I remember that in my early 20’s, I wanted to look good as it made me feel good. Back then, I was young, healthy and I was spending MY money. How many of us remember those days?

I’m not sure if most of us were like me for this part, but as time passed, I struggled with living my best life and balancing my financial commitments. And guess what, by 21 I, already had a student loan. A very big step in life. I remember hanging out with my friends and I would select the cheapest appetizer and sip from one drink all night long. Back then, I felt so embarrassed. I was always reluctant to go out. Right now, I can look back and laugh about it.

I became so overwhelmed with wanting to have it all by 28; a good job, insurance, degree and love. Pursuing these resulted in me neglecting many facets of my life. I became overweight, I was mentally and emotionally drained and I started living from paycheck to paycheck. Because, as an overachiever, I needed to have that master’s degree by 28 and so, my loans and credit card debt grew even higher.

I traveled abroad with very limited funds to pursue my degree and I was living on my own with greater responsibility to survive in a foreign land. For the first few months, I struggled significantly. I was forced to reflect on everything I knew about budgeting and managing money. In one month, I watched over thirty (30) videos. I signed up for free money management courses and I spoke to colleagues who were facing similar challenges. Over time, my situation improved. I learnt more and more about ways to manage money and business. I qualified myself and put the lessons to practice.