Ep 46 | The Gen Z Money Expert’s Playbook (That Millennials Seriously Need to Steal)
Gen Z isn’t waiting around for the old rules of wealth building and maybe millennials shouldn’t either. In this episode, Priya sits down with Taylor Price (aka Priceless Tay), the Gen Z money expert who turned a blog into a financial education movement. They dig into why buying a home isn’t Gen Z’s first wealth move, how younger investors think about risk and liquidity, why “investing without goals” is basically gambling, and the foundational habits every twenty- and thirty-something needs to master before chasing returns. If you want a fresh, modern take on money, you’ve arrived.
Takeaways:
Gen Z isn’t waiting for the white-picket-fence moment.
You can’t skip the foundation just because “investing feels sexy.”
PricelessTay’s Foundation First Framework.
Your habits scale with your income. Your paycheck doesn’t “fix” them.
Guest Bio:
Taylor Price is the founder of @PricelessTay, a financial education platform transforming how Gen Z learns about money. After a medical setback ended her neurosurgery ambitions, she shifted her passion to financial empowerment - quickly becoming a pioneer in the financial literacy movement on TikTok. Her content has reached millions and earned features in Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, The New York Times, CNBC, and more. Named BankRate's Best Financial Activist and GoBankingRates' Most Influential Financial Expert, she has spoken at Google, Nasdaq, and partners with Shark Tank Global on YouTube. Today, she travels the world teaching Gen Z how to build wealth with confidence and clarity.
Follow Priya Malani:
LinkedIn | Instagram | Youtube | Stash Wealth
Transcription
That's just really out of reach for Gen Z. So how are we building wealth? We're looking at assets that are a little bit more liquid, a lot more within reach, that don't have several hundred thousand dollars that you need or a large down payment that comes with equities. Fractional shares, stocks. You can buy a stock now for as little as one dollar or five dollars versus having to put twenty thousand, fifty thousand dollars on a down payment for a house.
Who the fuck am I to tell you what to do with your money? My name is Priya Malani, currently managing millions of hardworking dollars. Enough foreplay. Let's talk. Welcome to the F Word Smart Money.
Taylor Price, welcome to the show.
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to have you. Better known as Priceless Tay, and you're a Gen Z money expert, which is so cool because you're for Gen Z and I'm on, let's say, the elder side of elder millennial. So this should be an awesome and very interesting conversation. I'm so excited to introduce you to the audience because you've built an incredible media brand. Like wow, so impressed. I love what you're doing with Priceless Tay. It's so fun, so accessible.
But just to take it back a sec, I'm curious what was money like for you growing up?
Well, first off, I want to say thank you so much. And I get the question very early on. You mentioned my platform Priceless Tay, my name being Taylor Price. It's one of the questions that Forbes just asked me in LA on stage at the Creator Upfront. Is your last name really Price? Yes, it is. I got to thank my parents for that one.
Money was something that we definitely were informed about growing up. I grew up in a working household. My parents started a small industrial uniform rental company back in the 1990s, and so they taught me early on that money was a tool. It's not necessarily something to fear or something to worship, but something to understand, use intentionally, use wisely.
And so firsthand, I saw how financial decisions ripple through your entire life, not just in the business but at home and family matters and relationships and, at the end of the day, even yourself. How you're able to take care of yourself or not take care of yourself. Growing up in that environment shaped everything for me. I learned that you can have big dreams, but you can also still be practical. That really drove me to want to make finance accessible because I knew what it felt like to have some of these questions and not necessarily know exactly where to turn, because not all of us want to talk to our parents 24/7, especially about more intimate conversations.
Yeah, and not all parents feel comfortable having those conversations or feel equipped to know how to have them. So it seems like you got a head start and had your parents really early. I actually have a guest coming up in a couple weeks who's going to talk to us about money and children and how parents can turn money into a tool for their kids when they're young. And that's what your parents did for you, which is incredible.
So did you always imagine yourself teaching finance, or was it something you stumbled into? I know a bit of this story, but I’m excited for you to tell it. What track were you on, Taylor?
I like to bring it back to the name. First up, Taylor relates to sewing, so early back in the day I thought I was going to be a part of my parents’ small industrial uniform rental company. Not the case. Then there’s a segment of my life not in my name. I wanted to be a surgeon. I was studying pre-med. That was the plan. But life had other ideas.
I had a medical procedure that completely redirected my path. It was scoliosis. I was at a point where I had to get a major surgery. At first it was devastating, but that experience taught me something powerful. Sometimes dreams die so better ones can be born.
