People of EarnIn: Tequila Harris

Tequila works hard to support herself and her two daughters. Her financial journey hasn’t been a straightforward one but she’s made it work on her own terms. Here’s her story:

“I just turned 27 in December. I have two kids, so I’m just trying to take care of them while paying bills and staying healthy. I've been working in retail for about eight years, almost nine.

I was at Target for three years. Then I went to Meyer's, a department store. Eventually, I got my Community-Based Residential Facility certification, and I worked in a nursing home for about nine months. That really wasn't my thing, so I ended up at Aramark as a cashier. One day, I was working in the kitchen, and Kohl’s management saw me and said, “You should apply here. You should work here with us.” They interviewed me, and I got the job. So I've been here at Kohl's for three years now.

They pay well, but sometimes, you run out of money and need extra. These checks aren’t enough for everything that I need to do. As I've been working, the expenses have started to grow. Now I have a car note to pay along with the rent, gas, and groceries. So, I'm looking to find a better paying job in the same field that I'm doing now.

I kind of cut my hours a little bit. Everything is tighter so we had to cut back on some things. EarnIn helps me not have to borrow money from people. I don't have to call my mama or my granny and say, “I need $50 or $60” and have them ask “Aren’t you working” or “What happened?” A lot of things come up that I may just need some money for so I really appreciate it.

The main goal is just to try and cut down on my expenses so that I could be more financially stable. It’s all about family and making sure that we're financially okay so that we don't have to borrow or ask people for stuff.

I don't necessarily want to go back to school because I don't really even feel like I'm using my business degree. I didn't need that to get the job that I’m in now, so I don't want to go back to school and add on more student debt. I just want to make more money and save money for a rainy day because you never know what's going to happen. I was blessed to be working the entire year of 2020, but who knows what's going to happen this year?”

If you liked this story, check out some of our other People of EarnIn stories like Alya, Dion, and Gabriela.