5 Things Women Want Women to Know About Money
We’ve been asking women, if they had one piece of financial advice that they wished other women knew, what would it be?
Here is what they said:
Treat Every Penny Like It Is Your Last
Small savings every day produce big results and finding small ways to be financially innovative can lead to immense savings later in life.
We’ve heard of our friends, family, and clients cutting dryer sheets in half to make them go further, using hair conditioner as shaving cream, solely using refillable water bottles, and buying items second hand as mechanisms for cost savings. Every single penny counts and the thriftier you become, the more your wealth will grow. As you become more innovative, you also begin to grow social indifference and no longer see a need for buying what someone else has just for the sake of having it.
Budgets are a great way to look for cost savings and optimize every penny.
Be Proud of Being Cheap
When someone says ‘you’re cheap’ we tend to acknowledge that as something that’s negative. Why?
Being cheap means that you have the willpower to draw the line in the sand about what you’re willing and not willing to spend your money on. Being cheap means you’ve created innovative ways to save money. Being cheap means you’re prioritizing your family’s financial situation over the latest and greatest ‘thing’.
Don’t ever let someone scrutinize you for being cheap. Wear that crown with pride.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help
We aren’t born with the innate ability to manage finances. Frankly, as a society we’re told to not even talk about money!!! That’s jacked. We've also heard a lot of women saying that they often don't feel comfortable asking financial questions because they don't want to feel dumb.
We get one class in high school that taught us how to write checks and manage a checkbook which quite frankly is outdated, and as a society we wonder why people struggle with finances? Pft.
You don’t know what you don’t know.
Ask others about finances, initiate conversations, and seek the help of professionals. Ask questions about your health benefits, tell your financial advisor that you don’t understand a concept or how the investment works, and initiate conversations with your CPA. Seek out financial conversations with colleagues, family and friends. You’ll be amazed at what you learn!
Also, sometimes when you ask for help, you get a fresh perspective on your situation which can really make a difference.
Make Sure You and Your Spouse Are On The Same Page
I don’t mean to be a Debbie downer but this next tip is a little - doom and gloom - but totally necessary. Make sure that both spouses know where the money is, how it works, and plan for the worst.
When you are young, it is hard to imagine a time when you might ever be alone. You’re so busy with your young family, marriage, job, goals, and responsibilities that many times it’s important to remember that there may be a period in your life, either in the short or long-term when you or your spouse may have to take on financial management responsibilities exclusively.
It’s totally fine it one spouse tends to ‘head’ the financial responsibilities, but it’s important that both of you as a unit, know and understand the details of your financial position.
You Deserve To Be Wealthy!
Ladies, listen to the words I'm about to say. You're an absolute bada$$!! You deserve to be wealthy!
I'll say this again! YOU DESERVE TO BE WEALTHY!
When good people have money, they do good things. They are empowered to reach the amazing goals that they have. Imagine what you might accomplish if you had unlimited financial resources? Imagine the amount of security your family would have, the organizations you could support, the goals you could reach, the people you could help.
As women, we need to reject this idea that we are not entitled to wealth. Advocate for that raise, go after that high paying job, schedule regular meetings with your financial planner to become more strategic, and learn to build incredible passive income portfolios.
You are so deserving of all of the amazing things this world has to offer. If you needed permission, here it is. Go for it.
