How I Managed My Finances as a Woman to Prepare for Marriage and Motherhood

Mistakes were made.

This is just how I did it. It’s not a prescription, but it worked for me. Some details are modified for privacy reasons, whether for myself or another adult involved. In general, here were my mistakes and principles.

• I tried college at 18 with a full-ride scholarship, but I didn’t have the family or academic support I needed to be successful. I was on my…