Our next Twitter Tuesday Profile is living the life of a young professional in New York City. Ana, perhaps better known as @DollaThug, is a 2007 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and works in the financial services industry. She rents a studio in Brooklyn and blogs regularly at DollarThug.com.
OODC: How did you get started blogging and tweeting?
@DollaThug: I just launched the blog in March so I’m still a newbie! I had been thinking about writing my own personal finance blog for a while, and a lot of my friends told me I needed to just DO IT – so I finally DID! I think my Quarter Life Crisis was a good catalyst, too (I just turned 25 in January). Now I’m in the process of getting my name out there and building up traffic to the site because I know I have a lot of good content and a fresh perspective I want to share with the world!
OODC:What are some money lessons you learned the hard way?
@DollaThug: Back in college, I got through everyday expenses with a credit card and NO budget – BIG MISTAKE! After 4 years of school, it had become a $10,000 mistake! When my new real world salary wasn’t as much as I thought it would be to miraculously pay it all off, I needed to change my lifestyle by:
1) Spending LESS than I made,
2) Paying down the credit card debt ASAP!
3) Building up an emergency fund and other assets so I actually had something to show for working my new “9 to 5”!
That’s really how the Dolla Thug mentality came to be! It’s really not rocket science but I’ve been doing my best to improve my finances every month since that revelation. I still have a long way to go (the credit card debt is long gone though!) But it’s really empowering to see yourself making progress – much more powerful than spending all your money on items that you’ll be bored with in 3 months. Lesson learned!
OODC:What do you hope people gain from reading your blog?
@DollaThug: I want people to embrace the fact that if one can just block OUT the consumer propaganda to spend, spend, spend…one can actually achieve some serious financial goals. If you can put it in Excel, you can achieve it. Even millionaire status (or HIGHER) can be a reality with enough determination. Math doesn’t lie!
OODC:Who are some of your favorite money tweeters?
@DollaThug: I really like Steadfast Finances @Matt_SF and the Financial Samurai @financialsamura – witty, intelligent personal finance. My overall mentality surrounding financial freedom is actually pretty similar to Dave Ramsey, too – I have a lot of respect for him.
Thanks again to @DollaThug for being part of this week’s Twitter Tuesday Profile! Want to be considered for an upcoming post? Just tweet me!