And why the bare minimum isn’t enough — I came across a post the other day asking if saving $200 a month is enough. Some people said yes. Some people said no. I answered, “it depends.” If you're making $1,000 a month, then saving $200 is a good amount of money to save, since that’s 20% of your…

Your twenties are the most important time of your life — One of the first questions I get from my financial literacy students is how they can become a millionaire. I smile and ask them why they want to do that. Unlike most personal finance YouTubers and articles, they don’t say it’s because they want freedom. They say it’s because they…

Young adults aren’t building healthy spending habits — When I told my financial literacy class we’d be learning about budgeting, one of the students raised their hand and said the following: “I’ve been waiting for you to teach this lesson. …

The investment isn’t always worth the effort — About a year ago, I had a conversation with a teacher about one of our students. That teacher was encouraging them to attend an out-of-state university. I asked them why. They said the experience would be worth it. …

And what I would’ve done instead — Looking back on my 20s, there are plenty of things I wish I knew or would’ve done. More importantly, there are things I wish people would’ve told me. These are just three of them. I regret going back to college When I was in high school, I had no plans to go to college in the…

They should’ve told you what jobs are out there — I've taught financial literacy at the high school level for over a year now. I'm incredibly surprised by what students have learned from their other teachers. The only three careers teachers ever recommend are doctors, lawyers, and engineers. They never recommend any other careers to students. This is a huge…

They will learn more than what most people know — After three years of begging my principal to teach the class, I was given three sections of Personal Financial Literacy. I was excited. I spent countless nights in August preparing, buying, and downloading curricula to use in my classroom. After a year of teaching and reflecting on what they learned…

It’s the only way to maximize gains — Let’s be real. Saving your money in the bank does nothing for you. The CPI for June 2022 came in at 9.1%. Inflation is killing your savings account as prices increase and the value of the dollar decreases. Investing in stocks isn’t attractive right now, as the stock market has…

They have the potential to grow significantly long-term — I began investing in March of 2018. Since then, I’ve read several finance books on becoming a millionaire and I invest 30% of my paycheck into the stock market every month. Among the gains and losses made, these are the three stocks I’ve held onto for the past four years…

Enjoy your 20s while you still can — I’m about to turn 29. I sat down and looked back at my 20s. I thought about everything I’ve accomplished. Then, I thought about everything I wished I had done. Since I can’t go back in time, I hope you heed my warning about what you should do before you…

I hope I don’t make these mistakes in my thirties — I’ve read several finance books and learned how to become a millionaire before age 65. I’ve learned my past choices cost me hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in potential returns, which has delayed my ability to retire early. …

There are unannounced products that could cause the stock to skyrocket — I’ve shown several people how much profit I’ve made on my Apple stock (AAPL). At the time of this writing, I’ve generated 203% since I began buying Apple stock every month since March of 2018. Everyone has asked me when I plan to sell. I scoff. I never plan on…

Students would feel better prepared for life after graduation if they enrolled in financial literacy classes — “Sir, why don’t they teach us useful things in school, like how to do taxes?” One of my students blurted this out while I taught my lesson on feudalism. Unfortunately, many students graduate high school without a basic understanding of financial literacy. …

Instead, they should learn the consequences of student debt and choose the most affordable option available — As a teacher that works in a low-income school district, I find it appalling students are encouraged to attend their dream university without knowing the consequences that come with it. There are currently forty-five million borrowers of student debt, totaling a whopping $1.6 trillion. That’s an average of $35,000 per…

Millennials spend an exorbitant amount of money in coffee shops, all in the name of human interaction. — Let’s admit it. Some of us drink too much coffee. My white chocolate mocha with an extra shot of espresso and soy-milk costs $6.73 at the local coffee shop. Buying coffee five times a week amounts to $1,615.20 a year. But damn, it is worth it. As a millennial, I…