This is the first of what I expect to become many seriously informational blogs. As a woman, I thought long and hard about what matters most to us ladies. That being said, I've come to the conclusion that this should be about women and our money. As children, we are 'taken care' of and are taught that is the way it should be. Really? Then we become teenage girls and our brothers, fathers, boyfriends 'take care' of us. From that point into adulthood, society tells us that it is the man's place to take care of us and provide. The 'man of the house' is supposed to bring home the bacon, and dictate (for lack of a better word), what the finances will be and how they will be handled.
It has been my personal and business experience that joint is absolutely the best option, bar none. It makes both partners equally responsible. The family that plans and saves together, stays together. As women, we must pass this on! Money and Finances are usually in the top 5 reasons cited for divorce. Often I hear 'I'm not good with money'. This actually strengthens my argument. The best way to improve at something is do it! Another of my favorite excuses is 'I don't understand that stuff". Again, the more we face off with something, the more comfortable we get and the more knowledgeable we get. Given all this, I've put together a short list of helpful money tips for women.
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I know you love your children. However, it is not an option. Save for your later years first. Why? First, when you factor in the time away from work during our child bearing and family raising years, we lose years and money as compared to our male counterparts. Secondly, as women, we typically live several years longer than men. The longer we live, the more money we will need.
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Be a part of the household's money decision making process. It does not matter whether you are a stay at home mom/spouse or you earn more than your mate. Both of you NEED to know what is going on with your money. Budget together, plan together, pay bills together, save together. Get the picture?
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This is one I am all too familiar with. Do not sell yourself cheap. You and what you do have value. If you have a job and decide to ask for a raise, ask for what you want (what you feel you are worth). What's the worst that could happen....the boss says no? If you have your own business, make sure that your fees for services rendered are in line with the industry. You are not the dollar store!
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Take good care of your money. We are care givers by nature. We take care of our husband/partner, our parents, children, pets, we need to do the same for our hard earned money. Do we really need that $2000 bag? (It will be out of style next year anyway.)
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