Fast forward, I dropped out of college, transitioned majors, and asked my mom what I should do with my life. She said why don’t you go into finance, and so I did. I quickly realized that corporate finance and personal finance were two very different conversations. As an 18-year-old, 17-year-old, I was expecting to learn how to budget, how to get a good credit score, how to pay my taxes for the first time. I wasn’t expecting to not know any of that while analyzing Amazon, Apple, billion-trillion-dollar companies’ financial statements.
Meanwhile, I was really struggling with my own personal finances. When I looked toward the traditional education system, literally asking my counselors for Gen Eds for basic financial literacy, they said no. I was like how can this be? I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, which indicates I have a little intelligence here, and now I'm starting to analyze numbers that have several commas. But I don't know what to do with my own money.
I did my research. In 2017, six out of fifty states required a personal finance course for testing in high school. New York State, where I grew up, was not one of them. That pushed me to start this conversation. Why aren’t we talking about this in school? I’m now a corporate finance major and yet I have no idea about personal finance. How can this be?
Started as a blog. Then videos, because Gen Z doesn’t like reading. We like videos. YouTube, Instagram. TikTok wasn’t a thing yet, but in 2019, when it was a dancing platform, I decided let me bring this financial literacy stuff over to TikTok and see how it goes.
Were you dancing?
No. I wasn’t really pointing on the screen. Some early videos, but mostly just me talking to the camera. Back then you could just talk to the camera and if the topic was good, it would go mega viral. At that time, I was the only one my age talking about this. People were like I’m struggling with this too and I’m in the UK, not even the US. I realized this wasn’t just a New York problem. It wasn’t just a US problem. This was global. A silent pandemic.
Then COVID happened. Two struggles at once: the medical perspective and the financial perspective. People getting laid off, stock market crashing, then rebounding. That’s really how I got started.
To recap, I did not imagine myself teaching finance. Your advice was at the right place at the right time.
Yeah, that's incredible. It's one thing to put a blog out there or a couple TikToks. It’s another to turn yourself into a major media brand, which you’ve done with Priceless Tay. You are all over. You spoke at Forbes, not for the first time. You’ve made a name for yourself. You met Barbara Corcoran. What was the switch from "I'm just going to teach budgeting" to "Oh wait, this is an empire"?
Priceless Tay was born out of frustration. I was in my late teens and early 20s trying to figure out money. Everything I found was either too complicated or too boring or talked down to me like I was a child. And there was nobody I could relate to. Traditional advisors had resources, but blogs were not beginner-friendly.
When I brought the message to TikTok and had that moment of virality, I decided to make it into a movement. Not just “that was important, let’s move on.” No. That was important. Now let’s talk about it more. Let’s go on podcasts, go on stage, speak at colleges. Now there are so many people like me talking about finances online. People are sharing budgets, grocery breakdowns, gas, Amazon impulse purchases. D-influencing. Everything ties back to money now.
Oh my God, so true. That’s incredible. I love your energy. I’m so inspired. You’re barely mid-20s and crushing it. For context, what age range is Gen Z?
1997 to 2012, depending who you ask. Sometimes 1995 to 2010.
So 30ish or younger?
A little younger. I’m 25. I was born in 2000.
OK, so what core money topics are Gen Z most interested in right now?
Investing. They want to build wealth and get rich. Not just budget. Side hustles and income growth. They’re tired of feeling broke. They want to do things, travel. Gen Z are experiencers. Concerts, weekend vacations. Also, Gen Z isn’t asking “how can I afford this?” It’s “what do I want?” and “how do I make this work?” It’s a wealth-building mindset, not scarcity.
That's such an interesting nuance. Not “how can I afford it” but “I’ll go figure out how.” Makes sense. Because of the internet, right?
Exactly. Knowledge is everywhere. AI platforms. If a teacher didn’t resonate, ask AI. They'll talk to you in a way that suits you. The mindset is easier to adopt with knowledge at your fingertips. Five years ago you had to search, dig through Google. Now you can get answers tailored to you.
So true. My perception is Gen Z is more willing to have hard conversations—religion, politics, GLP-1s. Do you see money falling into that category?
Yeah. Gen Z shattered the taboo. Talking salaries on TikTok. Budget breakdowns on Instagram. Transparency is powerful. Therapy is accepted now, unlike previous generations. We grew up where openness is normal. Money is personal. We’re having personal conversations. It all connects.
Amazing. You’re paving the way for a different future—more transparency, more knowledge. So what differences do you see between Gen Z and Millennials beyond openness?
