The scary truth and the real reason why I live like a broke college student even when I don’t have to is rooted in a time in my life when the saying “I don’t have a pot to piss in” was painfully true. I was terrified to my core during a period when my income was so uncertain that I didn’t know if I would be homeless from one month to the next.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness,” you’ll understand the feeling. When Will Smith’s character says that selling a scanner meant he had 30 days to breathe, that was my reality. Can you imagine living like that? Most Americans, and many people around the world, can, and the feeling worsens when you have other responsibilities besides yourself.
Turning Things Around: Why I Started Saving and Investing
I remember that fear and never wanting to feel it again. When things became stable, I was able to save and start investing because I sacrificed a lot and was very disciplined about what I ate and spent. I went from having $0 to having $200 consistently in my account.
This wasn’t just about the amount but the consistency. Many people struggle with maintaining even a small balance in their accounts and I was no exception.
A Reminder of My Own Fears: The Homeless Family
The reason I’m writing this post is because last night, while walking someone to their car, I saw a young girl and her father, who turned out to be a single father, and they were homeless. As I passed by, they were preparing to lay down for the night. He had taken her shoes off and placed them on the stroller, and he had his shoes off as if they were at home.
Understanding the Reality of Homelessness and Affordable Housing
On my way back, after walking the person to the car, I saw the girl lying inside a tent with a phone or tablet, watching something, while her father was making sure everything was okay. I asked him how he was doing, and he said, “Okay,” and then he asked me how I was doing. I said, “Okay.”
A big part of me wishes I could fix their situation because no child should have to experience that. I don’t know the father’s plight or if anything is going on with him, but they both looked clean and well taken care of. From my observation, their homelessness seemed to be due to a lack of affordable housing which was confirmed by a neighbor who went over and chatted with the father for a bit.
Update: I just wrote a post tonight 3/10/2025 (7 months later) on my encounters with him which you can read The Psychology Behind Blaming Others: A Conversation About DEI, Marginalized Communities, and Political Views.
The Fear of Uncertainty: What It Was Like Living With Zero
I’m a very private person, so I don’t like to bring too much of my personal life into this blog. However, I do have a teenager, and I remember being terrified about what would happen if I didn’t have an income- how I would protect him with my life. At that point, I had zero to my name, no money at all, and I didn’t own a single thing-and my income was uncertain.
Lessons from Watching “Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away!
During that time, I would spend my nights watching a show on Netflix ($7 a month at the time) called “Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away!” It was about people in the UK who owed a lot of debts, known as arrears over there. Essentially, bailiffs from the Queen’s Court would come and evict families or force them to pay their debts. I don’t know why I watched it, probably because I was scared the same thing might happen to me.
The Turning Point: Creating a Plan to Save and Invest
I knew I would have had to stay in my apartment until the sheriffs came to remove me in the worst-case scenario. But I think I could also relate to those people, and it made me look at my situation and realize that the second I got a chance, I needed to come up with a plan and start saving and investing.
And that’s what I did in 2019.
All of this had happened back in 2017-2018.
Building Wealth from Zero: My Investment Journey
By 2019, things started to get a little bit more stable. I spent a year being very cautious about what I ate, keeping my food budget to $200 a month for two people. I was able to save money. Then, in February 2020, I bought my first Coca-Cola shares for my household—about two shares, actually.
This was before the market started to crash due to the Coronavirus pandemic. I remember watching my portfolio bleed right from the start, but I kept buying shares of Coca-Cola, Shell, Hershey, and other companies I knew, taking advantage of the discounts.
30th Birthday Milestone: My First Share of Berkshire Hathaway Stock B
For my 30th birthday, I bought my first share of Berkshire Hathaway Stock B. There was no way I could afford the Class A stock, but I was able to build my first portfolio using Robinhood. It wasn’t until December 2022 that I moved my portfolio from Robinhood to Charles Schwab.
By then, I knew this was the foundation of my future wealth, and I didn’t trust that kind of money to be on Robinhood due to its overexposure to crypto and reliance on things I wasn’t comfortable with.
The Transition: Moving My Investments to Charles Schwab
At that time, my portfolio was valued at around $7,000, and I felt comfortable moving it to Charles Schwab. They even covered the $100 portfolio transfer fee that Robinhood charges, which was a relief. Often, brokerages will cover such costs because they are happy to have you as a customer.
The Impact of Inflation on My Current Situation
Fast forward to now, where inflation is rearing its ugly head, reminding me of that time. Seeing that little girl with her father last night brought back those memories.
Now that I’m in college, it’s really important that I value this time in my life, where there are resources for low-income students like myself. Even when I was building my portfolio in the beginning, I was low-income. I’ve always been low-income, and I’m fortunate to live in a tax credit building.
However, even that is becoming a bit iffy with the constant rent increases. When you’re low-income, you don’t make much, so even in a tax credit building, you still have to be very careful about what you spend and how you manage your finances.
