When your bro gets his first salary and starts giving financial advice to people who have been working since 2015.

My friend used to feel somehow whenever she saw her old classmate’s Instagram posts. New clothes, nice restaurants, weekend trips. It always looked like the girl was doing better than her. Last month, they ran into each other at a supermarket and started talking. At some point, the girl mentioned that rent was becoming a problem. She was even thinking of moving back in with her parents because she couldn't keep up with the bills. She'd been borrowing money from her older sister too. My friend felt bad for her. They talked about something else and went their separate ways. That evening, she saw another picture of the girl at a fancy restaurant. She showed me the picture and said, “And here I was thinking this girl doesn't have a single problem.”

Earn your first big paycheck, and you might discover that some people have already spent it in their minds. When you were struggling, nobody asked how much you had in your account. But once people believe you're doing well, your money can suddenly become a family meeting topic. Your cousin needs school fees. Your uncle has a business idea. Someone needs urgent medical assistance. Another person wants to borrow money until next week. And if you say no? You might hear, "But you have money now. What will you do with all of it?" What people don't always understand is that having money and being financially responsible for everybody are two completely different things. You can love your family deeply without accepting every financial burden placed on you.

There are some friends you can only have a good time with when you're spending money. The moment you just want to sit and talk about real life, it gets awkward.

The goal is not to look successful online. The goal is to afford your life without being afraid to check your account balance.

'people get mad so easily and talk to each other so rudely on social media' is a thing i know but i forget because i don't frequently engage with people on the internet, but every once in a while i do, and DAMN do you guys talk to each other like this in real life?

Adulthood is actually a scam because nobody prepared me for this part. 😭😂 You wake up in the morning with big dreams, plenty plans, and the determination to make something out of your life. You tell yourself, “This week, I’m going to focus. I’m going to work hard, save money, mind my business, and stop stressing myself over unnecessary things.” Then you check your account balance. 😭 Suddenly, the only plan you have is to survive until the next alert. You start calculating everything. If I buy this today, can I still afford that tomorrow? If I order food, what will I eat later? If I go out this weekend, will I regret it on Monday? Even enjoyment now requires a full financial analysis. 😂 And the funniest part is that you can be genuinely trying your best and still feel like you’re not doing enough. You see people your age doing amazing things, starting businesses, travelling, buying cars, getting their dream jobs, and you’re happy for them, but somewhere inside you’re also wondering when your own life will start looking the way you imagined it. Nobody really talks about how exhausting it is to keep encouraging yourself. To keep telling yourself that things will get better when you don’t even have all the answers yet. To smile, make jokes, post on social media, and act normal while you’re quietly trying to figure out your next move. But honestly, I think we need to give ourselves more credit. Some of us are trying to build a better life with very little support, limited resources, and a mind that never stops thinking. We are learning as we go, making mistakes, starting again, and hoping that one day all these little efforts will finally make sense. I just want to get to a point where I can buy what I need without checking my account five times, help the people I love without putting myself in trouble, enjoy my life without feeling guilty, and sleep peacefully without worrying about what tomorrow will bring. Is that too much to ask? 😭😂 Because at this point, I don’t even need to be the richest person in the world. I just want to be comfortable, happy, financially stable, and able to breathe without life reminding me every five minutes that I have responsibilities. Please, tell me I’m not the only one trying to figure life out one day at a time. 😭❤️

nobody ever talks about how lonely “growing up” can be, even while being surrounded by people

you know what's fucked up? spending your whole childhood watching your parents struggle, promising yourself you'll change their lives, then growing up and realizing how hard it actually is to make money