How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck & Finally Get Ahead

Mel Robbins (0:00)

Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to The Mel Robbins Podcast.

I am so excited for the conversation today, because you're going to learn how to stop living paycheck to paycheck, and exactly what to do right now. And you're going to learn it from Vivian Tu.

She is known to millions of people online as Your Rich BFF. And today, she is here for one reason. She is here to help you. She's one of the most respected and popular personal finance educators in the world. And here's what I love about her. She's been there. She knows the struggle you're feeling, because just a decade ago, she was living paycheck to paycheck herself. And she's going to tell you, when you're trying to pay off debt and keep up with bills and live your life at the same time, one of the hardest questions can be, where do I even start? And if you're wondering, is it harder right now to get ahead? You're not crazy. Vivian will tell you it is harder to get ahead right now.

But that doesn't mean you're powerless. You're gonna learn where to start if you've got nothing saved, how to pay off debt when it feels overwhelming, when it makes sense to start investing, and what to do. If you're worried you'll never be able to afford to buy a house or you're behind on retirement. Today, you're gonna learn how to get ahead when advice like, well, just cut back. Doesn't cut it. See, you don't need to fix your entire financial life. You just need to know your next right move. And today, Vivian Tu is here to show you how to make it.

Hey, it's your friend Mel and welcome to The Mel Robbins Podcast. I am so glad that you're here. It's always such an honor to be together and spend this time with you. And if you're new or somebody sent you this episode, I just want to personally welcome you to The Mel Robbins Podcast family. You have picked an extraordinary episode to listen to, because today you're learning how to stop living paycheck to paycheck and what to do right now. From one of the most popular financial educators in the world, Vivian Tu has more than 10 million followers on social media, where she is better known as Your Rich BFF. Vivian is a former Wall Street trader at JP Morgan, and she's the author of two New York Times bestsellers. And Time Magazine has named her to the Time 100 Creators List, recognizing some of the most influential thought leaders in the world. Please help me welcome Vivian Tu to The Mel Robbins Podcast.

Vivian Tu (2:34)

Thank you so much for having me.

Mel Robbins (2:35)

When I told everybody that you were coming on, the team went crazy, and I wanted you on this show because my daughters follow you.

And so many people around the world love you because you have this very rare ability to be able to empower us to feel like we can take control of our money. And at the same time, you also are a realist about what's actually going on in the world right now. And so I'm grateful that you're here. And I'd like to start by having you paint the picture. So if the person who is listening right now is living paycheck to paycheck, what is going to happen? What will change in their life if they take everything to heart? That their new rich BFF is going to teach them today.

Vivian Tu (3:23)

This episode is going to give them power.

We talk a lot about wanting money, wanting richness. And I think everybody pictures the lime green Lamborghini and the new designer bag. But that's not what this is all for, right? We should want money because when you have money, you have the power, you have the freedom, you get to be the captain of your own ship.

Something that so many people are feeling these days is this lack of agency, that so many things are changing around them, but they don't actually get a say in their life. And to me, that's the most frustrating thing ever, because if you can't fix it, then what's the point? So I hope everybody listening will realize by the end of this, you will have actionable things that you can do, and that no matter where you are in your financial journey, there are very few mistakes you can't come back from. It's never too early to start, but it's also never too late.

Mel Robbins (4:20)

I love that. When you have money, you have power and freedom.

Vivian Tu (4:24)

Yeah.