Welcome to SSTW

Hi, welcome to my online space! So glad you’re here.

This place was created to inspire more people, especially women, to talk about MONEY more openly and confidently. My goal is to make personal finance simple and applicable, so that even normal people like us (not just those Wall Street folks) can make money moves. Even without an inheritance. And to do this all while still living life in style and with grace.

I’ve wanted to start something like this for a while because I personally love talking about money, but I noticed that most people do not (females and young people in particular). The only “money” conversations that were happening around me were either doom and gloom or get-rich-quick. Not much in between, and certainly not many chats about a thoughtful personal finance strategy.

Contrary to what we may be told, I really believe the small, non-glamorous steps can make a difference, especially in our financial journey. The past few years, I’ve taken these baby steps to lay my financial foundation. And I’ve discovered that with some essential groundwork and strategy, anyone can start their wealth-building journey. So in this blog, you will find my thoughts and tips on:

– Actionable personal finance tips like saving, budgeting, and investing
– Career and future planning
– Pursuing other “life things” in a financially smart way

Whether this space reaches a wider audience or just a few people, I hope it can empower someone that relates to any part of my story to take control of their finances and build a better future.

Ok, but who are you?

A little more about me-

As an immigrant, I grew up scrappy. Not much was given, but as many immigrant families do, we eventually figured things out. From holiday traditions to education to sports to healthcare… but one thing we did not learn was financial literacy. Even though money played such a big role in our lives, we did not know how to work it– we only knew how to work for it.

This realization didn’t fully develop until I started my first real job. It was then I realized even with a six-figure salary, it would take 40+ years to retire.

Don’t get me wrong, I value experience and hard work.

But I also thought, “There’s gotta be a better way.”

Then began my personal finance journey. 

And here I am now. In my late 20s, still working a 9 to 5, but with a better outlook on my financial future. After years of trial and error, I can confirm that my realization back then was true.

There is a better way to interact with money and work. And that earning more does not equal financial knowledge. It is essential to lay out the foundation to build wealth.

And that all starts with small steps!