On November 15, Alumni House felt a little like a living room: students, recent grads, and longtime Bears clustered around café tables, balancing plates of snacks and conversations about credit scores, first jobs, and family. At the center of it all was Lillian Zhang, a Berkeley alum, Google Cloud marketer, and now author of The New Money Rules, back on campus to talk about what it means for Gen Z to take charge of their financial future.
From scarcity mindset to financial reset
Zhang opened with the story behind her book. Raised in an Asian immigrant household, she grew up with what she described as “financial trauma,” a scarcity mindset rooted in watching her family stretch every dollar. Money was often a source of stress, not possibility. She didn’t learn much about personal finance at home, and like many students, arrived at Berkeley knowing how important money was but not quite sure how to manage it.
On campus, she started where many Bears do: getting creative. She hunted down free or used textbooks, mapped out which events offered free food, and learned to live on a tight budget. As a junior and senior, she began sharing her college and early career journey online, documenting both the messy learning curve and the small wins that added up.
Her formal entry into personal finance came through study in UGBA 135, where she was introduced to the language of investing and long-term planning. During the COVID years, she dove even deeper with YouTube videos and Reddit threads, piecing together financial literacy that felt more relevant to her life than traditional advice ever had.
Pivotal wins and the emotions behind money
For Zhang, one turning point was deeply personal, her family’s struggle to replace their 20-year-old car. She set a post-grad goal to buy her family a new car, and did it. That milestone, she shared, was about a shift in self-belief. It helped her see that she could use money as a tool to care for the people she loved.
Another emotional marker was travel. Growing up, vacations were rare. Now she gives back to her family through shared experiences and trips, claiming something she’d missed as a kid. Throughout the evening, she kept returning to the idea that money is emotional, and that acknowledging that truth is a strength, not a weakness.
Habits that quietly change everything
Zhang’s practical habits started in college. As a first-year, she applied for her first credit card, so she could begin building her credit history. After graduation, when she stepped into a corporate role, she set up automated savings and tracked her numbers closely: spending, income, and eventually revenue from side projects.
She encouraged students and recent grads in the room to learn more about the benefits their future employers might offer, as well as government incentives, so they can take advantage of them from day one. And she warned against “extreme lifestyle inflation,” that all-too-relatable impulse to treat a first paycheck as a signal that the constraints are over.
Instead, Zhang urged attendees to think about “career equity” and skill-building: constantly asking how they can deepen their strengths and apply them in new ways, whether inside a company or through independent work.
Writing The New Money Rules
Zhang wrote the book she wishes she’d had at 18, “lost, confused, and scrolling.” Gen Z, she pointed out, has grown up in an internet era where financial information is everywhere. For some, that lowers the barrier to entry, for others, the noise is paralyzing.
Before she wrote a single chapter, Zhang surveyed her community to understand what people were actually struggling with, questions about debt, investing, burnout, and whether they were “behind.” Those responses shaped the book’s structure and voice.
She began writing in August 2024 and finished her first draft in January 2025, writing mostly during nights and weekends, classic Bear energy, balancing a demanding day job with a passion project. She set out to make the book both practical and encouraging, part guide, part pep talk. She noted that The New Money Rules is one of the first personal finance books written by a Gen Z author specifically for a Gen Z audience.
The Gen Z financial reset
One of Zhang’s core ideas is what she calls the “Gen Z Financial Reset.” This generation is entering adulthood during a time of rapid change, rising costs of living, new forms of work, evolving tech, and constant media noise. Instead of accepting older narratives about money wholesale, she argued, Gen Z has an opportunity to redefine their relationship to it.
Key themes she shared from the book:
- Start small, start early. Waiting for the “perfect moment” to invest or budget often means not starting at all. Even tiny steps now can compound into significant freedom later.
- Money is emotional, and that’s normal. Cultural background, family history, and social comparison all shape how we feel about spending and saving. Naming those influences can make them less controlling.
- Financial literacy is a learnable skill. Zhang compared it to riding a bike: awkward at first, but accessible to anyone willing to practice.
Practical takeaways for Bears
The evening wasn’t just reflective; it was tactical. Zhang offered a set of tips that students and alums could apply right away:
- Invest early, even if it’s a small amount. Time, she reminded the room, is Gen Z’s biggest asset.
- Explore multiple income streams. Side projects, freelance work, or creative ventures can build both financial resilience and professional experience.
- Spend in alignment with your values. With social media curating other people’s highlight reels, it’s easy to chase someone else’s version of success. Zhang encouraged attendees to define what actually matters to them, and spend accordingly.
- Use money as a tool, not a scoreboard. The ultimate goal isn’t to hoard wealth, but to design a life that feels meaningful, whether that’s supporting family, traveling, or funding passion projects.
She also acknowledged that media coverage of the economy and markets can feel “pulverizing” for those who are just getting started. Her advice: curate your inputs and return to basics when you feel overwhelmed.
Motivation, discipline, and the Berkeley factor
In the Q&A, one attendee asked what kept her motivated through the months of drafting and editing. Zhang traced it back to a lifelong desire to help people, first in small ways in her personal life, and later through her online content and now her book.
She described her drive as “65% discipline and 35% intrinsic motivation,” and credited Berkeley with sharpening that discipline. The campus culture of rigor, deadlines, and big ideas, she said, taught her how to follow through even when the novelty wears off.
As the event wrapped and attendees lined up to get their copies of The New Money Rules signed, the mood in Alumni House felt distinctly Berkeley: curious, reflective, and quietly determined. Zhang’s story landed as both a mirror and a roadmap, one Bear’s proof that you can rewrite your money story, one intentional decision at a time, and bring your community along with you.
Photo Credits: KLC fotos / Don Collier
