Finance

Incredible year-long spending experiment exposes mistakes you’re probably making

Published

2 months ago

November 21, 2025

Incredible year-long spending experiment exposes mistakes you’re probably making

The forthcoming book follows her journey of one year without buying anything new and how it changed her relationship with money and her self-worth. (Source: Emma Edwards/Instagram)

Financial behaviour specialist Emma Edwards, founder of The Broke Generation, is sharing her radical personal finance experiment: a whole year without buying a single item of clothing.

No new outfits, no second-hand finds, not even rentals. What began as a no-buy challenge soon became a powerful lesson in self-worth, resilience, and the surprising freedom of living with less.

In the exclusive extract below, Emma shares the six buying patterns we get trapped into thinking we actually need.

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The impact of our consumption habits creates an environment where we’re cornered from every angle. We have a collection of clothes that don’t work together, don’t make us feel good and don’t allow us to express ourselves the way we want to, which leaves us looking externally for what we’re not getting. The problem is, when we look externally, we buy more and more of the same.

Unravelling that idea of what can happen when we’re in a ‘yes’ state, a state of openness to consumption even though our intentions might suggest otherwise, got me curious about some of the unhelpful buying cycles I’d been stuck in. I really leaned into understanding how I ended up with the wardrobe I currently had, and what I could learn from the mistakes I made over and over again.

I realised that if I could establish the mistakes I was making and the ways I was buying the wrong things, I’d stop feeling compelled to buy more and more over time. Here are some of the patterns I uncovered in my wardrobe, and that I’ve seen in others’ too.

Once I liked something in one colour (often black), I’d giddily run out and buy it in another colour, thinking I was making some kind of ultra-smart decision and capitalising on what I loved. I’m going to give you a piece of advice now that I hope you’ll remember for many years. If you ever utter the words ‘I’m going to go and get this in another colour’ – run. It’s a trap. You probably won’t like the other colour, and it’ll just sit in your wardrobe and collect dust.

There are certain things in my wardrobe that I struggled to wear confidently outside of one specific outfit silo. Usually, this is a sure-fire sign that I’d bought it in a very specific context, like copying or replicating an outfit I’d seen someone else wear.

Seeing someone wear wide-leg trousers with a specific type of shirt and then buying said shirt is all well and good in that one outfit context, but unless we actually integrate the item into other outfits, it’ll always just be a one-hit wonder.

Why I ever did this is so beyond me. There are certain items in my wardrobe that haven’t ever been right for me. How do I know that? Because I bought them that way. I’ve made this mistake time and time again – either I’ll try something on or order it online, and it won’t be quite how I hope or expect it to be, but I’ll keep it anyway because I like the idea of it so much. Or I try to convince myself I can somehow make it work, or it’ll look different when my hair and make-up are done.

Trying to get yourself to wear things you don’t love or aren’t quite right is always going to keep you wanting to buy more. While we might get the dopamine hit at the time of buying, the loop doesn’t ever really close.

Emma Edwards pictured. — The process of the book reveals the worst spending impulses Emma maintained. (Source: Supplied) · Breeana Dunbar

Ever go out looking for something specific, like a black jumper or a red cardigan or a pair of white jeans, and despite not being able to find what you want, you’re so hungry to start wearing that item that you get something that isn’t quite right and tell yourself it’ll do? I had a few items that fell into this category.

I recognised this mistake both in my wardrobe during the Project, and in memories of items I’d owned before. This was proof of the urgency and pace that existed in my buying habits, as though once I’d got the idea of an outfit or an item in my head, I had to get it even if it wasn’t perfect.

Isn’t the whole point of neutrals that they’re, well, neutral? They go with everything? Yeah, no. I learned the hard way that just because you have a wardrobe full of neutrals does not mean you have a wardrobe full of outfits. Who knew that not all blacks are the same. Not all whites are the same. And don’t even get me started on creams, stones and beiges.

