Financial adulting in your 20s & 30s: Saving, retirement, and real-life budgeting with Brigitte Killings
Brigitte Killings has the kind of energy that makes you sit up straighter — not because she’s scolding you, but because you suddenly believe you can be the person who has her money handled.
In this episode, we sat down with Brigitte (a 30-year veteran in financial services and the Atlantic & South Division Head of Community and Business Development at JPMorganChase), and we covered a lot: the money habits that matter most in your 20s and 30s, how to raise financially confident kids, and what it actually looks like to prepare for the “sandwich generation” years — when you’re caring for kids and aging parents at the same time.
⏰ Episode timestamps
[2:00]: The money habits Brigitte wishes more people built between 25–34
[3:00]: Why the 401(k) match is the “free money” so many people leave behind
[4:00]: How savings buckets make life feel calmer (emergency, travel, future goals)
[8:00]: Budgeting for generosity, gift giving, and “helping as the spirit moves you”
[10:00]: How to talk to kids about money without shame, stress, or secrecy
[16:00]: A first paycheck, paying “rent” at 14, and learning responsibility early
[18:00]: How to start family money conversations before crisis hits
[33:00]: Banking isn’t just transactional anymore — it’s relational
[36:00]: Chase’s free community workshops (and no, you don’t have to be a customer)
[40:00]: What gives Brigitte hope about Gen Z and young Millennials
The money habits that will pay you back later
Brigitte’s advice for people in their 20s and 30s was simple: understand where your money is going, and save like you mean it.
Not “save whatever’s left at the end of the month.” Not “I’ll start when I make more.” The kind of saving that’s a practice.
She talked specifically about taking advantage of workplace retirement plans — especially the company match — because it’s one of the few times in adult life where someone is basically offering you free money.
And Cassidy brought up a moment we think about constantly: a friend considering cashing out a small retirement balance — only to realize how powerful a “small” amount can be when you’re young and time is doing the compounding for you. That’s the secret sauce of starting early: the dollars don’t have to be huge, but the timing matters.
Brigitte’s vibe isn’t “never spend.” It’s: plan so your spending doesn’t stress you out.
Use savings buckets to help you plan for life
One of the most practical takeaways of our conversation with Brigitte was using savings account “buckets” for different goals, such as:
Emergency savings
Retirement savings
Future home (or big goal) fund
Travel fund
Emily shared a real-time example: booking plane tickets and feeling that rare adult peace because there was already money sitting in the travel category. No guilt. No panic. Just, “Cool, we planned for this.”
That’s the thing about buckets: they’re not just logistical. They’re emotional. They reduce decision fatigue, and they make “life happens” moments feel manageable instead of catastrophic.
Budgeting for generosity
Cassidy mentioned having a dedicated “gift giving” category — for birthdays, holidays, donations, and those moments where someone you love is going through it and you want to show up.
Brigitte loved this idea, and then shared a story about her sister that stuck with us: keeping a small stash of cash in the car — fives, tens, whatever you can — and giving it away when it felt right. No interrogation, no moral math. Just, “I can help today.”
The bigger takeaway here isn’t “everyone should do exactly that.” It was: if generosity matters to you, build it into your plan. Because if you only try to be generous when you have “extra,” it tends to disappear into life.
Raising financially confident kids starts with you getting comfortable
When we asked how to talk to kids about money without making it stressful or shame-y, Brigitte went straight to the foundation:
If you want fiscally confident kids, you have to get educated, too.
Not because you need to be perfect, but because kids absorb the emotional tone around money. If money is always tense, secretive, or off-limits, they’ll learn that, too.
Brigitte shared so many age-appropriate ways to make money normal:
At the grocery store: “We’re spending $50 today. This costs $5. Is this how we want to use our money?”
Simple chores with small allowances: enough to practice decision-making
Letting kids contribute toward something they want (even if it’s a small amount), so they start connecting choices to tradeoffs
And she made a point we loved: kids are quick to spend your money, but when it’s their money? Suddenly they’re financial philosophers.
The sandwich generation is real, so start the conversations early
This part of the episode felt like a deep exhale and a wake-up call at the same time.
Brigitte talked about the importance of being transparent with parents and family before you’re forced into decisions during a crisis. Not one huge scary talk, but ongoing, layered conversations, such as:
Do you want to stay in your home long-term, or downsize eventually?
If you ever needed care, what would you want that to look like?
Where is the paperwork? Who knows what?
Do you have estate planning documents in place?
And she said something that people avoid but everyone needs to hear: you don’t have to be a millionaire to need an estate plan. Everyone needs a plan.
Banking doesn’t have to be intimidating (and you’re allowed to ask for help)
Brigitte reminded us that bankers are people. Not scary. Not there to judge you. And modern banking (at least the way she describes it) is much more relational than transactional. Many (like Chase, where Brigitte works) offer free workshops on all kinds of financial topics, like debt payoff, home buying, and saving.
If you’ve ever avoided walking into a branch because you felt embarrassed about not knowing enough, this episode is your permission slip to show up anyway.
TL;DR
Start early: know where your money goes, save consistently, and don’t ignore retirement matches.
Savings “buckets” reduce stress and let you enjoy life without the guilt spiral.
If generosity matters to you, budget for it on purpose.
Kids can learn money skills young through everyday moments, chores, and tradeoffs.
Sandwich generation planning is about conversations before crisis: estate planning, care preferences, and transparency.
You’re allowed to ask for help at a bank — and free financial education workshops exist.
🔗 Connect with Brigitte on LinkedIn.
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