Madison Kahn

Though we attach monumental amounts of pride to "financial independence," there is actually no such thing. Writer Hanna Brooks Olsen explains why the whole concept of being on your own is really "more of a state of mind rather than a state of affairs." 

When a first-generation American gets her first full-time job, the 21-year-old college grad doesn't even think about sharing her newfound income with her parents. Little did she know, she was making more than her parents had made in their entire lives. In this powerful essay, Arabelle shows how the money taboo can easily pit a good immigrant daughter against her American dream.

Babies are expensive — this we know. Yet potential parents tend to underestimate just how much those bundles of joy actually cost.  

Vanlife on a budget is definitely possible, but for most of the lithe, bearded, or bikini-clad young people who have zeroed in on this free-wheeling lifestyle, it’s not the object. Here, we do the math on the trend in mobile living. 

When you add money to a friendship, it changes the whole dynamic. Just ask writer Jackie Lam, who put her skills to the test as a professional Rent-A-Friend.

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