Must Read: Sallie Mae Flew 100 Employees To Hawaii, Your Credit Card Could Be Making You Sick 

Chicago-based drag artist and RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Shea Couleé has lived the artist’s financial journey, from making $60 in a night starting out to now becoming a sought-after artist and Instagram success with 800,000 followers. She was raised to be frugal and resourceful, and that carried into how she decided to manage her money while working. This is her story. (Nerd Wallet)

Americans are taking on overwhelming amounts of debt, and it’s affecting their physical health. The average American has 3 credit cards with over $6k as a total balance. Not being able to pay these balances is stressful, as you could imagine (or maybe as you’ve experienced), and the extra stress is not good for our well-being. (CNBC)

We all understand that you need to spend less than you make to be able to save and/or stay afloat. At least breaking even will get leave you in a better position than overspending month to month. Sometimes, we spend all we have to support ourselves in hard times or we drain our bank accounts if an emergency comes up, and this doesn’t help our situations. These inconsistencies are what lead to financial struggle. (Forbes)

The title of this article is meant to be shocking – how would a family making well into six figures be struggling? Internet diaries that looked into how people felt about their financial standing showed that those who fell into that income bracket felt that they were “middle class” and often “just making it.” And as crazy as that sounds, those who are living in certain metropolitan areas do feel pinched by the cost of childcare, housing, living expenses, and more … but others spend wildly on vacations and other discretionary purchases. (The Atlantic)

In some of the most frustrating corporate news ever, Sallie Mae flew 100 of its sales employees to vacation in Maui to celebrate a record year of $5 billion in student loans to 374,000 borrowers. This news is so aggravating to us that we’re not going to say anything else – we’re at a loss for words. Just read on. (Forbes)

Three out of ten people contributed more over the past year to their retirement accounts than in previous years. 16% of people contributed less than they have in the past. Fear that a recession could hit any minute now paired with market volatility have led that 16% to be wary of their contributions, along with a strong 50% keeping their contributions level. This is what experts are saying about this pattern. (CNBC)

There’s so much conflicting job advice out there – probably because we all believe different things, in general! But in this world where people are burning out at jobs in order to make as much money as possible, where YouTubers are foregoing their channels because of demanding posting schedules, and where there’s pressure to be everything you can be, it’s easy to recognize that sometimes passion and hard work are the same thing. Here’s how one millennial sees it and how she has navigated her career so far by following her passion. (The Financial Diet)