152 How to Get Money (in More Ways than One) - Kristin Wong, Journalist & Author of Get Money

Do know how to get money (as in earn), and do you truly get money (as in understand)? I talk with Kristin Wong, financial journalist and new author of the book Get Money about all things getting money! We talk about why people have such a hard time taking action on bettering their financial situation, setting financial goals, money and relationships, and being in the driver's seat of your investments.   Long description: 2018 is the year of the woman personal finance author, and I’m all about it! Just to recap, for season 6 of the Mo’ Money Podcast, I’ve interviewed the following fabulous female authors who’ve published books this year: Shannon Lee Simmons (author of Worry-Free Money), Elizabeth Willard Thames (author of Meet the Frugalwoods), and Cait Flanders (author of The Year of Less). And for my latest episode, I’m interviewing first-time author Kristin Wong of Get Money. You may already be familiar with her YouTube channel or maybe you’ve see some of your articles in the New York Times, LifeHacker, or New York Magazine’s The Cut. She has been talking and writing about money for a while now, so it was only natural for her to write a book about how to live the life you want, not just the life you can afford. Honestly, in addition to Broke Millennial by Erin Lowry, I think Kristin Wong’s book is the perfect for anyone just starting out in their personal finance journey and is looking for some actionable steps to take. And I really do mean actionable, because Kristin wrote her book in a way that will get you thinking and then doing! What I love is that she breaks up her book into stages. Just like life has stages, so does you money. First, you need to power up, then optimize, then grow. I know that sounds simple, but she goes into way more detail in the book. And we chat about a few of those things in this episode. Specifically, why people don’t take action. A lot of us know what we’re supposed to do, but it’s hard to change how we’ve always done things. One of Kristin’s hopes is that her book will be that trigger to help you get moving. Next, we talk about goals. I never really knew financial goals were a thing when I was in my 20s, but I was always working towards something when I was starting to save and invest my money. If only I had made some of those goals more specific, I wonder where I’d be now in my financial life. Then, we talk about something we’ve all dealt with in one way or another: money and relationships. I know first-hand everyone has an opinion about how you and your partner should manage your money, but honestly, those people need to stay in their lane in my opinion. There is no right or wrong way to manage your money, no matter if you’re single or in a partnership. It’s all about what makes the most sense for you and who you’re managing your money with.  Last but not least, we talking about investing. Something that way to many people believe is harder than it actually is. The thing is, you don’t need some fancy investment advisor in an expensive suit to tell you how to grow your money. You can actually do it yourself, or use a robo-advisor to make sure your investments are on track, as long as you get more comfortable with the lingo and some of the best practices out there. I sincerely loved chatting with Kristin, and 100% recommend her book. I know as soon as I my younger sister moves out on her own, it’s gonna be one of the first books I hand her. For full episode show notes, visit https://jessicamoorhouse.com/152