WTF20s

For most of my twenties (a solid two years so far), my financial strategy has been simple: don’t look at my bank account and hope for the best. I even opened a savings account with the idea of putting 50% of every paycheck into it—but instead, I started tossing my entire paycheck in there, only to slowly transfer money back out whenever a bill or random purchase popped up.

It was supposed to help me “keep my hands off my money,” but in reality, it took me all of 60 seconds to move it back. So yeah… not the most foolproof system. Props for trying, though, right?

Despite juggling two to three jobs at a time, my expenses hit hard—college tuition being one of the biggest. Add rent, groceries, gas, and the occasional human need to enjoy life, and suddenly, things got tight. Fast.

This is where I can’t help but think about the gap that so many of us experience: we were never really taught financial literacy. Not in school. Not at home. And definitely not in any “welcome to adulthood” starter kit. Whether it’s on parents, the education system, or society at large—being unprepared isn’t rare. But it’s still exhausting.

The good news is you can learn. Even if you’re starting late. Sometimes, it takes a pile of bad habits and avoidant decisions to finally wake you up. For me, it was the slow build of small financial stressors: checking my bank account before I left the house, doing math in my head in the grocery aisle, moving money from my savings to checking account just to get gas. It all started to wear on me. I realized I was doing what I thought made sense when I was 15, and still doing it now—even though I’m grown, working constantly, and trying to build a future.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far: this won’t get easier unless I actively make it easier. No one’s going to teach me now. No one’s laying down the steps for the next stage of life. That’s on me. That’s on us.

And honestly? That’s kind of powerful. (Maybe a little scary at the same time)

So, if you’re just now figuring this money stuff out too—welcome. You’re not behind. You’re not dumb. You’re not alone.

I’m still learning what a brokerage account actually does. Still wrapping my head around investing without panicking. Still unlearning the idea that money is either something you have or something you avoid.

WTF Money is where we’ll break down the basics—budgeting, saving, credit, investing, financial anxiety, and everything in between. No shame. No gatekeeping. Just real talk from someone figuring it out in real time.

Let’s get financially literate together—one confusing acronym at a time.