Surviving Your 20s: In Conversation With Two Broke Chicks
Rich in life
Sally McMullen and Alexandra Hourigan, or as the internet knows them, @twobrokechicks, are the best friends helping you get through your 20s feeling rich in life, though you might be broke in funds. Sharing life lessons, shopping tips, and money-saving hacks on their podcast, they’ve also garnered a loyal following of almost 700k on both TikTok and Instagram.
Discussing everything from friendship breakups to work dilemmas, tuning in feels like having a chat with your friends. Following the release of their debut book, Finding Your People, we chatted with the chicks to get their advice on where to shop for affordable clothing, managing finances in your 20s, and much more.
Tell me about yourselves!
We’re Sal and Al, the co-hosts of the Two Broke Chicks podcast, authors of the book Finding Your People: The Ultimate Guide To Friendship, and two best friends with a deep love of spicy Arrabiata pasta with extra olives.
Via @twobrokechicks
How did you two meet?
We started our careers as journalists and met in the office kitchen of our old workplace almost seven years ago. Al was making toast on her first day when Sal walked in and exclaimed: “I like your jeans!”. We got to chatting and the rest is history.
How would you describe Two Broke Chicks and how did it come about?
Two Broke Chicks is a podcast and online brand that teaches you life lessons and tips to help make you rich in life. It’s the podcast and social channels that we wish we had in our early 20s (or really, any age) that covers practical money tips, life advice, and the type of chats you’d expect at happy hour with your best friends.
Proudest career moment so far?
Publishing our very first book, Finding Your People: The Ultimate Guide To Friendship and hearing everyone’s amazing feedback about how it has helped them already.
Can you share any fashion hacks you’ve learned for looking stylish on a budget?
If you feel like you have “nothing to wear”, you may just need to rethink how you style it. Shop within your own wardrobe to coordinate different outfits, style outfits with different accessories, and embrace re-wearing your clothes instead of buying something new. If you need inspiration on how to do this, TikTok and Pinterest are amazing sources of inspiration to style pieces you already own.
What are some of your favourite places to shop for affordable but trendy clothes?
We both love buying clothes second-hand on Depop, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, local vintage stores, and at markets. Not only is it often more affordable than buying brand new, but you’re extending the lifespan of the item and often stumble across more unique pieces that way.
@twobrokechicks_ If you’re not price matching for EOFY sales then where you AAAaaa👅👅Tt #twobrokechicks #eofysales #eofy #salescheatsheet #sales #onlineshopping #dysonairwrap #dysonairwrapsale #moneyhack
What are some wardrobe essentials you think everyone should invest in?
A good quality, vintage leather jacket. Leather jackets never go out of style, are super versatile, and make any outfit look instantly cooler.
What are your top tips for managing your finances in your 20s?
If you can’t manage $10 you can’t manage $10,000. Even if you start with $1 per week, set yourself a regular savings goal to teach yourself how to budget and save. Unfortunately, we don’t suddenly get “good with money” the more money we earn – it’s a skill we have to teach ourselves.
In your opinion, what is the key to maintaining healthy relationships in your 20s?
Knowing that no one relationship can fill your cup! This doesn’t mean you need a huge group of friends, but you need to invest in multiple types of friendships and relationships (including the one with yourself) to feel fulfilled.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to live a life – paraphrased to us by a good friend but originally from the iconic Dolly Parton.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t avoid things out of fear of failure.
Congratulations on the release of Finding Your People! What can people expect from the book?
Finding Your People is the ultimate guide to friendship. It will teach you how to make friends as an adult because it’s bloody hard. You’ll learn how to ditch toxic friends and how to deal with confrontation better. It will be a shoulder to cry on if you’re going through a friendship breakup and will teach you why some friendships come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. It’ll teach you how to be your own best friend. Ultimately, it’s for anyone who wants to learn more about who they are, their friendships, and find their people.
Finding Your People: The Ultimate Guide To Friendship Paperback $31.75
Anything else you’d like to add?
We just want to express how much we really love and appreciate our audience! The support we receive from them is unlike anything in the world and we wouldn’t get any of the opportunities we receive without them. We’re so proud whenever they send us life wins and our hearts hurt whenever they’re struggling through life’s many dips and hurdles. Our audience are quite literally our besties too and we love ‘em!
Header: @twobrokechicks
