--- title: Neil deGrasse Tyson Says His Life Is 'Completely Out of Balance' and That's a Good Thing. Here's Why description: Astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson talks growing up middle class, his love of fountain pens and why being out of balance works. authors: - name: Kara Cutruzzula url: https://money.com/author/kara-cutruzzula/ at_money_since: 2017 articles: 11 covers: - Personal Finance - Career Advice - Lifestyle - Retirement - Shopping - Technology social: - https://x.com/karacut former_staff: true published: '2018-08-07T17:45:05.000Z' modified: '2024-04-17T10:48:46.000Z' section: Personal Finance tags: - celebrity word_count: 558 canonical: https://money.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-money/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Host Neil deGrasse Tyson travels to Benediktbeum Abbey in Bavaria to visit Joseph Fraunhofer's top secret laboratory in the all-new "Hiding In The Light" episode of COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY airing Sunday, April 6 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and Monday, April 7 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) on Nat Geo.](https://img.money.com/2018/08/180807-neil-degrasse-tyson.jpg) *Host Neil deGrasse Tyson travels to Benediktbeum Abbey in Bavaria to visit Joseph Fraunhofer's top secret laboratory in the all-new "Hiding In The Light" episode of COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY airing Sunday, April 6 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and Monday, April 7 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) on Nat Geo.* Neil deGrasse Tyson has always looked at the world a little differently — even when it comes to his outlook on savings and spending. The famed astrophysicist recently spoke with Money about his first real job, investing in a unique pen collection, and learning how to be a master multi-tasker. ## **What’s the first big item you saved for?** I’ve known since age 9 of my interest in the universe. On my 12th birthday, my parents bought me an [entry-level telescope for $50](https://money.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-first-job-money/), but I would rapidly outgrow it. So I had my own source of income. I lived in a big old apartment building \[in the Bronx\], and I walked people’s dogs and earned 50¢ per dog, per walk—and these dogs were walked two or three times a day. This was the glory days of dog walking, before there were pooper-scooper laws. By the time I was 14, I was able to buy my next telescope for $200, a camera for $150, and darkroom materials—because I also developed my own film. ## **Most kids in high school would want to buy a pair of Nikes or something.** No, no. I was completely committed. ## **What was your money situation like growing up?** We were extremely frugal middle class. There was a very strong sense of “every dollar you spend needs to matter.” ## **What’s your favorite thing to purchase as an adult?** I happen to like fountain pens, not in a crazy way but in an enthusiastic way. Most have a cosmic theme. But these pens can be very expensive, so in 1995 I began writing a column called “Universe” for *Natural History* magazine and used the money I earned writing these essays to buy antiquarian books that capture the way we were thinking about the universe 50, 100, 200 years ago. They helped give a depth of historical richness to my cosmic storytelling. When I had enough columns to publish a book, I used that same money to buy a new fountain pen to sign the book contract with. All this money was trapped in this loop. I didn’t pay rent off of it, I didn’t buy the next car off of it, I didn’t buy food with it. It was a writing, reading, and fountain-pen-signature trinity. I’ve written 14 books, and I’ve bought a new pen for about 10 of those books. That’s my adult savings plan, if you will. It’s a savings plan with constraints. ## **You have your podcast, books, and day job as the director of New York City’s Hayden Planetarium. How do you master so many gigs?** I think \[multitasking\] promotes some consistency of mission statement in one’s life. Not that we need to live consistent lives, but if you don’t, you need [really good management skills](https://money.com/cell-phone-alert-productivity/) about what you’re doing, where the money’s going, and how you’re allocating your time. ## **You’ve said before that work/life balance is a myth. How so?** My life is completely out of balance, and that forces innovations of time management and [solution finding](https://money.com/im-a-mother-of-9-and-the-head-of-personal-finance-at-a-trillion-dollar-investment-firm-here-are-my-6-secrets-for-work-life-balance/). I don’t want to downplay people who have everything under control, but I can tell you this: I look forward to what the next day may bring because I have no idea what will land in it. *Neil deGrasse Tyson's latest book,* [Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance between Astrophysics and the Military](https://www.amazon.com/Accessory-War-Unspoken-Alliance-Astrophysics/dp/0393064441)*, is out in September.* ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-money/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Personal Finance", "item": "https://money.com/personal-finance/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Making Money", "item": "https://money.com/making-money/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Neil deGrasse Tyson Says His Life Is 'Completely Out of Balance' and That's a Good Thing. 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