What advice would u give to someone who comes from a lower income family background than one who comes from more affluent background towards achieving financial goals?

Relatable. In sec sch, friends were wearing braces, carrying the trendiest bagpack, living in condo&landed etc. Seeing them just fuelled my drive to do better. I self motivate myself by consoling myself that unlike them, i can buy all these NICEITIES on my own w/o anybody's funding. That to me is a bigger flex than whatever my peers were carrying.

I hear you, coming from a lower income family background myself.

I found that it helped me - because when you have had days where parents are constantly arguing because there is no money/you need to pay for your own tertiary education yourself etc, it makes you more driven to want to do better for yourself.

Additionally, I was in a school where there were many children from elite families, and I could see for myself first-hand how the wealthy live. Everything from exhorbitant trips, to flying overseas just to get a haircut from a famous hairstylist in Europe, to purchasing the latest Hermes collection.

Here's my advice, coming from a place like that myself:

1. Screw ' keeping up with the Joneses' - unfortunately I have seen many friends who choose to pay branded bags with their first paycheck (as a way to reward themselves). Somehow some succumb to the pressure, and feel compelled to keep up with a lifestyle where they have branded clothes/shoes, and dine at cafes that cost $20-30 each time you're there for a meal. The pressure would be even more immense if your social circle is filled with high income kids who have not gone through the hardships of being without money.

2. Know your goals. My goal when I entered university was to save x amount of money by 20xx, to be able to take my parents on a holiday and to buy free-hold property by a certain age. With that goal in mind, I then tweaked what I had to do to get there.