Janna’s Story: Freedom to Travel

White woman with a pixie haircut wears a flowery top smiles in front of a bed of tulips

Meet Janna, a licensed social worker who lives in Texas and loves to travel. What do you do? I work for 2-1-1 Texas/UnitedWay HELPLINE, doing outreach and education about 2-1-1 services. I love my work. Every day is different, and there are different topics and coalitions that the community focuses on. I actually heard about…

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Andrew’s Story: The Pursuit of a Minimalist Lifestyle

Andrew and his wife and son sit on a couch together with their son

Meet Andrew, a recent newlywed living in Daly City, CA with his wife and their 13-year old son. What do you do? I work for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission in the Water Resources Department. I’ve been at this position for a little over three years, but I’ve been with the company for over…

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Buchi’s Story: Experiences Instead of Material Items

Headshot of an African-American man in a professional studio who wearing a yellow polo and smiling

Meet Buchi, a self-employed bookkeeper who lives and works in San Francisco. What do you do? I’m disabled and I’m self-employed with bookkeeping. I do that on the side. It’s been good for these last 9-12 years. What did your upbringing teach you about finances? (laughs) Well, to manage money responsibly. Here in the US,…

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Brett’s Story: The Price of Debt

Tall man smiles while wearing a dark blue sweatshirt and carrying a light blue backpack leans one arm against a tree

Meet Brett, a full-time student living in Indiana, Pennsylvania who’s pursuing his PhD degree. What do you do? I’m in the second year of my program at Indiana University, pursuing a degree in Literature and Criticism. It’s the study of literature but using theories and criticism to discuss different pieces. What did your upbringing teach…

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Daisy’s Story: Dreaming of a Purple House with Chickens

A woman with curly hair and glasses wearing a black dress and light green jacket side hugs her daughter who is wearing a teal blue jacket and backpack in front of their apartment

Meet Daisy, a part-time lecturer and breastfeeding peer counselor, living in San Francisco with her 5-year old daughter. What do you do for a living? I currently have two jobs and might pick up a third. I lecture a weekly class at San Francisco State University and I also have a part-time job as a…

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Pashen’s Story: Lessons for My Boys

A black woman with pearl necklace wears a long white, pink, and black dress while smiling

Meet Pashen, a Florida native currently living in Lake Wales with her three sons. What do you do? I’m a paraeducator at my local school district. I help my students who may have learning disabilities. What did your upbringing teach you about finances? As a kid, I was always worried if my parents were going…

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