Breaking the Bank With B-Boy Loose Lee

Meet Eugene Choe, 25, who’s building his breakdancing career as a b-boy in New Jersey. After opening his own dance school, aka Loose Lee Academy, Eugene has learned to embrace his relationship with money—without allowing finances to dictate his every move.

Here are Eugene’s top tips for those looking to improve their financial health:

Find a healthy balance between saving and living.

“Some people, they just spend spend spend. Other people, they’re very frugal—like don’t want to go out. I think there needs to be a balance where, yes save your money, but also spend your money at the right time at the right moment.”

Create your own opportunities to make money.

“My friends and I, we always say that we can make money out of thin air. All that we've got is a speaker. But my friend and I, we can go outside and hit or busk—dance outside and make a few bucks. You can make $90 or $100 in 20 minutes. Why not?”

Give money to people in need.

“I remember my mom, even though we had tough times, she always—like religiously—made payments to [charity] World Vision. Just give money to those who are more in need, because as long as we have a roof and we have food on our table, then what more do you need? I think that as a human being, we're so disconnected because of money, but even though it disconnects us, money can actually bring us back together.”

Use your money to gain a new skill.

“Even though my parents did not have a lot of money, they always had enough money to help me get a new skill set—like going to take SAT classes, or learning a couple instruments. That's the value of money. Always, if it's time and if it's a new skill set that you could learn, then spend your money.”