🧠 THE COST OF MY BROKE MINDSET 🧠
/ A THREAD /

@CJ_Johnson17th courses and Money Twitter have truly revolutionized my life.

But I want y'all to understand the low point that I came from.
I want y'all to understand the cost of a broke mindset.

MY broke mindset!!
🧠 HIGH SCHOOL

I didn't grow up in a family with a lot of money.

So when I got my first job in my junior year, I was overjoyed to finally be earning.

So overjoyed that I got into vaping.

JUUL's, SMOKs, you name it.
🧠 HIGH SCHOOL (CONT)

For the rest of high school, I had piss poor spending habits.

- Vape juice
- A new iPhone
- Clothes
-Shoes

I was spending all my money on nonsense, and little did I know, it was only going to get worse during college.
🧠 FRESHMAN YEAR

I've been a nerdy kid for most of my life.

I smoked weed a few times before college, but nothing major.

So when I started college, everything was so foreign and inviting to me.

I immersed myself in all of it and disregarded my bank account.
🧠 FRESHMAN YEAR (CONT)

Before college, I was spending less than $40 a month on vape juice. 💨

A month into the first semester, that number jumped to $100.

That $100 was soon paired with $30+ a week on eating out and alcohol for parties.

(Insomnia Cookies had my heart 💔)
🧠 FRESHMAN YEAR (CONT)

Not long after the first surge in spending, I spent $200...

On a bong, pipe, and grinder. ⚗️

I remember the joy of picking up those packages from my RSD like it was yesterday.

From there, I was spending $100 - $150 a month on bud. 🍃
🧠 FRESHMAN YEAR (CONT)

In the winter, I received a college refund for over $1,000.

Coupled with a work bonus of around $220.

As you might've guessed, the money didn't last.

Most of it went to:

- Champs
- Nike
- iPhone
- Adidas
🧠 PAUSE

None of these expenses were overly large.

But remember:

- I had no job at school

- I barely saved any money during my summer job

I remember being too broke to afford a Spring concert ticket for Lil Uzi.

That was truly one of my lowest points.
🧠 2019 SUMMER

I worked like a dog that summer.

I picked up shifts left and right.

I worked doubles regularly.

My last paycheck in August was for nearly 63 hours.

I became as frugal with my money as Mr. Krabs.
🧠 SOPHOMORE YEAR

I started off the semester well.

- I was eating out once or twice every few weeks
- I had no urge to buy clothes that I didn't need

But in late October, I crumbled.

My bong's perc broke, so I bought a new one.
And then, I started buying at least a Q a week.
🧠 SOPHOMORE YEAR (CONT)

With that came eating out more frequently.

It became $400+ a month, which was a problem

Because at the time my loan payment was due.

I really had to get my act together.

And I did, at least just enough to get by.
🧠 SOPHOMORE YEAR (CONT)

Did I ever get my spending down to an ideal level? Not even close.

Money was so tight that at a Brown debate tournament, I brought a container of snacks because I couldn't afford to eat out.

My saving grace was a custodial job for my work-study.
🧠 SOPHOMORE YEAR (CONT)

Thanks to it, my money situation improved.

It wasn't where I wanted it to be, but it also wasn't as bad as it once was.

It took a blow from buying a refurbished iPhone Xs, but nothing major.

In the end, I finished my sophomore year well.
🧠 THE PANDEMIC

For the last 3 years, I've worked as a wait staff server at a retirement home.

The Resident Favorite, people called me :)

So I had job security during the coronavirus.

I also had several college refunds coming in because of the Rona.
🧠 THE PANDEMIC (CONT)

Refunds to the tune of nearly $2,500

Around the time of these refunds, I purchased Chris Johnson's SMG course.

I sat on starting the course, and to this day, I wish I hadn't.
🧠 THE PANDEMIC (CONT)

I broke my refunds down like this:

- $1,000 in my High-Yield Savings

- $300 to get my start in the stock market

- Over $1,000 on Uggs, sneakers, and new gear
🧠 THE PANDEMIC (CONT)

Seeing that last expense in my checking was the final blow.

A few days later, I started @CJ_Johnson17th's SMG course.

And Lord Almighty did it change my life.
🧠 CLOSING

His course showed me the cost of my broke mindset.

It showed me where I should park my money:

- Not in my demise (liabilities)

- But in my long-term success (assets)

That course changed my life trajectory.

Chris, I can't ever thank you enough.
You can follow @ZAEMINTER.
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