Performance coach Jen Cohen is a master at ab crunches— crunching numbers. She shares the story of how she talked her way into a job at Olive Garden before she was even old enough to work- and then reveals her secrets to eating healthier on a tight budget. 

Jennifer’s Money Story:

Thanks, Bobbi. When you asked that question, it makes you think and go back into your brain a little bit to think why someone is the way they are, subconsciously. I think it really goes back to when I was really small, four, five years old when my mom and dad did get divorced, and I guess money was quite tight. I do remember my mom, to make extra money, my mom is a psychiatric nurse, and she had a full-time job, but she had now two kids also, and it wasn't enough, so she would have these odd jobs.

Jen Cohen:
I don't remember all the details, but I do remember her working to sell stuff. She sold Mary Kay cosmetics on the side. She would also cut out pieces of the carpet in our apartment where she was selling them, and I think that vision or that imagery really stuck in my brain in a negative way. It told me right at that moment, "I don't want to be poor, or I always want to make my own money and feel financially stable and secure, not to rely on somebody else for my financial security."

Jen Cohen:
From that moment, I guess even as a small, small child, I went through life thinking of ways of having side hustles or working and doing things. When I was 12 years old, I remember bargaining and hustling with the manager of the Olive Garden down my street about working for him.

Bobbi Rebell:
Wait, you were 12 years old, and you were working at Olive Garden?

Jen Cohen:
I was. I was a greeter. They wouldn't allow me at 12 because you're too young to get ... I wasn't allowed in the actual restaurant because it was illegal, but I negotiated my way with this guy and just begged him and just hawked him enough where he gave me a job as a greeter. I was able to open up the front door for customers when they walk in. When they first get there, the first person you see was me, and I'm like, "Hello, welcome to Olive Garden." That was really my first real legit job when I was in nine, no, seventh, eighth grade, something really ... I was young, where I remember people in my neighborhood be like coming to the restaurant and be like, "What are you doing here?" It was very odd.

Bobbi Rebell:
But it sounds like you were actually really proud to be earning money, even at that young age. You weren't embarrassed about it. You were excited.

Jen Cohen:
Oh, God. No. I loved it. I always loved having my own money. I always loved having that option, never having to ask my mom or whoever. If I wanted something, I would have it, but here's a caveat. I would never spend my money, so all of this was for me to have savings. It wasn't for me to actually buy stuff. I've never been a very materialistic person. It's really about having in my head knowing that I had that backup, having that security blanket. I would literally save everything.

Jen Cohen:
Then through high school, through college, I always had multiple jobs just so I had it where very comfortable later on, but it was never about that. I've been very rich, and I've been poor, or in the middle, but it's never been that story that's driven me. It's really about that I think one experience when I was a little girl that just has always been subconsciously in my brain where I'm driven to make and create financial security just to have it.

Jennifer’s Money Lesson:

The takeaway is, A, number one, always spend below your means, not above, just so you have that ability, and find and figure out ways to save money. There's so many ways now. You can eat cheaply. You can figure out ways. You can work out for free. You can eat for less than $7 a day. There's a lot of ways to be crafty and resourceful if you want to be.

Jennifer’s Money Tip:

People can actually be much healthier on a very restricted budget. First of all, eating canned salmon. Canned salmon is automatically wild.

Bobbi Rebell:
I didn't know that.

Jen Cohen:
Yeah.

Bobbi Rebell:
And wild salmon is better. That's not just a myth to charge you more at the store.

Jen Cohen:
Absolutely not. Farmed salmon has a lot of toxins and maybe a lot of mercury. It could have a lot of different things in it. That's why people say limit your fish intake to maybe once a week, twice at max.

Bobbi Rebell:
Right, and that wild salmon is really expensive near me.

Jen Cohen:
It's expensive everywhere, but if you buy canned salmon, just make sure you look on the can. If it says wild Alaskan, that can of salmon would be maybe $2.50 to $3 at most, and that's higher quality than salmon that you would buy that would normally cost about $14 a pound anywhere else, maybe $17 a pound, depending on where you live. That is the perfect portion. That in itself is a meal.

Bobbi Rebell:
How do you usually eat it? Do you put it on a salad? What do you do with it usually?

Jen Cohen:
You could do anything. You could put it on a salad. You could actually ... When I'm starving and I need something to satiate me, I could just take the can of salmon, mash it a little bit of Vegenaise or mayonnaise whatever you'd like, or just put it in a bowl or whatever, eat out of the can as a snack. When I was on a budget I would eat that all the time, and I still eat that.

