Daddy's Money

Let's Blog About It!

By Nicole Burger

Who is she?

When you look at these trendy travel blogs, you most certainly wonder, how can people afford these lifestyles? This week, I had an interesting conversation with social media content creator Margaret Skiff, 24, from Washington, DC. She uses her platform to talk about what it feels like to be young, unemployed, and still manage to enjoy daily life.

When chatting with Margaret, we discussed the terms “daddy’s money” and “nepotism baby.” These two terms were trending on social media in 2023, so how do these perceived labels affect us?

No work, no play

“No one expects to be laid off, but that’s why we have savings.”

Margaret was employed as a business analyst when she was laid off. I asked, “Why do you think you receive comments on your videos claiming ‘daddy’s money’?”

She mentioned that, at her age, not everyone focuses on budgeting and savings, and therefore, it is possible to be unemployed and still have a good life when focusing on these two key factors.

It is a common assumption that if you are employed directly after university, you’re most likely a nepotism baby. Margaret paid for her own tuition and worked 80-hour weeks during the summer.

“If my parents owned a company I could work for, I would, in a heartbeat. I don’t love that people place the blame on nepotism babies because, if you had the opportunity, naturally, you’d take it too, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

We have this mindset that if someone is young and successful, it was most probably not their own doing. Therefore, it must have been handed to them. Margaret is the perfect example of what can be achieved solely on your own, and that your audience doesn’t define who you are or how you’ve accomplished your success.

Content creator lifestyle

“I want to make sure I can travel without stressing too much about how much I am spending. I want to be able to enjoy myself, and that’s why I save.”

On social media, we often only share the holiday, and that is why the assumption of “daddy’s money” is so easily made. There are two ways to travel: lavishly or on a budget, and either one of those is fine. However, no one sees the hard work and dedication that goes into paying for this lifestyle.

Keeping these comments in mind, she mentions that she does not try to portray herself in a different manner to change people’s opinions, as the community she has appealed to understands the hard work.

“I would reply to every hate comment. I felt like I needed to defend myself, but over the past year, I have realized they don’t want a response; they just want a reaction.”

As content creators, we should not have to apologize for another person’s assumptions. All we can do is try our best to be honest and real. At the end of the day, we are building our communities and trying to reach the right people who can relate.

Behind the scenes

When you ask the question of how people afford their lifestyles, take a deeper look. Just because you see the final product doesn’t mean you’ve seen the full picture. Young people like Margaret and I have to find creative ways to afford a lifestyle that includes travel. We are now finding ways to express ourselves and showcase our experiences to a wider audience.

To make this happen, many of us are prioritizing our spending, carefully planning our finances, cutting back on non-essential expenses, and turning to side hustles and freelance work. Overall, this mindset and effort enable us to flourish without “daddy’s money.”

On another note, if it were really Daddy’s money, do you think he would have let me spend it all on avocado toast and shoes?

Social media:

Instagram: @margaretskiff

Tiktok: @margaretskiff

YouTube: @margaret Skiff

What do you think about the word "daddy's money?" Has anyone ever said this about you? Let us know in the comment section below! We'd love to hear from you!