prioritize my health, mentally and physically, is priceless. I can outsource what I don’t want to do (lawn care, grocery runs), freeing up time for what actually matters. And let’s be honest, life is better when you have the space to enjoy your hobbies - whether that’s going to a game, attending the symphony, collecting art, or discovering new wines.

And yet, for many, financial stability feels out of reach. According to Bankrate’s survey in 2025, only 41% of Americans would use savings for an unexpected $1,000 expense, down from 44% in 2024. This stress of financial instability and comfort with reliance on debt isn’t just inconvenient -it’s physically and mentally exhausting. It’s the kind of stress that keeps you up at night, forces you into bad decisions, and makes every setback feel catastrophic.

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Upward Mobility and Redefining Boundaries

For me, financial stability didn’t come easily. I come from a background where money was tight, and every decision carried weight. But as I moved up socioeconomically, I realized financial security wasn’t just about paying the bills - it was about breaking generational cycles too.

Having money meant I could redefine what I would tolerate in my life. I no longer had to accept certain behaviors, environments, or situations just because I “had to.” That freedom was both painful and powerful. It required me to set new boundaries, ones that weren’t shaped by scarcity.

Not everyone has the same path, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that financial security gives you options. And options? They are everything.

If you take nothing else away from this post, let it be this: To have the economic power to say “no” is profoundly empowering, exponentially so as women. If you have the option to choose to empower yourself, take it. You won’t regret it. Take steps to save yourself, so you can save others.

Betting on Education: A Calculated Risk

I knew early on that my path to financial security was education. I was “enough” to be a contender for top schools, so that was the bet I was willing to make.

You see – My teachers in elementary and high school saw talent and encouraged me to join art programs. These art programs, provided by Jersey City and New York City, helped me most in understanding how “good” I was – Objectively, one of the best in my state. Frankly, without those teachers, I wouldn’t have had the courage to pursue design, nor would I later consider myself as “enough” to bet on. The mark they left on my life is more than I can quantify.

Because of those teachers, I also knew that the professional life of my chosen field of study was a bit pompous, privileged, and eclectic. So when the time came, and prestigious schools came to look at my portfolio, I in turn looked at charts and google search results, to understand how much upward mobility students on average can experience - Not bad for a high school kid with no direction at home.

I decided, with validation from my teachers, that the risk I was willing to take was with the Rhode Island School of Design, for the peer network, the doors the name would open, and the opportunities I knew would come.

This wasn’t an easy bet, and I don’t recommend it for everyone. For years, I paid nearly $1000 a month in student loans, a number that would make anyone’s stomach churn. Now it’s less ($500), but the school undeniably opened doors that led me from one job to the next, and to the one after that, where each step took me to where I am today: Profound stability in my mind, in my home, and in my finances. I am so grateful to be able to make choices for myself, rather than being at the mercy of circumstance.

That’s the thing about financial security. Sometimes, it’s about saving. Other times, it’s about making a calculated risk that pays off in the long run. Maybe it’s not about where you go to school, but how you spend your free time learning a new skill or what job you take on next. Invest in yourself.

Photo by Anna Rosar on Unsplash

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The Cost of Financial Stress: When Coping Costs More

When money is tight, it’s easy to fall into habits that provide short-term relief but long-term damage. People spend to feel better: drinks after work, impulse shopping, subscriptions they don’t use. Life is exhausting, and sometimes, a $15 cocktail feels like a small escape.

I’ve seen this cycle play out in so many ways, in my life and those around me. Consider how small choices add up. The habits we form to “cope” with financial stress can often keep us stuck in it. And sometimes, just taking a step back and evaluating our spending can set us up for more freedom in the long run.

The Small Luxuries That Actually Matter

One of the most defining financial moments of my life wasn’t buying a car or making a big investment. It was paying for a teeth straightening aligner treatment in full, up front.

I swear, the office assistant did a double take, doubting if she heard me right the first time. I thought it was endearing, to be honest. I was so proud to be able to do this for myself. Growing up, I didn’t have access to orthodontic care. My parents couldn’t afford it, and my smile was a deep source of insecurity for years.

When I finally had the means to fix my teeth, my orthodontist would comment that I barely needed check-ins because I actually followed every instruction, down to the letter. I treated this experience with the kind of care you’d expect from someone who had waited two decades for the opportunity – Someone who knew how much each dollar meant to her.

That’s the thing about financial security - it lets you invest in yourself in ways that actually matter. Not impulse purchases. Not stress-spending. But in things that give you confidence, peace of mind, and a tangible quality-of-life improvement.

Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash

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The Smartest Bet You Can Make

I won’t pretend financial security is easy to achieve, and I won’t ignore the privilege that factors into my own story. I don’t take my financial security lightly, because I know what it means to live without it. But if I could tell my younger self and her friends one thing, it’s this: Prioritizing financial security isn’t about sacrificing joy. It’s about making sure you get to experience it fully, on your own terms, for years to come.

The world romanticizes living in the moment, but the only way to genuinely do that to the fullest is living in a world where money is a tool, not a trap. The best thing you can do for your future self, no matter your age, is laying the foundation for a better tomorrow.

I believe financial stability isn’t about accumulating wealth for wealth’s sake - it’s about buying back your own time, your own choices, your own sense of peace. It’s about saying “no” when something isn’t right. Walking away from a bad job, a bad relationship, a bad situation, and things that temporarily numb stress.

It’s about investing in the things that bring you peace and joy, to your mind, family, and home. It’s about creating a life, dare I say an artfully designed life, where you make every decision out love for yourself.

I hope this post brings you food for thought.

Denise