How I Saved Over $100,000 As A Black Woman

I love saving money. The idea of stockpiling money, building a nest egg, squirreling away my little nuts really excites me. I love buying things on sale, getting a deal, not only honoring a budget but even spending under budget. It all gives me a thrill. I’ve always been pretty responsible with money and disciplined with spending. I take pride in honoring what I have. I don’t think you have to spend a lot of money to look good and eat well although my tastes are probably simple compared to some.

To be clear, I’m a Black woman in America so it’s not like I’m being paid what I’m worth. I make less than my counterparts at my job, I’m almost sure of it even though my firm isn’t transparent about salaries. I took the amount of money they offered me when I started and didn’t negotiate for more. I don’t recommend doing that, I’m just being honest about where I began. I moved to New York with enough money to pay first, last, and one additional month’s rent. I didn’t start off with an inheritance or a trust fund.

Now, I also don’t have kids, a car, or extraordinary medical bills. Because of that, I don’t have a ton of unexpected expenses. Kids, cars, etc cost a lot of money. I have no idea if I’d have saved as much if I had those costs. But I do live in a very expensive city, New York, and I live far away from my family so I can’t pop home and eat out of…