Having an event or occasion to attend is one of the most common reasons why we buy clothes. When we want to look nice, we invoke the shortcut of buying something we’re excited to wear. The problem with this is we’re then left with pieces we bought for that one specific context, in a similar way to when we buy to replicate a specific outfit. That item is then siloed in our minds, and we’re less likely to want to reach for it for the next event.

Plus, we’ve built up that behavioural loop of an event or occasion being a trigger to buy.

This is an edited extract from The Wardrobe Project: A year of buying less and liking yourself more by Emma Edwards (Wiley, $34.95), available 26 November at all leading retailers.

Related Topics:buying habits Emma Edwards

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Finance

Poole College of Management Launches Free Financial Literacy Program

Published

10 hours ago

January 21, 2026

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Poole College of Management Launches Free Financial Literacy Program

The Poole College of Management is launching a Financial Literacy Program for adults. The program is free and open to the public, regardless of your connection to NC State University.

Srini Krishnamurthy, program co-founder and associate professor of finance at Poole, says the goal of the program is “to equip participants with the knowledge and confidence to address financial decisions they face in everyday life, such as understanding interest rates and inflation, performing loan and mortgage calculations, budgeting, saving, investing through mutual funds, and planning for retirement.”

The curriculum is based on the most up-to-date financial research available, translated by professors into easy-to-understand practices and tools for use by anyone.

Real Research Impact

The idea for the Financial Literacy Program took root in 2022 during Krishnamurthy’s participation in an NC State faculty initiative called Strengthening the Impact of Research (STIR). “The program’s goal was to help faculty translate their research expertise into meaningful benefits for the broader community,” he says. “As part of the program, each participant was required to develop and present an idea with real-world impact.”

Around this time, college affordability was a hot topic. It was an issue that hit home for Krishnamurthy — several years earlier, when his daughter was applying to colleges, the two discussed what offers cost in practical terms.

“I built a spreadsheet that incorporated tuition, scholarships, and long-term implications, and walked her through the numbers. Equipped with this information, she confidently chose to attend NC State for computer science and graduated with very little college debt. That experience made clear to me how transformative basic financial knowledge can be, and how rarely it is accessible in a clear, practical form.”

Financial Literacy for All

Knowing that not every family had the knowledge or skillset to evaluate finance – after all, not every college-bound high school student is lucky enough to have parents with terminal degrees in finance – Krishnamurthy teamed up with another faculty member in the STIR program to address that.

They developed a successful financial literacy program for college students and delivered it through the Wake County Library systems and a Wake County Public School System high school. When the opportunity arose to start a similar program at Poole aimed at adults, Krishnamurthy said he was “eager to expand this effort.”

Classes are taught by current Poole professors, including Krishnamurthy, Umut Dur and Denis Pelletier. Topics include (but are not limited to) budgeting, investing basics, time value, loans, credit and retirement planning. Data from participants shows that comfort with major financial decisions increased by 45% by the end of the program, and objective understanding of investments and fees increased by 20%

The first set of classes are on Jan. 26th and 28th. Register using this Google Form.

Finance

Ken Ofori-Atta: Ex-Ghana finance minister US case adjourned, e go remain for ICE detention till April – BBC News Pidgin

Published

22 hours ago

January 21, 2026

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Ken Ofori-Atta: Ex-Ghana finance minister US case adjourned, e go remain for ICE detention till April – BBC News Pidgin

Wia dis foto come from, GHANA FINANCE MINISTRY

Wetin we call dis foto, Di immigration judge order members of di public wey join di virtual hearing to leave as lawyers for di ex-minister request private hearing

one hour wey don pass

Read am in 7 mins

One US judge for di Annadale immigration court for Virginia adjourn hearing of di immigration case against ex-Ghana finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who dey face corrupting charges back home.

Di judge David Gardey move di hearing to 27 April.

Dis be in connection wit immigration wahala afta US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest and detain di ex-finance minister for Virginia since 6 January 2025, sake of e overstay im visa.

Tori be say US authorities revoke di ex-minister visa for November 2025 wey he refuse to comot di kontri.