Jen Cohen:
The other thing is frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables are a higher quality-sourced produce than what you find at the store because by the time it's at the store, it's been sitting on trucks, it's already half rotten. When you buy frozen vegetables, they flash-freeze them when it's at its peak, so the quality is better.

Bobbi Rebell:
So frozen vegetables, but not canned vegetables? What's the difference there?

Jen Cohen:
Listen. Canned corn, there's nothing wrong with canned corn. I mean, the reality is this: I don't like canned vegetables as much because I think when you do that in the cans, they have to add sodium. I try to stay away from that, but when it's the frozen vegetables, it's typically just the vegetable in itself flash-freeze in a bag so there's no added anything. It's just the vegetables. Canned vegetables typically have to have a preservative to keep it because it's not frozen, and also added salt. That's why I choose to have the frozen vegetables.

Bobbi Rebell:
I love that all.

Jen Cohen:
And frozen fruit, by the way, too.

Bobbi Rebell:
Yes, and I do that in smoothies a lot, actually. I did that even today in a smoothie.

Bobbi’s Financial grownup tips:

Financial grownup tip number one:

Don't be a food snob. Jen talked about eating frozen veggies and canned fish and how, quote, "fresh" isn't always better even if it's organic. Oh, my goodness. Could you imagine? Organic not being the absolute best? You need to pay attention. You can really get burned paying up for all that so-called fresh food because when you take away all those chemicals, which you should, we don't want the chemicals on our food, of course, but sometimes, the shelf life is just really short.

Recently, I splurged on these organic grapes at Whole Foods, and they went bad so fast. I had paid $8 for a bunch because I really wanted the grapes and I wanted to feel like I was eating healthy, and they barely lasted. That is also, by the way, a reason not to go shopping with your kids because I was with my son, and he also felt we should get the grapes, even though they were really expensive, and it's really hard to say no to a kid with they ask for food that's actually not junk food. Even if it's not the absolute healthiest fruit, it's not junk food, and that hard not to encourage, so try to leave your kids at home when you shop, although that's not always realistic.

Financial grownup tip number two:

The power of persuasion is very real. Good for Jen. Jen really shouldn't have been working at the Olive Garden at age 12 because it was not actually fully legal, but she got her way because she was creative and she found a way to get to yes with a reluctant manager and find a way to work there without technically working there and not technically breaking the law. That was a great lesson for all of us, Jen. Be persuasive and find a way around obstacles.

Episode Links:

• Blinkist - The app I’m loving right now. Please use our link to support the show and get a free trial.

• Jennifer’s website - jennifercohen.com

• How to save money and cut calories on your morning coffee from Starbucks

• Jen's book Badass Body Goals

Follow Jennifer!

• Instagram - @TheRealJenCohen

• Twitter - @TheRealJenCohen

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Performance coach Jen Cohen is a master at ab crunches— crunching numbers. She shares the story of how she talked her way into a job at Olive Garden before she was even old enough to work- and then reveals her secrets to eating healthier on a tight budget. #EatHealthy #EatHealthyOnABudget #Author

Ameliora Founder and CEO Adrienne Kronovet started paying close attention to clothing as a child shopping with her grandmother, and shares her timeless insights on shopping strategies and lessons learned. 

In Adrienne’s money story you will learn:

-The role the perfect pair of jeans played in her success

-Her strategy to determine value when deciding what clothing to invest in and more

In Adrienne’s money lesson you will learn:

-Her specific tips to find the best values when shopping

-The different ways you can leverage confidence to make the best financial decisions

In Adrienne’s everyday money tip you will learn:

-How to look at the cost-per-use of an item

-Exactly what to look for when purchasing a work-appropriate wardrobe, especially when you are first starting out in your career

EPISODE LINKS:

https://ameliora.com/

Follow Adrienne and Ameliora!

Instagram @Ameliorany

Facebook @Ameliorany

Pinterest @Ameliorany

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Transcription

Adrienne Kronov:
I found these jeans. They were bootcut, dark wash, denim. I think they were about $60. I put them on, and oh my gosh, I felt invincible.

Bobbi Rebell:
You're listening to Financial Grownup with me, certified financial planner, Bobbi Rebell, author of How to Be a Financial Grownup. And you know what? Being a grownup is really hard, especially when it comes to money, but it's okay. We're going to get there together. I'm going to bring you one money story from a financial grownup, one lesson, and then my take on how you can make it your own. We got this.

