Join us as we take a walk down memory lane! Today, everyone on the BuDhaGirl Team is remembering how they earned their first paycheck and what they spent it on. When the thrill of working towards financial goals seems to dull, sometimes it can be very inspiring to think back to simpler days at your first job. What motivated you then? How have your motivations changed?

Jessica: My first paycheck was for two hours of “floor” modeling at Saks Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I was 15 years old and had just completed my modeling training at John Robert Powers (a finishing/modeling school). The school’s director sent me on my first casting call, I was very nervous and really fresh of the farm, yet luckily I was called for the job. I didn’t cash my first paycheck because I couldn’t believe I was being paid for doing something I loved. After a few weeks I was again booked at Saks and the fashion director insisted I cash my check, she told me it was good form and that I had earned it…so I did cash my check and proceeded to buy what I had coveted for months…a pair of black Yves Saint Laurent pumps. They became an investment for my modeling career. 

Caryn: My first paycheck was from Episcopal Academy Day Camp in Philadelphia Pa.  I was a camp counselor for 4th grade girls during the summer.  I did this every summer during high school.  It was so fun being outside everyday, swimming, playing sports, and creating new relationships. We got paid at the end of the summer in one lump paycheck.  I spent my first official paycheck on new furniture and accessories for my bedroom. My love for interior design started very early.

Cathy: When I was in high school, I worked at a kids clothing store. There is nothing more brutal than dressing someone’s toddler in a sailor suit. Anyhow, several doors down was the most fabulous shoe store I had ever seen! Thus began my shoe obsession. With the first paycheck I went to Kris’ Goody Too Shoes and bought my first Godiva chocolate – several paychecks later I went back for the shoes.

Twyla: I earned my first paycheck at PIN Salon, where I worked as a receptionist the summer they opened. During those few months, I regularly talked to 50 people on the phone a day, was treated to beautiful hairstyles (on the house!), and made a number of lifelong friends. Surprisingly enough, it was during my summer at PIN that I was first introduced to BuDhaGirl! I didn't spend my first paycheck on anything notable - I squirreled it away instead. I think that this first job, and the amount I saved, allowed me to take my dream (unpaid!) internship at Harper's Bazaar in NYC just a few months later.

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