This is the One Thing That Controls Your Finances — And There’s Absolutely Nothing You Can Do About It
In 2016 I got my first promotion. It didn’t just change how much I got paid — it changed when I got paid too. Instead of getting paid bimonthly like most people do, I would now be paid once a month.
There was just one problem: no one told me when my new monthly paycheck would come.
It was only after I expected my paycheck to come and it didn’t that I learned I wouldn’t get paid until the end of the month. Even though I had a good job at a well-known company, I was living paycheck to paycheck. I didn’t have any cash set aside in savings. After I paid my rent for the month I had $300 left in the bank and a whole lot of bills to cover.
I tried to do what I could to cut my expenses, but there is only so much you can cut. I asked my Boomer boss for help. I explained the situation and asked if I could telework on Fridays. It wasn’t much but it would save me some money on gas.
Even though I don’t drink much, she advised me to spend less money on beer. It was more important to her that my gas tank was full so I could show up to work.
I share this anecdote because it reveals how generational differences shape our perspectives about money. Older Americans hold a view that is more…