Bobbi Rebell:
Hey, Financial Grownup friends. How can you tell when an expensive clothing buy is really an investment piece and not just a splurge that you're trying to justify? There are specific things that you need to know, and our guest is going to educate us. First, quick thank you just for being here. Your time matters. We appreciate it. We try to keep the show around 15 minutes because you're busy. The show is also free to you. We've done over 100 episodes, and the only thank you that I ask is that you give back by telling a friend that you care about and helping them find the show. They may not even know how to listen to a podcast, so help them actually load it onto their phone or other device so that they can also benefit from the stories of these amazing high achievers that we get to speak to here.

Bobbi Rebell:
Now, to another high achiever, our guest. You guys are just going to love her. Adrienne Kronovet founded and self-founded her clothing company, Ameliora, remember that name, with a very clear mission that she's going to share, and she is already making a real difference. But it all started with some special shopping trips with her grandmother. Here is Adrienne Kronovet.

Bobbi Rebell:
Hey, Adrienne Kronovet, CEO of Ameliora, hopefully I said that right, all of 23 years old. You're already a financial grownup. Welcome to the podcast.

Adrienne Kronov:
Thank you so much, Bobbi, and you pronounced it all right. I'm such a fan, and it's so awesome to be here.

Bobbi Rebell:
I'm glad you're being honest. But we did practice that, so we do try.

Adrienne Kronov:
We did.

Bobbi Rebell:
I've botched quite a few names, so we got past that one. So I mentioned your company, Ameliora, and we're going to talk more after [inaudible 00:02:28] but just quickly, since you're all of 23 years old, this is a self-funded, beautiful clothing company, the most elegant jackets and pants-

Adrienne Kronov:
Thank you.

Bobbi Rebell:
... named after extraordinary women. Just tell us a little bit about it.

Adrienne Kronov:
Yeah, absolutely. So I started Ameliora almost a year ago, which is so crazy to say, to make clothes that would make women feel confident and empowered. I really wanted to have clothes you would take out for a special occasion. If you had an interview to go to or you had a meeting or you were giving a presentation, I wanted to create clothes that you would grab for that special moment and put on that would make you feel absolutely invincible.

Bobbi Rebell:
And they are. I am the proud owner of the Carmen jacket, which we'll talk about later. They are beautiful, down to the fabric.

Adrienne Kronov:
Thank you.

Bobbi Rebell:
Part of that is because you learned the appreciation of clothing. You're from a family that was in the clothing business back in your home state of North Carolina, where your grandfather had a clothing mill, and you actually have a lot of childhood memories of, for example, shopping with your grandmother and a specific pair of jeans. Tell us your money story about these jeans. I think you wore them for almost a decade.

Adrienne Kronov:
I did. So every year for my birthday, my grandmother would take me shopping, and she did this for all of her grandchildren. And we all looked forward to it because my grandmother has the most exquisite taste-

Bobbi Rebell:
Wait.

Adrienne Kronov:
Yeah?

Bobbi Rebell:
Was this an outing for all of you at the same time, like one big day, or was it your birthday day?

Adrienne Kronov:
It was our birthday day, but we always when it was coming up. Grandma Maryann would call us, we'd pick a date, and then we'd head off to the mall. It was something that I know myself and all my cousins really looked forward to.

Bobbi Rebell:
And what was a day at the mall like with your grandma?

Adrienne Kronov:
It was an event. So my grandmother, she would pick us up. We'd go eat at the food court and we'd make a map of where we wanted to go and pick the highlights and stores we really loved. Like for my male cousins, I think she took them to maybe Dick's, and I know for me and a lot of my girl cousins, we went to Hollister and American Eagle. And she really custom tailored where we would go depending on our own personal taste.

Bobbi Rebell:
Was there a budget, or this was just the ultimate shopping spree?

Adrienne Kronov:
I mean, of course, there was always a budget, but it was really interesting because she never framed it around money. It was all about how the clothes made you feel. So, yes, there was a budget, but it never felt like one.

Bobbi Rebell:
Interesting. So then tell me what would go on in a typical shopping trip and about these jeans you want to talk about.