During di first appearance bifor di court on 20 January, lawyers for di ex-finance minister ask di court for private hearing.

By dis time many pipo join di virtual hearing sake of Ghanaians dey interested in di mata.

Two cases dey bifor di court – one of dem be bond application; wey mean say lawyers for di minister apply for di release of dia client from ICE custody wey di oda one be di immigration case proper.

How di minister appear for di court hearing

Dis be di first time since January 2025 wey di ex-minister dey appear for public afta e comot Ghana to di US for “medical attention.”

Di ex-Ghana minster appear for di Caroline detention centre as e dey wear one grey jacket, wey he wear black detention coverall.

He also dey wear blue face mask – di common one wey pipo wear during di covid 19 pandemic.

As e waka enter di isolated room, e comot di jacket, leaving im dark detention outfit.

E carry di jacket hang for chair behind a table for di centre of di empty room, wey e sidon.

Di minister also wear one armband for his wrist.

Few minutes later, Ken Ofori-Atta comot di chair wey e comot di lonely detention room briefly, bifor e return when di judge call im case.

As e return, e move im glasses wey e hang am on top his head wey e sidon for di chair dey face di camera.

As di judge call di case, lawyers for di minister, Christopher Chaisson and Kwao Amagashie tok say dem wan make di judge hear di case for private.

next hearing information — Wetin we call dis foto, ICE arrest di ex-finance minister on 6 Janaury 2026 wey dem keep am for di Caroline Detention centre until his first court appearance

Wetin happun during di virtual hearing as judge ‘ban’ di public

Judge David Gardey: Dis be di bond determination hearing for di mata wey involve Kenneth Ofori-Atta. Dem detain am for di Caroline detention centre wey he dey appear by Webex (virtual conference). Make di lawyers wey dey represent am enta dia appearance.

Lawyers: I be Christopher Chaisson, I dey on behalf of Enayat Qasimi and Kwao Amagashie on behalf of di respondent.

Judge David Gardey: Sake of di nature of di issues wey we discuss for di bond hearing, you pipo want di bond hearing to be private, as in make e dey closed to di public?

Christopher Chaisson: Yes, your honour. I make happy say you raise dis mata serf. I wan raise am bifor.

Judge David Gardey: Okay. I hear am.

Christopher Chaisson: For di record, your honour. Di oda issue also dey – di master calendar hearing. Wit di way di mata dey, some of di issues we go raise for di hearing be sensitive.

Judge David Gardey: You dey ask say di master calendar hearing also go dey private; closed to di public?

Christopher Chaisson: Yes. We wan clarify sometin small. We go like say make di two hearings all dey closed to di public.

However, for di bond hearing case, we go ask di court say make dem try anytin dem fit do for dia power, to finish di case [today]. I go wait for di court decision.

Judge David Gardey: I understand. So all di pipo wey join us for di Webex (online video conference), we go hear di mata in private under di US immigration law. Di law say if any party for di immigration case say make di hearing dey private and closed to di public, under di circumstances, di court go close di hearing.

If anyone dey for di Webex (online video platform) wey dey here to view dis hearing; either di bond hearing or di master calendar hearing, make everyone comot now sake of we neva go continue if pipo still dey on di online link. Only di parties for di case dey allowed to be present during di hearing.

Dat be how dem comot hundreds of Ghanaians wey join di virtual link to follow di proceedings for di hearing to continue.

Wetin go happun now

Afta dem arrest Ken Ofori-Atta for di US, his Ghana lawyers tok say “Oga Ofori-Atta get pending petition for adjustment of status wey go allow pesin to stay for di US legally past di period of validity of dia visa,” di statement by Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo explain.

“Oga Ken Ofori-Atta be law-abiding pesin wey he dey fully cooperate wit ICE to deal wit dis mata,” di statement from his lawyers add.

Now as di Annadale immigration court judge adjourn di case to 27 April, di ex-finance minister go likely remain in detention until di next hearing (for three months).

