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Financial literacy is an essential skillset to have, regardless of your profession. Even if you have a high income, you can still fall into debt, overspend, or make poor investment choices. This is demonstrated by the example of Mike Tyson, a former professional boxer who declared bankruptcy despite earning significant income during his career. This goes to show that being financially savvy is just as important as earning more money. In fact, improving your earnings and maximizing your savings can be a powerful strategy for building current and future wealth.

I personally learned about the importance of financial literacy when I hit rock bottom with my own financial situation. As a University student, I struggled to afford rent, books, and everyday expenses like phone, internet, and utilities. I worked hard every summer but the money wasn’t enough. I watched my roommates casually go out for McDonald’s late night while I had to budget my remaining chicken fingers for the week, which I paid with grocery points. When going out with friends, I had just enough for one drink. I was ashamed I couldn’t buy drinks for anyone else, and but learned the important art of how to nurse a beer for a whole night.

To maximize my savings, I found creative ways to stretch my budget while still maintaining some social connections with my peers. However, I realized that saving money on a small amount of money was just a slow battle of attrition. I needed to find ways to make more money while also trying to survive a demanding computer engineering program that demanded almost all my waking hours.

I stumbled onto an opportunity at a library auction where I noticed them selling my school’s math textbooks for just $2 each, a fraction of the $90 I had paid for them used. I invested all the money I had left in my bank account which was terrifying. I posted them for sale on my school’s website for $80 each and was able to sell them all within a week, almost 40 times my bank account balance. Forgetting my financial insecurity for a moment was such a relief and also a very proud moment. This was my first “side hustle” born out of desperation. From that day on, I never only worked “one” job. I learned the value of maximizing earnings and maximizing savings, and these principles became the foundation of my financial literacy education. I hope to share what I’ve learned to help others improve their own financial literacy and stability.