Adrienne Kronov:
My grandmother, it was such this treasured experience that she and I shared. So we, one day, I think it was I want to say my 12th birthday, and the two of us, we ate at the food court, and then we immediately headed over to Hollister. I tried on a bunch of stuff, different shirts, dresses, and all the sudden I found these jeans. They were bootcut, dark wash, denim. I think they were about $60. I put them on, and oh my gosh, I felt invincible, and my grandmother, she took one look at me. She saw how I felt in them, and she said, "You know what? We're getting them." So we got them, and I wore them from 12 to 21.

Bobbi Rebell:
Whoa, and by the way, just remind everyone, you're 23 now. Okay, go on.

Adrienne Kronov:
Right. I'm 23. Yeah. I'm 23 now.

Bobbi Rebell:
Miss CEO.

Adrienne Kronov:
[inaudible 00:05:48] right. So I wore these jeans at every place I had to go. I wore these jeans because I felt super, super invincible. I knew that if I wanted to look good, I would wear these bootcut jeans. I wore them to my first day of college. I have pictures and pictures of me in the same pair of pants. I mean, I wore them for almost 10 years.

Bobbi Rebell:
Did anyone ever notice? I mean, they're jeans, so most people don't, right?

Adrienne Kronov:
People don't. None of my-

Bobbi Rebell:
Yeah. Then it's a good thing it wasn't a crazy top or something.

Adrienne Kronov:
Oh my gosh. Exactly. And that was the best part because they were such a great, universal pair of jeans that I could wear them with a blazer if I needed to be more formal. I could wear a T-shirt if it was casual. They would work with heels, with sneakers, with slippers. I mean, I loved, loved these jeans.

Bobbi Rebell:
So what is the lesson for our listeners from this?

Adrienne Kronov:
I guess the takeaway would be get a good pair of jeans. I think the big takeaway from this is to be thoughtful in your purchases, make your buying really deliberate. I'd bought these jeans. When I got them, they were pretty universal so I could wear them with a blazer, like I said. I could wear them with really anything. They were so versatile. They were a forever piece in my closet, and just having that to turn to was so amazing knowing that I had a go-to item that would make me feel super confident.

Bobbi Rebell:
And speaking of investing in clothing or items that are going to really last, I love your everyday money tip because it's something that is becoming more of a discussion topic, especially as Millennials, like you, are moving up the career ladder and becoming more successful in business and wanting to present a certain way among their peers and colleagues.

Adrienne Kronov:
Yes. Absolutely. I think when, as myself and my friends, as we get older, we really want to look professional and we want to look polished. And so that leads me to my money tip, which is rather than just the initial sticker price is to focus on the cost per wear, which is basically where the value of the item is directly related to how much you use it. So if you have a $30 dress and you wear it once, the cost per wear is 30 bucks. But if you spend $100 on a dress and you wear it 20 times, the cost per wear is $5. I mean, I think my $60 Hollister jeans, I think the cost per wear was in the negatives.

Bobbi Rebell:
Yes. Pennies. Pennies.

Adrienne Kronov:
Pennies.

Bobbi Rebell:
Yes, which is excellent. Try to get to pennies in your cost per wear. Let's talk more about Ameliora, because, as I keep saying, you're 23 years old. You basically founded this right out of school, self-funded, which is incredible. You did have a family background. Your grandfather operated a clothing mill in North Carolina. This is not just about the clothing, though. Tell us more.

Adrienne Kronov:
Yeah, absolutely. It's all about how clothes can make you feel, the feeling I got when I put on those jeans and I felt invincible. It's about creating blazers and jackets and different items that you put on and you feel like you can conquer anything.

Bobbi Rebell:
And they all go together. They're all coordinated, which is great.

Adrienne Kronov:
Yes. Absolutely. Everything is made in the same black, except I will give you a bit of an exclusive-

Bobbi Rebell:
Ooh.

Adrienne Kronov:
We are in the process of developing and launching a new shirting that will introduce white into the collection, which I'm really excited about.

Bobbi Rebell:
Wait. I think I read a little bit of a hint about this. You're sourcing unusual fabrics, so there's also some innovation happening here.

Adrienne Kronov:
Right. What we're trying to do is we're trying to elevate the regular suit. So in our suiting and in our shirting fabric, we're using performance fabrics. So imagine the same fabric that's used in Lululemon legging but as a shirt, a professional shirt.

Bobbi Rebell:
I need to see this. I'm going to have to track you down in New York and come down and see it. So where can people get your stuff? Where can people get everything?