With inflation, my income doesn’t stretch as far, and last night was a stark reminder of why I’m doing what I’m doing. I want to stay as far away as possible from that scenario becoming a reality.
Controlling What I Can: Focusing on Saving and Investing
I know that in this country, all it can take is one medical bill to set you back, but I can’t dwell on that. All I can do is control what I can: save my money, invest, and try to be as healthy as I can be. Hopefully, things work out in my favor.
Facing the “What Ifs”: Taking Action Despite Anxiety
It works out for a lot of people, and for some, it doesn’t. You never know which side you’ll fall on. Either way, I’m not the type to live with a “what if this happens and that happens” mentality. That’s not my mindset and never has been.
Instead, I think, “But what if nothing happens, and 20 or 30 years from now, I realize I didn’t do anything because I was worried about what could happen?” I can’t wrap my mind around the alternative way of thinking. I think it’s a dangerous way of living.
It’s good to be aware of the possibilities, but if it paralyzes you to the point where you don’t take action because you’re scared of the “what ifs,” and “the what’s the points?” I don’t think that’s the best use of your time or a wise way to spend your life.
Investing Wisely: Overcoming Risk and Fear
Don’t get me wrong, I struggle with anxiety just like many people do nowadays. I do worry about things, like what if this happens or that happens. But I always make sure it doesn’t stop me from doing what I need to do. When it does get in the way, I try to find a way to work around it.
Risk and Reward: How I Approach Bigger Investments in Life
I think it’s more challenging when it comes to taking bigger risks, for sure. But when it comes to the idea of “what’s the point of saving when something bad can happen” or “what’s the point of saving money when you could die tomorrow,” that’s something I just don’t live by. There’s a big difference in where my anxiety plays a part in my life.
For example, I’ll be more anxious about investing $10,000 into a company, thinking “what if it goes bankrupt?” That’s more of my “what if,” especially if I haven’t done my research, don’t know much about the company, or don’t understand the field. When I was younger, it used to be worse, I would overthink everything, and it took me a while to get past that.
I think it’s really important to work on whatever fear you’re going through. Let it motivate you or become a stepping stone, but don’t let it become a big brick wall that stands between you and the life you want. I know it’s easier said than done.
There will be times when that brick wall is rebuilt, and you’ll have to knock it back down or jump over it again. You’ll have to keep doing that and never stop.
The Future: Investing, College, and Financial Security
One of the reasons I started this website is because I want to document my time in college and my investment fund from the ground up. I want to show that investing is not just for the wealthy or for people who suddenly come into a windfall of cash.
It’s for people like you and me, those who have been low-income their entire lives or are broke college students, which I am. I may have some extra money on the side, but that doesn’t mean anything in terms of building my investment portfolio from the ground up. This account started from zero pennies, and if you read my blog, you can see that I started it from nothing.
Living Like a Broke College Student: Why It’s Important to Stay Disciplined
I still live like a broke college student because just one mishap can knock everything down. If I don’t care about saving or investing, I’ll be living paycheck to paycheck. I really do have to cut back so I can save and invest. I can’t live the life I want right now and invest and save at the same time.
So, it’s about making sacrifices here and there if I want to continue saving and investing. The truth is, these last couple of years, it’s been really hard to save. It’s been a constant game of putting money in my savings account and then having to touch it for groceries or other needs.
Consistency in My Investment Fund: How I Keep It Going
However, the $50 that goes into my investment fund is consistent because it’s already allocated for that purpose. Saving has been more difficult to maintain. Luckily, with my financial aid funds, I’m able to put some money back into my savings.
Low-Income Financial Aid: How I Manage My Money
When you’re low-income, you get paid to go to school, and sometimes you have a little bit left over from Pell Grants that you can put into savings. That doesn’t mean you will always have that extra money because you never know when you’ll need to pay for tuition out of pocket.
I keep this in mind, especially as I plan to transfer to a nearby university to finish my undergrad. I don’t know what to expect in terms of grants or scholarships, so I don’t take anything for granted. I see my current situation as a blessing and try to use and manage it wisely.
During my time in school, I hope this blog also turns into something that generates a little extra income. Blogging is a long-term endeavor, and I’m hopeful. Beyond that, I want to document my mindset and what I’m doing now.
I see myself having a salary with my degree field, possibly doing research, and an investment fund in the future, and I think it’s really vital to remember the moments that shaped you, the things that built you, and where you come from.
That stark reminder last night of the father and his little girl was a trigger for me. As I was looking at my investments, I was reminded why I’m doing what I’m doing.
I needed that reminder because sometimes when you’re deep in the process, you can forget what initially sparked your motivation, especially when you’re no longer in that drastic situation.
So with that said, don’t ever sell yourself short. Just because you’re in a situation where you’re a broke college student or low-income, or you come from not having much, doesn’t mean your circumstances can’t change. You can take action to improve your situation and achieve better outcomes.
The Broke College Student 
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