Katia Chesnok (MIB ’09) once had 12 credit cards and $40,000 in debt. Today, the FIU Business alumna is debt-free, a “deinfluencer” with a massive online following and a sought-after voice for financial literacy in the Latino community and beyond.
Chesnok, who earned her bachelor’s degree in economics in 2007 and a master’s in international business from FIU Business, built a 12-year career in banking before pivoting to digital content creation in 2019. Her brand, “Economikat,” blends personal finance tips with a message that often goes against consumer culture.
View this post on Instagram
“I had studied economics, finance and international business, but I still didn’t know how to manage my personal finances,” Chesnok said. “I didn’t know how to use credit cards correctly, I wasn’t investing, and I even cashed out my 401(k) at one point.”
The turning point came when she decided to address her own money habits and help others avoid her mistakes. Drawing from her experience, she began sharing financial advice on social media. Her practical tips and candid storytelling quickly caught the attention of media outlets.
Through networking, she connected with a producer at Univision and secured a spot as a regular contributor. She now shares money management strategies on Univision’s ¡Despiérta America! And in People en Español, reaching audiences across the United States and Latin America.
Her deinfluencer content, which urges followers to avoid unnecessary spending, struck a nerve earlier this year when one of her videos went viral. Chesnok realized she needed to dig deeper into the root cause of debt.
"I asked myself, what got me into debt in the first place?” she said. “It was shopping — Target, TJ Maxx, Ross. People think they’re getting a deal, but those small purchases add up. We’re in debt because we’re over-consuming.”
Chesnok’s anti-consumerism message resonates with followers who are used to social media promoting endless buying. She even got a nod from Drew Barrymore who recently shared an Instagram reel of herself shopping at HomeGoods with Chesnok’s now-viral advice playing over the sound.
Chesnok has become a mindful spending champion, encouraging others to live below their means and setting clear financial priorities.
Her proudest personal milestone came when she and her family, her husband and four children, worked together to pay off her student loans. “It started with a mindset change,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how much you make if you don’t know how to live below your means.”
That mindset includes driving paid-off cars, buying an affordable home and avoiding lifestyle inflation, even as income grows.
Chesnok’s commitment to giving back recently brought her to FIU as a speaker for a student wellness clinic. She hopes to continue connecting with current Panthers to share lessons she wishes she’d known at their age.
"I want to reach the 20- or 25-year-old who needs this information now,” she said. “We should be teaching financial literacy much earlier, but until that happens, I’m here to help fill the gap.”
From a teller’s window to a national platform, Chesnok has turned her financial missteps into a mission and she’s not selling a shopping haul. She’s selling the idea that you don’t need more stuff to build a better life.
Learn more about financial wellness programs at FIU by visiting https://scholarships.fiu.edu/financial-wellness/.