Adrienne Kronov:
Yes. You can find us 100% online at Ameliora.com. We live on the web. We're accessible 24/7 from any device.

Bobbi Rebell:
And social media, where can people follow you?

Adrienne Kronov:
Yes. Social media @AmelioraNY.

Bobbi Rebell:
On all the channels.

Adrienne Kronov:
On all the channels.

Bobbi Rebell:
Awesome. Well, thank you so much. This was amazing.

Adrienne Kronov:
Thank you so much, Bobbi. It was such a joy to be on.

Bobbi Rebell:
I can't wait for all of you to check out Ameliora. The pieces are stunning. I own a Carmen jacket and love it, and I love that she's expanding beyond black. Who knows what's next? Financial Grownup tip number one, if you do splurge on something you love, and then you realize you were wrong, return it. Now, that may sound obvious, but as everyone who has cleaned out his or her closet knows, you probably found some items with tags on it. You know who you are. And in fact, go through your closet right now and see, or after you finish listening, and see if any items have tags on them, and if it hasn't been too long, return them.

Bobbi Rebell:
Financial Grownup tip number two, leverage what you know and who you know. I met Adrienne almost a year ago when she was just launching the line right out of college. Most people would say she should have worked at a fashion line behind the scenes and learned the ropes, but you know what? Because her family had been in the garment industry, she already knew the ropes, and she was able to use that to her advantage. A lot of people don't want to go into family businesses, but tapping into what those closest to you know and know well is a smart move, and that goes for friends who may have insights and connections in a given field as well. Use it. Life's tough enough.

Bobbi Rebell:
Hope you enjoyed this episode. We have some big new things planned that I will be talking about later this week, so be sure to subscribe and go into settings to make sure that you are in auto download mode so you don't miss it. Be in touch on Instagram @BobbiRebell1, and on Twitter @BobbiRebell and PM me what you want to see more of because we're making big changes here at Financial Grownup. And thank you to Ameliora's Adrienne Kronovet for helping us all get one step closer to being financial grownups.

Bobbi Rebell:
Financial Grownup with Bobbi Rebell is edited and produced by Steve Stuart and is a BRK Media production.

Tori Dunlap saw big dollar signs when she took a new job, but the red flags she ignored during the interview process soon created an impossible situation.. and a new appreciation for the emergency fund she never thought she would have to use.

In Tori’s money story you will learn:

-Why she regretted her first job out of college

-Red flags to look for during a job interview

-How trusting her gut helped her make the right decision

In Tori’s money lesson you will learn:

-Things to consider before taking a job

-Why it's important to have an emergency fund

In Tori’s everyday money tip you will learn:

-How to score deals on hotels when traveling

In My Take you will learn:

-How to start an emergency fund

-What to do if you don't have the cash for an emergency fund

Bobbi and Tori also talk about:

Expedia

Rockstar Finance

EPISODE LINKS:

Check out Tori's website here: https://www.victorimedia.com/ 

Follow Tori!!

Instagram @victorimedia

Twitter @victori_media

Linked In @Tori Dunlap

Transcription

Tori Dunlap:
She just looked at me and she goes, "Are you leaving or are you staying?" And so I said, "I think it's best for both you and I if I were to move on," and she goes, "Great, your last day will be tomorrow." And I felt panicked.

Bobbi Rebell:
You're listening to Financial Grownup, with me, certified financial planner, Bobbi Rebell, author of How to Be a Financial Grownup, and you know what? Being a grownup is really hard, especially when it comes to money. But it's okay, we're gonna get there together. I'm gonna bring you one money story from a financial grownup, one lesson, and then my take on how you can make it your own. We got this.

Bobbi Rebell:
Hey Financial Grownup friends, so given that you're choosing to listen to a money podcast, you probably have an emergency fund, or you know that you should have one, and hopefully are working on building one up. I'll be honest, my family's goes up and down. It's not always where I want it to be, but this story, shared with us by Victori Media's Tori Dunlap, is going to lock into your mind why so many financial experts go on and on and on and on about that darn emergency fund. Special welcome to our new listeners, so glad you found us and that you are here and to our regulars, we appreciate your support, you're everything to us, so please continue to listen to the show and to support it by telling friends that you think deserve to live a richer life. Maybe do a quick screenshot and post it on social media, make sure you tag me at Bobbi Rebell on Twitter, at Bobbi Rebell one on Instagram, so I can thank you and on that note to our inspiring guest, Tori Dunlap.

