Okay, real talk: when I first heard “legacy wealth,” I pictured some 80-year-old dude in a monocle stroking a gold bar. 🧐 Then I realized – wait, why aren’t WE supposed to care about building generational wealth? Why does financial planning feel like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded while TikTok tells us to “just manifest abundance”? Let’s unpack this glitter-covered garbage truck of money myths together.
Last year, I accidentally became my friend group’s “girl math” meme queen. Why? Because I thought Roth IRAs were Scandinavian furniture. But then my wake-up call came: my 65-year-old yoga instructor casually mentioned her $2M stock portfolio mid-downward dog. If she could build wealth while touching her toes, what’s our excuse?
Breaking the “Cute Saver” Myth
We’ve been sold this idea that women should be “good savers” while men get to be “bold investors.” Newsflash: saving $5 daily lattes won’t fund your Croatian villa dreams. A Fidelity study shows women outperform men in investing returns by 0.4% annually – when we actually invest. The problem? We keep 71% of our cash in savings accounts versus 59% for men. That’s like having Beyoncé-level talent but only singing in the shower.
The Power of Compounding Isn’t Just for Men
Here’s my “oh sht” moment: If 25-year-old me invested $300 monthly (aka 3 fancy dinners), I’d have $1M by 65 at 7% returns. Wait – that math actually works? My manicurist Nadia (who moonlights as a crypto trader) showed me her portfolio growth: “It’s like when you neglect a plant and it somehow thrives.” 🌱💹
Legacy Wealth ≠ Being a Scrooge McDuck
Building wealth isn’t about deprivation – it’s about strategic abundance. I tried the “no spend January” challenge and lasted 6 hours (Target clearance section is my kryptonite). Instead, I now use “value alignment budgeting”: 80% goes to things that spark joy, 20% to future me. Pro tip: Automate investments so it feels like you’re “paying” your richest friend – yourself.
Three months into my financial glow-up journey, something weird happened: My anxiety-induced online shopping decreased by 62%. I started seeing money as energy rather than emergency fuel. When I bought my first Treasury bond (sexier than it sounds, promise), I finally understood what Shakira meant about hips not lying – compound interest doesn’t either.
