Personal finance expert Suze Orman wants Wendy Gonzalez to think bigger when it comes to her money goals. The Los Angeles-based millennial earns $80,000 a year working as a logistics supervisor for an auto tech company and eventually wants to make $95,000.
“Why limit yourself to $95,000 a year?” Orman asks, reacting to CNBC Make It‘s Millennial Money episode that features Gonzalez.
Orman also wishes the millennial hadn’t splurged on a BMW, which sets her back $720 a month. In addition to the car payment, Gonzalez spends about $90 on gas, putting her monthly transportation costs at $810. “What you deserve is a life of financial independence, not some car,” Orman says.
There is good news: “She’s saving money, she’s working … and she’s making coffee at home,” says Orman, who thinks that buying coffee is like “peeing $1 million down the drain.” Gonzalez sets aside about $1,000 a month. She saves in a Roth IRA, high-yield savings account and a brokerage account. Gonzalez has around $25,000 saved in a high-yield savings account, which she has earmarked for a down payment one day.
Watch Orman’s full reaction to Gonzalez’s spending and savings habits.
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