Yes. I can’t think back on whether there was a force. I wanted to be a veterinarian, a lawyer and a journalist at different places, so I always knew I would go to higher education. We ended up studying fashion design and my mom paid for it, which is standard here. I started working in my second year and have worked since then. I have received many professional certifications, including a project management program and a UX design program. Fashion design is not enough degree, so I always felt self -sacrificing and often thinks of getting a degree, but the cost is too high and my career never really required it.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have for the money? Do your parents/guardians train you for finances?
My mother was a mom with two kids (my dad disappeared), and the money was sparse. We didn’t have clear conversations beyond “we can’t afford it or that”. I learned more about the extent of my mom’s struggles through the comments as I grew up and had some slightly more open conversations because I was very honest about how much I started returning when I hit Peak Freelancing in the pandemic.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked in a toy store when I was 17 years old. My mom was recently unemployed after my graduation and I didn’t know what to do after high school, so she felt like the right thing. He landed shortly afterwards and I returned to school.
Are you worried about the money that is growing up?
I didn’t understand why I couldn’t get this or that. But we never felt like we were hungry. We had some international trips when we were about 10-12, and while our schools were average, they were private. The Public School in Venezuela is for the truly lower class and there are tons of mediocre private schools for middle class children.
Are you worried about money now?
I think a lot, but not necessarily worried. I have two dogs and no one based, so I always know any costs. I am also used to making three or four times more than I do now (in Peak Freelancing, I did about $ 7,000 a month), so this sense of life “paycheck to paycheck” is a bit nervous. I bought a new car (an SUV 2008 with about 100,000 miles on the clock, which was paid in cash) in December, because my previous car had a huge issue and this basically left me with $ 1,000 in my account. Emergency situations for dogs are accurate. As I said, the businesses I mentioned in my first calendar went to the shit. I cross every finger and finger that my partner really pulls and pays me back. This would be about $ 13,500, which will make up for my savings.
At what age became financially responsible for yourself and have a financial security net?
I started working at 18 and never stopped. But I lived the rent for free with my mom for a while. I moved to another country in 2015 and returned in 2016, started a business, started freelancing, etc. I lived at home all this time and contributed to food, the internet and so on. I moved to my apartment in 2022 and I was alone since then. My mom and I didn’t get any contact seven months ago, so I don’t really have a safety net – I guess if things got very bad, a uncle or my brother could help, but that’s not really a given. My brother also lives with my mom.
Have you ever received passive or hereditary income? If yes, explain.
Not really. As I mentioned, I tried to invest money in 2023, but the whole thing didn’t work and I was at risk of a lot of money without a refund. This is not the first time this has happened, unfortunately. I think I lost about $ 24,000 in a previous business attempt and I hope I will return $ 21,000 at some point. None of them are passive, but – I gave this money for several businesses that ended up in failure, and my partner pays it slowly.
