Occupation: Marketing manager
Industry: Retail
Age: 30
Location: Westchester, NY
Salary: $95,500
Net Worth: -$94,023.14 (401k: $18,510.15; HYSA: $131.14, minus debts)
Debt: $134,783.43 (two consolidation loans and three credit cards: $36,783.43; student loans: $75,881 that my parents pay — because they want to!)
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,448.23
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Monthly Housing Costs: $300. I moved back in with my mom three years ago after having lived out of state for 13 years. At first, she was not charging me anything but the maintenance costs at our co-op went up this year so she asked that I cover the increase.
Monthly Loan Payments: $2,911.68 (Total of the monthly payments on the two loans, three credit cards and the car payment.)
All Other Monthly Expenses:
Car Insurance: $160.58
Pet Insurance: $66
Zumba Instructor Membership: $43.94
YouTube TV: $72.99
Spotify: $14.99
Disney+: $9.99
Microsoft 365: $10.79
NYT digital: $4.07 (This is promo pricing until June when it goes up to $25 a month, at which point I’ll probably cancel.)

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, there was definitely an expectation. My mother got married and raised kids during her college-aged years so she wanted my older brother and me to go to college right after high school. My mother did eventually get a bachelor’s and master’s but it wasn’t until I was in college myself. My dad completed a bachelor’s degree in his 20s. I did not want to go to college immediately because my intended career path didn’t require a degree. My parents were against that, so I went to college and didn’t follow my initial career path. I got a BA in communication and then a Master of Business Administration about a year after my undergrad.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
There were none. My father made a good salary that could sustain our family on a single income. My mother worked in education but her Money was her money. My parents didn’t talk to me and my brother about money and they didn’t talk about money in front of us. I was very privileged to mostly get what I asked for as well. I’m very grateful for what I was afforded but it has made adulthood a bit more difficult in terms of learning how to spend and live within my means.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
At 17, I worked in my town’s pizza place. I was the counter girl so I just took orders, cleaned up, handled cash wrap, et cetera. I was paid in cash once a week. I got this job only because I wanted to have one. My parents did not encourage me to work in high school. I needed their permission to work, though, since I didn’t have a car and would need someone to pick me up and drop me off. It took a long time to get them to agree to let me work here. It was only about six months and then I moved away for college.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I did not Worry about money growing up.

Do you worry about money now?
Sometimes. I worry about paying off my debt and I worry about retirement. However, I’m comfortable with my salary. I don’t worry about not having enough money in the current time, I just worry about figuring out how to spend it correctly.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
At 21, when I graduated college and got my first “big girl” job. I’m lucky that I have a financial safety net in terms of a place to live because I know I can always continue living at home, or move in with other family. However, I do not have a safety net when it comes to debt or other monthly payments. I would need help paying the monthly bills I couldn’t pause (I can get rid of monthly subscriptions, but I need help making my monthly debt payments).

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No, I have not.