Sabi pipo explain say if di ex-minister lawyers succeed wit di bond application, den dia client go dey out of di ICE custody wey he go dey attend di substantive immigration hearing.

If dem no succeed or di judge no gree wit dia argument, di detainee go dey inside ICE custody until dia deportation case dey finalized.

Di judge gat di discretion to determine weda pesin be flight risk or di pesin be danger for di community

If pesin dey inside custody during di hearing, di case go fit move fast fast.

For all dis, di detainee get option to appeal if di judge deny dem di bond.

Dem fit appeal to di board of immigration appeals (BIA); but dis process neva dey easy.

a protester with placards during the protest — Wetin we call dis foto, Pressure group Arise Ghana gather for di US embassy for Accra to protest to demand cooperation of US authorities make dem extradite di ex-finance minister to face accountability

Why Ghana dey pursue di ex-finance minister

Attorney general for Ghana Dr Dominic Ayine, file extradition request to US authorities for di ex-finance minister.

Dem wan make US authorities carry di minister and his chief of staff wen e be minister, to Ghana make dem face accountability for di time as minister for seven years from 2017 to 2024.

“At dis point, na di US authorities especially di judicial authorities wey go determine whether sufficient evidence dey wey go demand say make di two accused pipo, dey extradited to Ghana to stand trial,” id attorney general explain.

Di kontris special prosecutor’s office already slap di ex-minister and odas wit 78 counts of corruption and related offenses.

According to di special prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, di ex-minister and oda accused pipo allegedly conspire to set up “criminal enterprise wey directly and indirectly influence di kontri procurement process to win contracts for di company (SML).”

“Di SML company carry unfair advantage to get transaction audit services, external price verification services, measurement audit for downstream petroleum products and odas form di Ghana govment through di finance ministry and di Ghana revenue authority.”

Kissi Agyebeng di special prosecutor tok say “dem begin di criminal enterprise for 2017 by di ex-finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Emmanuel Kofi Nti (ex-GRA commissioner) and Evans Adusei togeda wit di SML company itself.”

Di prosecutor say dem neva ensure value for money for di contracts dem carry give di SML company wey dem cause financial loss of Ghc 1.4bn ($128m).

Dis be some of di reasons why di kontri dey pursue di ex-minister; oda investigative agencies also dey find di minister to help dem investigate oda cases wey im allegedly dey involved.

Ken Ofori-Atta comot Ghana after his govment lose di 2024 elections wey he say he dey go for medical check-up and surgery – since dat time, he neva return.

Many pipo and political watches say di ex-minister dey run away from accountability and trial – but his lawyers say di minister gat nothing to hide.

Di govment thru di Attorney general and odas say dem go work to ensure say US authorities extradite di ex-minister to Ghana to face di law.

But dem also say dem go welcome any move wey go make di minister return to Ghana faster than di extradition – if ICE fit deport am, dem go happy say he go at least return to Ghana and face accountability like anybody else.

Pipo wey dey close to di ex-minister say tins no go be easy sake of di Ken Ofori-Atta apart from di US visa, also get Canada and UK visa, wia he fit go, but time no tell.

For now di ex-minster dey remain for custody for di Caroline Detention centre for Virginia, until sometin happun.

At di time di immigration hearing dey happun, one pressure group for Ghana and oda Ghanaians gada for di US embassy for Accra to protest.

Dem carry placards wey dem wear red shirts and armbands wey dem demand say make di embassy authorities work to bring di ex-finance minister back to di kontri to face trial.

Finance

BOK Financial Q4 Earnings Call Highlights

Published

1 day ago

January 20, 2026

Press Room

BOK Financial Q4 Earnings Call Highlights

BOK Financial (NASDAQ:BOKF) reported fourth-quarter earnings of $177.3 million, or $2.89 per diluted share, and full-year 2025 earnings of $578 million, or $9.17 per diluted share, which management said marked record earnings per share for both the quarter and the year. Executives emphasized broad-b