7 Lessons Finance Expert Dasha Kennedy Had To Learn the Hard Way
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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Struggling with your finances can make you feel like you’re the only one making money mistakes. But take it from Dasha Kennedy, the financial guru behind The Broke Black Girl — literally everyone has to learn some tough money lessons along the way.
Kennedy has built a following by sharing the real, unfiltered truth about money management that traditional experts sometimes gloss over. Through her own financial ups and downs, she’s uncovered some game-changing insights that might just transform your relationship with money, too.
Here are seven hard-earned lessons she’s shared on social media and in her new book “Moving Beyond: The Power of Perseverance in Personal Finance.”
You Can’t Budget Your Way Out of Not Making Enough
- “For a long time, I thought I just needed to ‘budget better.'”
How many times have you beaten yourself up for not sticking to a budget? Kennedy discovered the painful truth that sometimes the issue isn’t your budgeting skills — it’s simply not having enough income to cover your needs.
This revelation was freeing for her because she realized her money struggles weren’t about discipline but about access. When you’re in survival mode, no amount of expense-tracking apps can fix the fundamental problem of just not having enough money.
Financial Shame Only Makes Things Worse
- “I used to avoid looking at my bank account, because I didn’t want to feel bad.”
Raise your hand if you’ve ever ignored checking your account balance because you were afraid of what you’d see. Kennedy found that this avoidance cycle only made her financial situation worse.
Breaking free from financial shame became her first crucial step toward money management. Learning to face your numbers without judgment is sometimes the hardest but most necessary part of financial healing.
Traditional Financial Advice Isn’t Always Realistic
- “Stop eating out,” “Just get a high-paying job,” “Invest everything!”
Kennedy quickly realized that cookie-cutter financial advice simply doesn’t work for real-life situations like being a single parent, working paycheck to paycheck or digging out from under massive debt.
Instead of feeling guilty about not following generic money rules, she built a financial plan that actually fit her life circumstances — and that made all the difference.
Small Wins Matter More Than You Think
- “The first $100 I saved felt bigger than any other financial milestone.”
While financial influencers were bragging about their six-figure portfolios, Kennedy was celebrating keeping $100 in her account without having to withdraw it — and that victory meant everything.
This powerful realization shows how deeply personal financial progress truly is. Those seemingly tiny wins can actually be the building blocks of your financial confidence and future security.
Consistency Beats Intensity Every Time
- “The key isn’t doing everything at once; it’s doing something consistently.”
Forget those dramatic financial makeovers you see on TV! Kennedy discovered that slow, steady progress beats the intense but unsustainable “financial crash diets” that many experts recommend.
Those small, consistent actions — tracking expenses weekly, adding $20 to savings when possible or reviewing billing statements monthly — create lasting change in ways that extreme measures just can’t match.
More Money Doesn’t Fix Bad Money Habits
- “When I finally started making more, I realized that more money just means bigger mistakes if you don’t have a plan.”
We’ve all thought it: “If I just made X more dollars, all my problems would disappear.” Kennedy’s experience proved this myth wrong.
Without addressing underlying money habits first, a bigger paycheck often leads to bigger spending rather than financial security. Building money management skills matter just as much as the numbers in your bank account.
Your Financial Timeline Is Your Own
- “I had to stop comparing my journey to everyone else’s and focus on what made sense for me.”
Feel behind on your financial goals? Kennedy had to ditch the pressure of hitting arbitrary money milestones by certain ages. There’s incredible freedom in recognizing that your financial journey doesn’t need to match anyone else’s timeline. This perspective allowed her to focus on sustainable progress rather than rushing to “catch up” to some imaginary standard.
Kennedy’s ultimate discovery was that true financial success isn’t just about having money – it’s about achieving financial peace. “It’s one thing to have money in the bank,” she explained, “but it’s another to feel calm, confident, and in control of your finances.”
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