Two blown tires. An unexpected hotel stay. Nearly $2,000 to get home safely. That roadside emergency made the choice between saving money and paying off debt feel very real.

In Episode 3 of First Gen Latino Money, Jelfri Torres explores how to protect your household while making progress on debt. We cover choosing a starter emergency fund around your actual risks, protecting essential bills, comparing the debt snowball and avalanche, and avoiding the cycle of paying down a card only to borrow again after the next surprise.

You’ll also meet Marisol, a fictional listener example with changing income, $1,000 saved and three debts. Her situation helps show why the order of your next dollar matters.

Your next step: write down your available emergency cash, your essential bills, and each debt’s balance and interest rate. Use those facts to decide what needs attention first.

Follow First Gen Latino Money for practical money conversations for first-gen families.

Find Jelfri Torres: https://jelfritorres.com

Educational content, not personalized financial, tax or legal advice. The roadside story is Jelfri’s experience; Marisol and her numbers are illustrative.

You want to help your family. Your own bills still need a place in the plan.

Jelfri Torres shares what he learned from putting his name on a car loan for someone he loved like a brother. He talks about gifts, loans, family pressure, and the words he now uses to set a kind limit.

You will leave with a simple way to check what you can give, pause before you answer, and offer help when you cannot send cash.

Get the free paycheck checklist: https://jelfritorres.com/free-checklist

General money education. Use your own bills and needs.

You work hard, help your family, and still wonder where your paycheck went. Where do you start when no one taught you how money works?

In the first episode of First Gen Latino Money, Jelfri Torres shares his story of growing up in a Dominican family in New York City learning credit the hard way, losing roughly $14,000 after trusting someone to trade for him, and becoming the person everyone called for help.

We talk about money shame, family expectations, and setting boundaries without turning your back on the people you love.

Then we turn those lessons into a simple 30-day financial reset, starting with four numbers:
• What comes in
• What must go out
• What you owe
• What you have saved for an emergency

You don’t need to fix everything today. Open the bank app. Look without shame. Take one step.

Follow First Gen Latino Money for honest conversations about credit, debt, saving, family, and building wealth. Find Jelfri Torres on YouTube and at jelfritorres.com.

What money lesson do you wish someone had taught you sooner? Share it in the comments.

For educational purposes only. Not personalized financial, investment, tax, or legal advice.