There’s no such thing as a happy poor kid. At least, that’s how it always seems in the stories. As someone from a low-income family, I naturally like reading about people who grew up like me. But in more instances than not, it’s hard for me to relate to their stories. Maybe it’s because for […]
How My Financial Anxiety Turned Into Confidence
This post was supposed to be different. I was finally going to write one of those witty, bite-sized posts that everyone else seems so good at yet have utterly eluded me. I’d dusted off an old money snapshot from my Hotmail account (don’t make fun). This is it, I thought. This time was going to […]
Thing My Mom Said: “What If He Finds a New Wife?”
This post is part of the #WomenRockMoney Movement, a large group of female personal finance bloggers who have come together to inspire more women to learn about money. If you have money questions, or want support for your financial goals, learn more about how you can join us at the movement homepage. I hope to see […]
My Biggest Financial Regrets (from a Person Who Never Regrets Anything)
I once invested $1,000 in a stock I knew nothing about, and then lost all my money a year later. But I don’t regret it. Instead, I saw it as an expensive crash course in “How Not to Invest 101.” People’s financial regrets are so fascinating, but after reading articles about them, I always thought […]
How a Non-Rich Person Started Investing, and Why You Should Start, Too
When I was young, everything I knew about investing I learned from TV. This was how you invested: You call guys in suits to buy a stock, and then they go to the trading floor and yell that order as loud as they can, and somehow the money lands in your account and you become […]
I Grew Up Poor, But I’m Privileged Anyway
I have a pretty nice “rags to riches” origin story. My parents were uneducated immigrants. Even after living in the US for over 30 years they’re still…working class. One of my earliest memories is of a swarm of cockroaches crawling up my arm. Our apartment had an infestation problem, and as a lonely child, the […]
I Wasn’t a Born Saver, Here’s How I Learned
When I was in my early 20s, I thought I was invincible. Twice my peers tried to scare me into getting a 401k or a Roth IRA. “Don’t you want to not work when you’re old?” But they were promptly ignored. “Getting old doesn’t happen to people like me, therefore, I do not have to […]