Hello blogging world….I feel like I’m a little late to the blogging party.

Nonetheless, I present to you my inaugural blog post!!

A little bit about me….

I am super interested in everything related to personal finance.

I have been wanting to start a blog for a long time but have found a number of reasons to procrastinate (mainly a fear of putting myself out there, lack of time, feeling like there are already too many personal finance blogs etc etc.)

Currently, I am on maternity leave and have convinced myself that now is the right time to just go for it. I am 32 years old, married, have a professional career and a little baby boy who I adore.

I honestly don’t know where my passion for personal finance came from. My parents didn’t talk much about money and I definitely didn’t learn about it in high school. However, I’ve always loved to work and to save.

I started my first job at age 12 and have been working ever since. I’ve done a ton of odd jobs from babysitting to delivering newspapers (is this still a thing?), door to door sales, au pairing, serving at different restaurants and bars, landscaping and I’ve also worked at an art gallery, gym, pie shop, golf course and psychology office.

Thanks to all of these odd jobs…and a frugal lifestyle, I was able to emerge debt free after 10 years of university and extensive international travel. I was also able to put a down payment on my first house only months after graduation.

So, what can I do for you…

For those who don’t have an interest in personal finance (and even those of you who do) the transition from high school to the “real world” can be difficult. As far as I know, most high schools still don’t teach students about money management — this is a MAJOR issue.

Unless your parents have taught you how to manage money most students graduate with very little knowledge on personal finance. I’ve witnessed a number of people get into serious debt after high school because they don’t know how to make a basic budget or use a credit card.

My goal here is twofold:

1. I want to share useful information and insights with those of you in high school (and beyond) who are interested in getting your personal finances in order. I want to help you avoid going into debt or making a major money faux pas.
2. My background is in research and psychology (I have a graduate degree in experimental psych) so, I want to unpack the psychology behind money (why do we feel the need to purchase a fancy car that we know we can’t afford or why do some people find pleasure in savings while others love to spend). The way people manage their money has soooo much more to do with their psychology than their knowledge.

How am I different from all of the other personal finance blogs?

1. My focus is youth finance. Young millennials and Gen Z-ers I’m talkin’ to you. Those of you in high school who are getting ready to take the next step….and those of you who have just taken that step — I will share the things I wish someone would have told me at this stage in my life. I’m not going to tell you what to do, just give you some helpful insights that will hopefully make your life a little bit easier.
2. I’m also Canadian, born and raised in Alberta, and I want this to be highlighted. There are differences between Canada and the States when it comes to personal finances so let’s talk about what’s relevant to Canadians.
3. I am a researcher. This will be reflected in many of my posts. I’m not claiming to be an expert on everything related to personal finance but I am an expert researcher so I can find the answer to any question.
4. Lastly, this blog is for anyone interested in personal finance, but I will have a special focus on girls and women because I think this represents another major gap — there is a serious lack of ladies in the financial industry.

I’m very excited to dive into all topics related to personal finance and psychology and I hope you find the information presented here useful, interesting and maybe even a little bit entertaining.

I would love to hear from you. Please leave any questions or comments you may have.