Broke But Not Broken...

Suddenly, at the dawn of 2009, it became trendy to be frugal. As the world plunged into financial Armageddon, stocks plummeted, assets were liquidated, 5th Avenue came to a standstill, and what was old, borrowed, and on-sale became new again. Which was convenient for me, as my own financial ruin suddenly paled in comparison alongside the decimated retirement funds and billion dollar bailouts (only as of printing, no one is bailing me out, except myself!).

So, here is my story:
I'm a young woman in the heart of Manhattan. I have a lovely apartment and a fantastic, well-paying job (!). So, where's the problem? Well, aside from having a riches to rags childhood and excessively frugal upbringing, the only financial lesson I really took home was "buy on sale"and shop 'til you drop. So, in times of stress, let's be honest, I self-medicated with a bit o' plastic and the sweet smell of tissue and carrier bags! Always on sale, of course. This isn't so bad, you say. We all shop. Heck, all of America has credit card debt. And you're right. My credit card debt is so small, so enviable, and so trivial compared to my colossal school debt. I racked up 6-figure wallet holes during 15 years of post-graduate education on an extremely lucrative career path that I promptly abandoned upon graduation (actually, to be more precise, I dropped out during my fellowship!).
Now I find myself 30-something, single, over-educated, and broke. I have no savings and no retirement plan. I own nothing (which is great in some ways, as I have nothing to lose!), but owe lots.
I know my situation is unique, but I am also sure there are lots of others out there, like myself, struggling under a mountain of financial burdens. If there is one thing I have learned in the last few months when it comes to money matters, it is this: ignorance is not bliss.

So, I've come to share what I've learned, to wax poetic about the latest bargain find, to hear what other financial pearls might be out there, and generally work my way to the top.

As a woman, it isn't always fashionable to talk about money, to want wealth, to read up on the market and mutual funds. Some well-meaning folks have even told me "Don't worry, just marry rich" (are they serious??), to which I'll reply with a quote from the latest must-read book on personal finance: "Prince Charming is not a financial plan." And in the immortal words of Annie Lennox, this sister is doing it for herself.