Bobbi Rebell:
She is the force behind a new blog, Victori Media, which focuses on career and personal advice for millennials that, as you will hear, is already drawing a lot of attention because it's just really good. Here is Tori Dunlap.

Bobbi Rebell:
Hey Tori Dunlap, you're a financial grownup, welcome to the podcast!

Tori Dunlap:
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

Bobbi Rebell:
You came to my attention because you have been nominated at the only awards that count, of course, the [inaudible 00:02:10] awards, as best new blog and then I was checking out your blog and I had to have you on the podcast. So thank you for being here.

Tori Dunlap:
It's been so awesome. This is my first spin con, and obviously my first nomination, my first kind of finalist opportunity, so yeah, I'm just over the moon, thrilled.

Bobbi Rebell:
We are joined, because I am of course honored that this podcast was nominated as best new podcast, so we'll be up there with the newbies the two of us, hanging out I think. Woo hoo.

Tori Dunlap:
It'll be great.

Bobbi Rebell:
Alright. You brought with you a money story that I found a little bit shocking, but maybe it's not as unusual in the millennial world, I'm a gen X-er. But maybe it's not that unusual because you kinda just went with your gut. Tell us, Tori.

Tori Dunlap:
Yeah, so I took a job for the money and ended up regretting it very very hard.

Bobbi Rebell:
Let me just interject one thing though, a lot of the time jobs are about money. You should take a job that pays enough money. It shouldn't be just about the money, but money does matter.

Tori Dunlap:
Oh totally. Yeah. I mean if jobs didn't pay us money we wouldn't show up.

Bobbi Rebell:
Exactly, so it's okay to take jobs for the money but clearly there was something else going on that didn't work.

Tori Dunlap:
Totally, yeah, so I was looking to get out of my first job right out of school and I realized I wasn't growing, I wasn't learning anything. I wasn't feeling challenged in the way that I wanted to.

Bobbi Rebell:
What kind of job was it? What were you doing?

Tori Dunlap:
I worked ... I actually ended up leading digital marketing and communication for this global security company, so my job right outta college, I was the only marketing, communication, or PR person for this 5000 employee company. So it was really crazy and I just knew being kind of this team of one, there wasn't a lot of growth trajectory for me there. So after about a year and a half I knew it was time to leave and I got approached by this recruiter who told me this job that sounded perfect on paper. It was a digital marketing manager role, which is what I know, what I'm good at, what I love.

Tori Dunlap:
I came in to interview and something in my gut just didn't feel right, the office was like half office half showroom. Everybody there, they weren't really talking to each other, there was only about 12 people in the office. But I'm a really social person so that was kind of a red flag for me, but I went in and interviewed anyway and I interviewed with the woman who was to be my boss and she was the CEO of the company. Within about 10 minutes of that interview she offered me the job on the spot, which again was kind of a red flag, I'm like, I know I'm awesome but don't you wanna ask me more questions?

Bobbi Rebell:
Were they desperate? What was going on?

Tori Dunlap:
Yeah, that was definitely what it was and so I didn't know this at the time, but the position had been open for about seven months. So they were really looking to find somebody. She asked me what my salary range was, and I knew in order to make a leap from my previous job, where I had just received a 20% raise, I knew it was going to have to be another jump up, so I asked for 20% more than what I was already making, expecting it was going to be a negotiation, expecting she'd counter. And she just agreed, and she said, "Well this is 20 thousand more than we paid the last person, but we really like you and we really want you to jump on board."

Bobbi Rebell:
Which is really flattering.

Tori Dunlap:
Oh so flattering, especially for me, and a lot of us struggle, especially-

Bobbi Rebell:
How old were you?

Tori Dunlap:
I was 23.

Bobbi Rebell:
Wow.

Tori Dunlap:
A lot of young women, especially when you suffer from imposter syndrome, and so it was something that was validating but also scary and also just overwhelming and exciting. I went home and I talked it over with my daily who I'm really close to and close friends and I couldn't put my finger on why, just my gut was telling me, no this is not for you. You're not gonna be happy here, this is not the environment that you will thrive in.

