As A Women- LEARN TO MANAGE YOUR MONEY

I will never understand those who don’t budget—like, what do you mean? How do you know what’s coming in and what’s going out? How do you save for big milestones, events, vacations, or dreams? Do you invest? Do you put your dollars to work? Do you take advantage of all the financial benefits offered at work?

I think one of the best skills you can learn in your twenties—especially as a young women—is how to manage your money and make it work for you. It is a privilege to be able to work and own your own bank account, let alone own your own house in this age, so to not acknowledge the blood, sweat, and sacrifices women before us have put in for us to be able to earn and spend the money we make is naive and a slap in our ancestors’ faces.

I recently talked to my brother about one of my financial goals and how I want to accomplish it before I get married. While talking, my brother looked at me and said—Gabby, you know that most think you girl bossed, maybe a little too much? I was taken aback for a second because what do you mean, I girl bossed too much? But it opened up a dialogue between us about how girls are not expected to have high financial goals, and when we do, it means we have “girl bossed too much.” Do you hear people telling boys that? No, I don’t—and in fact, they get praised if they make six figures, have loftier goals, and spend money on themselves.

I truly believe having financial literacy is the key to preventing yourself from staying in toxic relationships, the ability to walk away from horrible work environments, and the ability to provide yourself, your kids, and those you care about with financial security. I am thankful for parents who instilled this idea of working hard, making your own money in your own name, regardless if it is $1 an hour or $10,000 an hour—making your own money is your money. It gives you freedom. Freedom to make decisions, the ability to hold shares in companies, and vote if they should keep or remove DEI from the company—yes, having stocks in companies allows you to do that.

Pick up a book, or at least start researching topics. I found that podcasts are my favorite way to consume financial literacy. I was working in corporate America in my early twenties and had an hour commute each way, five days a week, in which I consumed financial podcasts every day.

Those early lessons helped me make important financial decisions at the time, and they continue to guide how I manage, invest, save, and spend my money today. There is no better time than now, like literally now, to get started.

How to Get Started:

Listen to podcasts. At the gym, during your commute, when washing the dishes, etc. I find listening easier than sitting down sometimes and reading a physical novel.

Read money books. Speaking of reading, do not try to learn everything overnight. There are a lot of topics: investing, saving, interest, credit, bonds, stocks, etc. It can get overwhelming if you try to consume all the knowledge in the world in 24 hours. Pick one topic, maybe budgeting, and check out books on that from your library. Look for books that don’t use all the fancy jargon and are written in simple, understandable, and consumable language.

Follow money-savvy creators. I love following money influencers. I call it being nosey, but I love seeing how people budget, what their value-based spending looks like, and how they’re adjusting to the current economy. Social media isn’t just for memes—there are great financial educators on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube who break things down in short, digestible ways.

Check your workplace benefits. Y’allllllllllllll! If you get any kind of work benefit, USE IT TO YOUR BENEFIT. So many people don’t realize how much free money they’re leaving on the table—like 401(k) matching, HSA/FSA accounts, or discounts. Educating yourself on what your job offers is a MUST. I do not like paying corporate America all this money for me to not get anything out of it. No ma’am.

Track your spending. You can’t make a plan until you know where your money is going. Use an app, spreadsheet, or even a notebook. Just write it down.