6 Personal Finance Lessons I Wish I Knew When I Started Earning
Things I learned the hard way that can help you become wiser in money matters
A few days ago, Paytm, an Indian e-commerce company, released an advertisement highlighting the gap in financial literacy between men and women.
In it, a group of 30 men and women of various ages and social backgrounds were asked to stand in a single line while the presenter asked questions. If their answer was “Yes,” the participants had to take a step forward. For every “No,” they had to take a step backward.
In the beginning, the questions were simple. For example, if they learned how to ride a bicycle before the age of 10, if they took music lessons in school, if they took lessons in sports, etc. A good mix of men and women were ahead and some were behind.
But as the questions started veering towards personal finance, the gap between men and women started widening. Questions like if they pay the household bills themselves, if they know the exact breakup of their salaries, the details of financial documents they are asked to sign, if they own a vehicle in their name, etc. saw more men stepping forward while the women kept stepping behind.