Tori Dunlap:
But I saw dollar signs and I couldn't say no. So I ended up accepting the job. Went in, by day two I knew it wasn't going to be a right fit. I ended up leaving the office, calling my mom and saying, "Hey mom, I don't think I'm gonna be able to do this." And like all good moms do, she's like, "Stick it out, it'll get better, it'll be fine." It ended up just being a really really unhealthy work environment. I had really negative interactions with my boss, I was crying myself to sleep at night, I was scared I was going to be fired. I was tasked with these really demanding, overwhelming workload that wasn't feasible for one person to do. I wasn't happy. I wasn't healthy, I wasn't thriving, I wasn't feeling fulfilled at all.

Bobbi Rebell:
This is a lot more than just not being fulfilled. This is really, this is your life. You can't be in that kind of situation.

Tori Dunlap:
And I knew in my gut the entire time, my gut was telling me, "This is not for you. This is not for you. This is not what you want. This is not where you should be." And I didn't listen because I was dreaming about how much I was going to be able to save for retirement and like a New Zealand vacation I was going to be able to take and all these things. So I ended up having to quit that job. Basically because it was so unhealthy after about two and a half months without another job lined up, which is the ultimate personal-

Bobbi Rebell:
Tell me about quitting. How did you quit?

Tori Dunlap:
She was kind of pushing me out. So I knew if I didn't quit first it wasn't gonna be good, it was gonna be pretty ugly and I didn't wanna go through that. So I had this huge project that I wasn't trained on, I ended up finishing it even though she was kinda rooting against me, which was a horrible feeling and had the project finished by 8:30 am on a Thursday. I went into her office an hour and a half later, and she just looked at me and she goes, "Are you leaving or are you staying?"

Bobbi Rebell:
She knew. She knew. Wow.

Tori Dunlap:
Yeah. So I said, "I think it's best for both you and I if I were to move on," and she goes, "Great. Your last day will be tomorrow." I felt panicked talking to my family. My parents, of course, were really worried. I'm an only child, so they're very involved in my life and especially my finances and so they were really worried for me. I knew it was the right decision and I felt so much relief when I walked out of there at three o'clock on a Friday.

Tori Dunlap:
Even though I didn't have a job I luckily had an emergency fund, which is something that I really advocate for. I had enough money that I could survive while I found a new job, but I felt such relief being able to be happy and just leave and to not have to worry anymore.

Bobbi Rebell:
Well, I'm happy that you had the strength to do that because it is a brave thing. And it's scary. What is the takeaway for our listeners?

Tori Dunlap:
Yeah, I would say trust your gut first off. Just understand that, of course, a job at the end of the day is about making an income but it's also where you spend eight plus hours of your day for five days a week around people you hopefully like and respect and with a manager who hopefully likes and respects you and vice versa. So make sure you're trusting your gut in any sort of situation, but especially through a job application and a job interview process.

Tori Dunlap:
And second, make sure you have an emergency fund, whether it's needing to get out of a bad situation in a job or needing to leave a partner who you live with or anything that is an emergency, you getting unexpectedly ill or you get a flat tire, having an emergency fund is so important to be able to give you the freedom to make decisions that you wouldn't be able to if you didn't have one.

Bobbi Rebell:
Let's talk about your everyday money tip because it's perfect for people that love to travel and travel well. Because part of growing up is not always having to stay at the youth hostel or the budget hotel, whatever. Sometimes you're ready to be in the grownup hotel.

Tori Dunlap:
We're gonna go in a completely different direction here. Much more positive and exciting.

Bobbi Rebell:
Much more positive.

Tori Dunlap:
Yeah. But one of my favorite money tips that a lot of people don't realize is, you and I were both talking before, we really like luxury boutique hotels, for me they're just a great way to see a new city or to just get a different perspective from a chain hotel. But they're often expensive and people often use third party sites like Expedia or orbits to book on. And that's great, but usually what happens is they actually don't give you the best rate, and that surprises a lot of people. So if you go to the hotel's website or if you call them directly, they usually offer you a discount or some sort of perk, like free valet parking or a free breakfast because you're booking directly with them.

Bobbi Rebell:
Because they pay those sites a commission, they have an incentive to have you book directly.

Tori Dunlap:
Totally. And you're supporting the local business in a way that you aren't if you're booking with Expedia or one of those other sites. So that's a really fantastic way to support that city, support that local business, and to also, hopefully, get a perk out of it as well.

Tori Dunlap:
And if something were to happen as far as needing to change your booking or an emergency comes up, the hotel itself is a lot more flexible. If you try to call Expedia you're waiting on hold forever and they're usually more stringent with their cancellation policies so you're not the hotel's customer until you're actually in the hotel if you book with one of those third party sites. So booking directly just makes the whole process way easier and then hopefully saves you money or gives you some sort of perk as well.

