📍Choosing Personal Finance to Get Ahead in Life
If you want to take action and get ahead in life at an earlier age, taking control of your personal finances is the best way (in my opinion).
But how do you get ahead? How can I start doing something when no one around me talks about it or thinks about? And that’s exactly why I chose to tackle my personal finances… because NO ONE ELSE was thinking about it.
It became my competitive edge. ⚡️
🎧 Podcast Episode 3 Recap: How to Get Financially Ahead of Everyone Around You
🔄 Why I Got Ahead of My Peers Financially
I chose personal finance as my edge because it was something no one around me was really talking about. We don’t learn it in school, and unless you come from generational wealth, you’re rarely taught the most important skill in my opinion—investing. For me, it felt like having a tutor in school. You get ahead of the curriculum when someone guides you outside the classroom. But once school ends, no one’s there to give you that extra help in life. I realized personal finance was the “real life” version of tutoring—and I wanted to get ahead. At first, I felt like I had to be the best, or at least further along than anyone else in Gen Z. But over time, that mindset evolved. I stopped seeing it as a race against others and started focusing on my own growth. In the end, it’s always been a competition with myself—one where I’m setting the terms and building a future I’m proud of.
🧠 Three Things To Tackle if YOU want to GET AHEAD
Knowledge of products – Understanding what tools exist and how to use them to your advantage.
Mindset – Building the right relationship with money, and dreaming big enough to motivate yourself.
Numbers – Using data, calculators, and projections to make the future tangible.
⚔️ A Hard Truth About Comparison
The hard truth about comparison is that it steals more than just your joy—it steals your focus. When you're constantly measuring yourself against others, you stop paying attention to your own growth. You miss the progress you are making because you're too busy watching someone else's timeline.
The reality is, most of the time, you’re comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel. You don’t see the advantages they started with, the sacrifices they made, or the help they had. And even if you did, it DOES NOT change your own path. The only timeline that matters is yours. Until you let go of comparison, you’ll keep chasing a version of success that was never meant for you.
🗂️ Where Should I Start?
Understand how Investing works — what’s the stock market, how does compound interest work, etc.
Track your numbers — whether that’s a on a spreadsheet or using a savings tracker in the beginning to record YOUR data.
Know your banking products — how does your current set-up look like? Are you spending too much on fees? Do you have a system for your short and long-term goals?
Here are some Finance Tools I also use that you could add to your routine to enhance your finance system:
📖 What I’m Reading This Week to Keep My Brain Sharp (Finance-ish Edition)
Now that I’m not in school anymore… I feel like I don’t read as much anymore. To keep my mind sharper, I’m trying to read more pieces of writing on either growth or personal finance info. 😉
I didn’t do any deep reading this week but I do want to share that TD launched some ETFs this year so I was looking into their Factsheets. If you’re a nerd like me and like to discover different ETFs, here’s a link to check them out. I have a video guiding you how to look at ETFs quickly if you want to watch that first before skimming through ETF Factsheets.
Check out 👀⬇️
I also downloaded Substack last week… not to post!! Just for more inspo and wisdom. 🧚🏻♀️
Here are the ones that stood out to me this week (some are linked to the post if you want to read them):
I love coming across unique tips that not everyone repeats and recycles on social media. This post had 12 habits that freshened up my mood and mind — give it a read if you download/have Substack 😊
This one HIT HARD… I thought about this one for a while.
Even though I work a 9–5 and have people above me who are more senior, I’ve realized that we live in a world where, more often than not, it’s okay to speak up for yourself. I don’t see anyone in my life as having power over me. If something needs to be said, whether it’s feedback or constructive criticism, I’ll say it. Respectfully, but directly. I’ve learned that staying quiet doesn’t serve anyone, especially not yourself.
✨ Final Thoughts
To get financially ahead, you don’t need to beat your peers—you just need to take action:
Define a goal (big or small) that excites you.
Surround yourself with resources if your circle isn’t talking about money.
Understand the products available to you.
And most importantly, embrace your unique journey.
Don’t compare your net worth to others’. Your circumstances are your own—and your path can be just as powerful.
If this newsletter got you motivated, I’d love for you to:
💌 Stay Connected
Until next time — keep spending intentionally & living richly. ✨
Cheers,
Jane
