Financial Literacy Month: Read a Book & Join The Pledgettes Book Club with Jessi Burg
Jessi Burg is a founding member of The Pledgettes. Since we sat next to each other at a Denver Startup Week 2019 event, Jessi was all in for money talks! Jessi shared that her husband was part of an investing club but Jessi didn't have that. And instead devoured all the personal finance books. You can see all the books we have read here!
Book Club was the first Club in The Pledgettes in December 2020 and came about when Jessi suggested it. I'm not an avid reader but I'm grateful that we have Jessi to facilitates talks with all the book worms in The Pledgettes!
Now let's hear directly from Jessi.
Hi! I'm Jessi!
As a kid, there was a running joke that I could read through anything. As an adult, it's harder to maintain that kind of focus, but I'm still a big reader. So when I wanted to learn more about managing my finances, starting with the local library was a no brainer. I read my way through money management, financial planning, and (eventually) entrepreneurship - after which I decided that if I really wanted control over my money, I needed to be working for myself.
Eight years later, I'm on my second company, bought a farm in Western Colorado, and have a plan for becoming financially independent by 2030. And, of course, I started the Pledgettes Book Club so I can keep learning about money (and how I can manage it in line with my values.
What are you looking forward to with your Club this year?
Last year, we started branching out from money mindset books into other areas that affect women's finances such as home repair. I'm really looking forward to expanding the ways that our members can learn new skills so that they can have more options with how to spend their money.
Was there a catalyst for you to take a more active role in your financial journey?
In 2015, I got my very first year-round, full-time job at the age of 31. I had never had a reliable income before that, and I wanted to learn how to manage it in a way that would allow me to be financially secure.
If you received $10,000 but couldn't spend it on yourself, how would you use it?
I'm taking "don't spend it on myself" to mean I also can't invest it in my business...so I would probably split it between my preferred charities. Or maybe I would put it towards camp or college for my nieces and nephew. It's hard to say - currently, I'm doing all the things I want to be doing with my money, so my real answer is "add a zero to the money I already give away."
What is a Big Financial Goal you are currently working on?
Financial Independence! I want to have enough money and passive income that I can only work on projects that bring me joy, and my Spouse can do the same. We have a plan to reach that goal in the next 5 years, and I have a long list of things that I need to do in my business to keep us on track.
What is something you have done in your financial journey that makes you feel proud?
Starting a business was massive for me. It literally changed my life and ability to be in control of my finances. It's always astonishing to me how much that single act of "read books in the library until I understood my options" brought me from chronic poverty to on a path to financial stability for life.
Would you rather receive $1,000,000 today or $5,000/month for life? Why?
$1 million today - that would put me much closer to the financial independence number that makes my Spouse feel financially secure, which means we could both "retire." (Let's face it, we both like to work - we're never going to retire in the traditional sense. But spending time working on the farm and taking contract projects for income as we want sounds pretty good.)
Now, onto some books. Books are a fantastic way to increase your Financial Literacy!
Every other month, since December 2020, we have read a book in The Pledgettes Book Club. You can find all those reads at our Bookshop! We primarily feature women authors and have covered some personal stories, fiscal rich books, and money mindset reads.
Last year, TARRA asked me to feature 4 books and these were my picks! I tried to pick books that were a great place to start!
We have some avid readers in The Pledgettes who have read and recommended other books! We included a Bookshop list for those too!
And last year at FinCon, I met two amazing authors: Bernadette Joy, who recently published Crush Your Money Goals and Jen Smith and Jill Sirianna, who wrote Buy What You Love Without Going Broke.
Join us for our next Book Club Meeting on April 22nd! Pledgettes members, please RSVP in our community! And Not-Yet-Members, you can join this event by registering on Eventbrite!