Millennials were sold the dream: college, good job, house, retire at 65. Gen Z watched that dream become out of reach. Marriage later, kids later, houses later. We’re more skeptical, more entrepreneurial, more focused on building wealth rather than waiting.
Gen Z builds wealth through liquid assets—fractional shares, stocks. You can buy stock for one dollar. A house needs $20k–$50k down. Liquidity matters. If they needed money, they can sell stock. A house is complex—closing costs, staging, listing.
I love that. And I’m happy to see the “your home is the cornerstone of your portfolio” narrative dying. Not even mathematically true. So let’s pause on investing. There’s a difference between investing and gambling. A lot of stock investing resembles gambling. How do you talk about investing?
Long term. Always. People ask where crypto falls. Or Nvidia, Apple. Those are satellite holdings. I follow a core portfolio: a total market ETF, an international fund, and a bond fund later in life. At 25, I’m taking more risk. Gen Z loves the thrill, but they forget taxes. Short-term capital gains. Long-term gains are taxed differently.
Where you invest is as important as what you invest in. Roth IRA vs brokerage. I always talk about taxes and optimizing.
Exactly. And investing without a goal in mind resembles gambling more than investing.
Exactly. And what you need money to do for you drives your decisions. Some people shouldn’t be in stocks depending on their reactions or goals.
Yeah, there's a tie between retirement and financial freedom. They blend the two. But math matters.
Yeah. So Gen Z is crushing it because they have your advice. What’s the number one mistake you see them make?
They skip the foundation. They jump straight into investing. No emergency fund. I fell prey to that once. Investing feels sexy, budgeting feels boring. But you can’t build a house without a foundation.
If you don’t have $500 saved, one emergency wipes you out. Then you have to sell investments, pay taxes, lose progress. So I created the Foundation First framework. Starter emergency fund: $1000 or one month of essentials. So you don't rack up more debt. Then tackle high-interest debt. Then build a fully funded emergency fund of 3–6 months. Then save for short-term goals. Then wealth building.
It’s not glamorous but it works.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s the Stash Plan process. Your take on the emergency fund is interesting. Many push for 6–12 months. You’re pushing for one month. The truth is the emergency fund is your first line of defense, not your only one.
Exactly. It's a starter fund. Not the fully funded one. You build that later. It's so you don't rack up more debt.
Yes. And the idea of sitting on 6–12 months can be a disservice. Wealthy people I worked with on Wall Street didn’t have an emergency fund. Their first line of defense was their portfolio. They had to wreck their allocation, pay taxes. It was inefficient.
Yeah. And now we have high-yield savings accounts. People feel like they're still growing their money.
Exactly. So anything Gen Z can learn from Millennials?
Millennials think long term. Gen Z is living in the now. Millennials are more cautious, more risk-aware. Gen Z can learn long-term responsibility.
I see that. Yeah.
OK we’re almost done. If you had to sum up what to focus on in your 20s versus 30s?
20s: master cash flow. Live below your means. Automate savings. Invest consistently. Build habits. These habits carry into your 30s, when you have more income.
30s: accelerate. Increase income, build assets. Your 20s are for learning. 30s are for earning.
Love that. Yes. People assume making six figures magically creates good habits. It doesn’t.
Nope. Habits stick. Lifestyle inflation sticks.
Exactly. That’s why automation matters. It’s 2025. You can automate everything.
OK fast question. When you get sad, what do you buy?
I go to work. My work is my outlet. But if I’m picking something—it’s boba. Black milk tea with tapioca pearls and lychee jelly, less ice.
That’s great. And if it’s the weekend?
Maybe a Moscato.
Yes I knew you were my girl.
OK best bite. You’re in Naples, FL. What’s your food recommendation?
It’s hard because I’m on a gluten-free diet. But Turtle Club is amazing. You're sitting on the beach, looking at the ocean. Fresh seafood. View tax, but worth it. Any fresh local seafood. Are you an oyster person? I love oysters. I got into them in 2023 in Toronto. Mignonette sauce, cocktail sauce. So good.
So raw oysters at Turtle Club and fresh catch of the day. Perfect.
Thank you so much. You make finance feel less intimidating. If you’re not following Priceless Tay, go fix that now. Everything is Priceless Tay on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube.
If today’s episode gave you something to think about, share it. The more we normalize talking about money, the easier it gets. Like and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
Thanks again, Taylor.
Thank you.
See you next time.
Thanks for listening to the F Word with Priya Malani. If you like what you heard, hit subscribe wherever you're listening and leave us a review while you're at it. Or approval junkies. Don’t forget you can find a ton of resources, content, courses, and freebies at stashwealth.com.
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