Name: Amanda
Age: 26
State: Illinois
My other blog: www.cakes-and-ale.com

More about Amanda:
I live in Chicago (in the Bucktown neighborhood, downtown) with my husband Josh. I work for a major beer company for the sales organization, working primarily with National Accounts. I graduated in 2004 with a B.A. in English Literature from Miami University of Ohio and I am currently about halfway through my MBA at DePaul University.
While I was born in Chicago, my family moved to Australia when I was 14. We lived there until I was a senior in High School. Living abroad opened up my eyes to the world beyond the U.S. I hope to move – and work – overseas again someday.

Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging mostly because I love to write. I became interested in personal finance after graduating college and started my first blog “Young and Broke” then. I really felt like not many people addressed the financial issues of twenty-somethings, and I also felt like my peers were woefully ignorant when it came to managing their money.

What do you think is the most important personal finance issue for our generation?
Two things, and I can’t decide which is more important: 1) staying away from credit card debt and 2) saving for retirement. Most twenty-somethings are “live in the moment” types, wanting everything now, and worrying about the future later, so I think both those issues go hand-in-hand. Don’t buy what you can’t afford to pay for and start thinking long term. Compound interest is a marvelous thing – starting to save for retirement now can mean thousands down the line. Yet, it won’t matter much if you’re buried in consumer debt.

What is one thing you know now that you wish they taught in high school or college?
Again, how compound interest works. When people really see what it can mean for them, in terms of cold, hard cash, they’re eyes light up and it’s like they have a little mini-Enlightenment.

What do you do in your free time?
In my spare time, I love to read novels, watch movies, walk everywhere in the city, cook good food, drink good wine, and spend time with friends.

What are your personal financial goals?
Right now, Josh and I are saving machines! We’re putting money aside for a down payment on a home as well as saving for a big 2-week plus trip back to Sydney for my friends wedding next year. Long term, I’d like to have the security of knowing I’ve got enough going towards retirement as well as a cushion that would allow me to start my own business (whatever that may be) in earnest sometime in the next 10 years.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
Do I have to pick just one? Right now, I’m dreaming of our upcoming trip to Sydney, while also mentally planning future trips to Kenya, Argentina, the Provence region in France, going back to Thailand, Florence and Rome... the list is never ending.

Who do you admire the most and why?
I really admire people closest to me the most. My husband, for being a person who really appreciates the good, non-material things in his life the most. My Mom, for being tireless, ambitious, and proving that women CAN have it all (children and a thriving, demanding career). My Dad, for his innate intelligence, thoughtfulness, and dedication to whatever he endeavors. My sister, for her perseverance, sense of self, and optimism.