We Should Be as Fearless and Honest About Money as These Women

Wealthsimple is an investing service that uses technology to put your money to work like the world’s smartest investors. In “Money Diaries,” we feature interesting people telling their financial life stories in their own words.

Whats the point of telling someone your financial life story? Well, entertainment value certainly. Who doesn't love stories of making it — or losing it all? But it's also about sharing knowledge, not feeling alone in the world, and empowering yourself to take control.

Because it's a good day to be inspired, here are a few of the interview excerpts that stick with us the most. But be sure to check out the full interviews — they're worth it.

“My parents made about $30 a month. They made enough money to buy food but that's pretty much it. To us, money was simply the equivalent of food.”

“She Began Life in Rural China With No Plumbing. Now She's Our CFO.”

“#MeToo is a symptom of something bigger. The same way having a temperature when you’re sick is a symptom. It’s a wake-up call, not the solution.”

“The Handmaid's Tale” Author: For Women, Money Can Be Power.”

“Selling out is something that people who have privilege get to say. I’m not selling out. I’m working hard and paying bills and creating jobs for the people around me.”

“Tegan and Sara: Only the Privileged Worry about Selling Out.”

“Everyone in my family knows that’s my dream. A house for my whole family to live in. Some room, some peace of mind, and a place where my grandkids can play outside.”

“She Won the Fight to Raise Minimum Wage. Then Lost It.”

“My spotter realized something about the way people race me. No one wants to get beat by the girl. They’ll make it that much harder for me to pass them. They will be a little dirtier.”

“Making It in NASCAR as a Woman Doesn’t Mean the Struggle Is Over.”

“I had a roommate for a long time. Even now, with the way my career is going, I’m scared to leave and move into a bigger, more expensive place.”

“Awkwafina Tells Us the Money Secrets of Viral Fame.”

“Fashion houses are reluctant to lend clothes that aren't sample sizes of 0 and 2. My body size is literally normal and healthy, but when you put me next to a model, I look obese.”

“The Co-Creator of 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' Isn't Sure Exactly How Much She Makes.”

“Hard work actually makes me feel good. I can go to bed at night if I’ve worked really hard that day. It’s my way of therapy.”

“Rita Ora Is a Born Hustler. Just Like Her Immigrant Parents.”

“I like to show other comics what I’m earning. It’s really important not to be ignorant about this stuff. It’s empowerment.”

“Comedian Maria Bamford Wants You to Know Exactly How Much She Makes.”

“I never worried about not having the money to do certain projects. It was 'Okay, okay, we don’t have the budget, but how are we going to do it anyway?'”

“Bobbi Brown Was Terrible at Budgets. So She Decided to Make More Money.”

“Winning is not something a lot of women talk about or are made to feel good about. But why wouldn’t a woman want to win?”

“Why Wouldn't a Woman Want to Win?”

“The way we live, it’s not a vow to be impoverished; it’s really a commitment to have each other’s back.”

“A Nun Tells Us What It's Like to Live With a Vow of Poverty.”

“I get a little nervous that the success I’ve been finding won’t just keep going. But I also work hard all the time to ensure it won’t all go away.”

“Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson is Done with the Potatoes.”

Written By

The Editors

Wealthsimple's education team is made up of writers and financial experts dedicated to making the world of finance easy to understand and not-at-all boring to read.