Single Parent
This individual is serious about managing her money. She has her grandparents, who told her stories of frugal and resourceful living during the Depression, to thank for that. The stories her grandparents shared with her gave her financial grounding. "They instilled in me the importance of saving, paying yourself first, supporting your community, and being cognizant of how you spend," says the 31-year-old human resource generalist. Because she took her grandparents' teachings to heart, it was easy for her to commit to be proactive and knowledgeable about investing, money management, and consumer issues.
She began to show her business savvy early.  While her friends were trying to keep up with the latest fashions, she was thinking of ways she could pay for college. This budding entrepreneur worked in her family's catering business where she earned up to $100 a week. Everything she earned was put into a savings account, and by the time she left for college, she had saved more than $5,000.