Bobbi Rebell:
Yeah, that's really interesting that the hotel doesn't really engage with you until you're there if you book through the third party systems. I never really thought about it like that, but it makes a lot of sense.

Tori Dunlap:
Yeah, it's a great tip.

Bobbi Rebell:
Alright, so I am new to your blog, but I am also getting a little bit obsessed with it. Some of the headlines, just for people to know, alright, Five Ways to Combat Imposter Syndrome, so relatable, Four Lessons I Learned From Rap Songs, not relatable 'cause I don't listen to rap but definitely got me curious. And then I think my favorite one on there was 17 Ways to Be Productive at Work When You Have Nothing to do, 'cause this happened. One of my jobs early in my career I tend to be a bit of a workaholic and sometimes my coworkers don't have the same enthusiasm for their jobs and I would finish a story early and wanna just do more stories, just because. And my coworkers didn't wanna do that. So I would be left sitting there, kind of lost, because I wanted to do more stuff. So tell me more about that article and maybe some of your other favorite ones, and the blog in general.

Tori Dunlap:
I write about personal finance and career for millennial women, a lot of the blog content that you see is written by me, and I also bring in different voices so actually most of the articles you listed were some of my really great female friends who are also writing about career and finance and so I really try and bring in different perspectives too so it's not just me droning on and on. But I love talking about negotiation so I have some negotiating posts on there, like exact scripts to use when you're calling third party sites, kind of like we mentioned or when you're negotiating a cable bill or a phone bill, the exact script to use, that's something I really love doing.

Tori Dunlap:
Summer's over now, but it's good all year round, I just wrote a post about financial to dos that you can complete over the summer. So give yourself a three month period and they're really easy, really actionable as far as checking them off as you go, and then yeah, I just sourced one of my favorite articles that I've written recently, I sourced from Rockstar Finance, just a bunch of different texts from people about a way to manage your finances in under 10 minutes. So again, super actionable, easy to do and that was inspired by a post I myself wrote about 11 ways to better your finances in under five minutes, so especially for us millennials, if your finances are sort of out of control or it seems overwhelming, it's hard to get started. It's hard to start chipping away at that iceberg. But these small little things that you can do that take no more than five 10 minutes a day is a great way to get started.

Bobbi Rebell:
By the way, Rockstar Finance is another great website. So alright, so tell us more about where to find out ... where to find the blog and where to follow you on all the socials.

Tori Dunlap:
Yeah. So my name is Tori so Victori Media is spelled with an I, V-I-C-T-O-R-I media.com and you can connect with me there. Find all the blog content as well as all the social media accounts are liked to Victori Media, so I'd love to have you stop by.

Bobbi Rebell:
Thank you Tori!

Tori Dunlap:
Thank you so much for having me Bobbi.

Bobbi Rebell:
Hey everyone. Let's talk about emergency funds, and if you don't have the cash to fund the three to six months many experts recommend, what do you do? Financial Grownup tip number one, if you don't have the cash for an emergency fund needed and want to make sure you have access to cash at a reasonable interest rate homeowners can get something called a heloc, that's a home equity line of credit, now you have to take this out before you need it. That's the key thing, but it will give you a financial life line if needed. And except for any fees to set it up, if you don't use it you're not paying interest, so it can just be there if and when you need it, and hopefully that'll be never.

Bobbi Rebell:
Financial grownup tip number two, Tori talked about booking hotels directly with the actual hotel, I've recently started deliberately booking flights directly with airlines. I do my research and I google flights, and third party services like Expedia, but I actually try to book directly on the airlines that way if a change is needed or there are changes in weather, what have you, I found the airline is better able to help you if you're in their system directly. In general, unless a third party middle man is bringing you real value, there's no real downside to cutting them out.

Bobbi Rebell:
Alright thanks to all of you that have subscribed. The show is free to you. But for us, to keep at it, we do need your support, so please do all the things, subscribe, rate, review, and most of all, let people know about us by recommending to friends. And if you haven't read my book, How to Be a Financial Grownup, it just got more affordable because it just came out in paperback, so please check it out. And while you're at it, tell your friends to check out Victori Media, and thanks to Tori Dunlap for helping us all get one step closer to being financial grownups.

Bobbi Rebell:
Financial Grownup with Bobbi Rebell is edited and produced by Steve Stuart and is a BRK media production.