I Wasn’t Always Good With Money

Silence is expensive.

Barkley L. Hendricks Sweet Thang (Lynn Jenkins) 1975-76

I wasn’t always good with money.

I came from a background of bounced checks, borrowing, and emotional spending. When I got my first job, I wanted to do better, but this was before the era of personal finance TikToks and money podcasts. So I did what I could: I bought The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke by Suze Orman. It was the only thing speaking to people like me at the time, and I implemented as much as I could, starting with her classic: “Contribute enough to your 401(k) to get the employer match.”

Years later, that small savings floated me when I left traditional work for good at 29. I tweeted that I moved from LA to Atlanta with $7K from my 401(k) and got dragged for calling it “not enough.” I’ll say it again: it wasn’t even close to dream-chasing money. It was gone in months!

Eventually, I sharpened my instincts and built fundamental money skills slowly, quietly, and through a lot of trial and error. And now I share what I know because, as I recently read on Substack, the more you talk about money, the more you’re likely to make.

So let’s call this Part One.

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Get Literate.

Black women face some of the biggest financial literacy gaps in the U.S., shaped by systemic barriers, historical inequities, and a lack of targeted education. Start with a baseline. Khan Academy offers a free financial literacy course; I share this with anyone who listens.

If I could only recommend one book? The Psychology of Money.
If you want a workbook to get down into the nitty gritty of your spending? Try The 21-Day Budget Cleanse. It helps you trim the fat fast.

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Autosave for Something.
When I used to save just to “have savings,” it was too easy to dip into it. It had no purpose. Now, I give every dollar a name.
Tires. Holidays. Vacations. Splurges.

One of my first wins was autosaving $50 every two weeks into a travel fund. When I checked it months later, I always had enough to do something, even if it was a little staycation with room service.

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Talk About It.
Be honest with trusted friends about how much you’re making and spending. Those convos taught me market rates, smarter spending, and where I was getting played.

One time, I was venting about daycare costs when someone dropped a gem: an excellent free (yes, free) school. Silence is expensive.

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Try This Experiment.
Wear the same thing two or three days in a row. Watch how no one notices. And if they do? So what.

We spend so much time trying to prove something with our clothes, but most people aren’t clocking your outfits like you think. I still love a good fit, but I wear what I love a lot.

I learned about CPW (cost per wear) in college, and it stuck with me. If I’m going to spend big on something, I ask myself: how many times am I really going to wear it?

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Stay Recession Ready.
Recessions are a normal part of the economic cycle and should not surprise us. What should surprise us is being unprepared.

Recessions test your spending habits, income streams, and mindset.
– Know your bare minimum number.
– Have a plan to stack up months of money.
– Keep pots simmering on the stove (a.k.a. income streams you can turn up when needed).

One of my pots? My podcast. As long as there are episodes, there are ads. And the more I record, the more it earns. It makes money while I sleep, and that’s the goal.

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That’s enough for today. Maybe a part two?

And if you’re trying to change your relationship with money, whether it’s your habits, your mindset, or your goals, I work with coaching clients on this every day. When you’re ready to do the deep work, I’m here.

Heads up: Some links are affiliate links, meaning if you click and buy, I might get a little thank-you coin at no extra cost to you.

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About Me

I’m Myleik Teele, an entrepreneur, coach, and community builder. Over the past decade, I have built, scaled, and closed CURLBOX, creating a blueprint for modern brand-building and cultivating thriving communities both online and in real life. Now, my focus is on helping people—from high-level entrepreneurs and executives to those simply trying to create a life that feels good—play bigger while actually enjoying the journey.

If you’re ready to grow without the pressure to be perfect and build a life that truly feels like yours, you’re in the right place. You can also find me on Instagram and my podcast, where I dive into life, business, and everything in between.