Oh, hello! Welcome to Sage & Mint: an approachable guide to money in your 20s.
This decade of breathing is full of crazy transitions. Schooling finishes, we move out of our childhood bedrooms for good, we buy business casual attire, and we finallllyyyy have a disposable income. Finally. More on that last one: school didn't really teach us about what to do with money, so unless your parents had a particular soft spot for interest rates and bonds, you might be left in the dark. Or at least the shade. Time to come out into the sun and educate yourself on savvy tips for your paychecks. Let's grow that green.
This blog aims to answer your basic money questions. It precipitated from three things: A failed New Year's resolution, a telling conversation, and economics camp.
Let me explain: 1. I hold tightly to my New Year's resolutions. I have three this year, and two were finished before January ended. It just so happens that my resolution from last year was to write a blog. I didn't do it. Well, I did it for one day. I also hold tightly to second chances, and I'm giving it another go.
2. A recent conversation with my best friend since second grade (who shall now be referred to as BF4EVA for brevity) revealed a great need. She is a savvy, smart, capable 20-something who had no idea what a Roth IRA was. You may be nodding your head saying, yeah, who the heck is Ruth Ira? Well, dear friend, it is not a long-lost aunt, but a type of retirement money pot. Blahblahblah, we'll get to that later. Point is, my savvy, smart, capable BF4EVA had some fear and anxiety surrounding her finances, and I don't think she's the only one.
3. I WENT TO ECONOMICS CAMP. I use shouty caps there not because I'm proud, but because I'm confessing. Does it get any nerdier? Even a flute player in a marching band is forever cooler than me and my economics camp days. Anyway, I actually liked it (and...one more nerd point for the kill). Money, incentives, free markets, and interest rates are the brain candies on which I chew. I'm hoping one day it'll be a hipster phenomenon of coolness, but until then, I shall take my financial savvy to help you actual cool kids out.
Personal finance? FEAR NOT. I'm here to break it down for you over a plate of cookies, or a cup of tea, or while holding a fuzzy wuzzy teddy bear. Whatever it takes for you to buck up and put on your brave to delve into the world of money. Let's go!