Yes, I was raised with the expectation that I would attend college. I went to a small liberal arts college, and my parents and grandparents paid for my college education. My grandparents covered my tuition and my parents covered my housing and living costs.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
We didn’t have many conversations around money or finances growing up, but I picked up on various times in my childhood where my parents were stressed about money. I grew up in a very affluent neighborhood in the Bay Area, so we were surrounded by a high level of wealth. I remember my parents sometimes talking about moving somewhere less expensive, but I’m really grateful that we stayed and I had the opportunity to go to the amazing public schools in the area. I didn’t know much about finance until I went to college and started saving the money I made as a campus tour guide. I opened a Roth IRA and started putting money aside in a HYSA to help pay for my security deposit, broker’s fee, furniture, and other needs when I graduated.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I babysat starting around the age of 12, but my first official job was lifeguarding at a local pool when I was 15. I got the job to make some extra spending money, mostly so that I could go to Starbucks and the movies with my friends.
Did you worry about money growing up?
For the most part, I didn’t worry about money growing up. My parents bought a house in California in 2008 and I remember that being a pretty stressful time. I’m the oldest of three, so I definitely have always had some anxious oldest sister energy. I worried about whether we would have to move and I would have to change schools, but never about major things.
Do you worry about money now?
Sometimes I worry that I’m not saving enough. New York is so expensive, and I do enjoy a lot of little luxuries, so sometimes I get anxious about spending too much on rent, clothing, restaurants, Ubers, etc. But I also try to remember that I’m not going to be in my 20s or live in New York forever, and I should enjoy it.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible just after I graduated college and moved to NYC. My parents covered my first month of rent to help get me on my feet, but after that I picked up all expenses (except for my phone bill, which my parents still pay). I know that I could move back in with my parents if I needed to, but they wouldn’t float my life here in New York.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My parents and grandparents paid for my college education at a small liberal arts school. My parents covered my first month of rent when I moved to NYC and my grandmother gifted me a brokerage account with ~$7,000 of assets when I graduated college.
