What Brings You Joy?

Protect the Earth

Year end is the perfect time to reflect on your money reasons, or the reason that growing your money is important for you personally. As a result of the Earn Grow Give Movement related to my Amazon book launch last month, I was able to participate in 2 kiva.org loans to help women grow their business. This was one of my very own money reasons related to the launch of my book. In both cases, each of these women needed just a bit more to complete their loan, so the small amount I donated meant that their loan was fully funded, at last. This was very exciting for me! The women I chose to … [Read more...]

Are You A Savvy Smart Spender?

U.S. Coins and Paper Money

Financial Woman has an exciting new area focusing on creating more cash flow with savvy smart style. Increasingly, I am hearing from women that are concerned about their financial future, yet, they’re unsure what steps to take on a daily basis to start growing their money. Step 1 is increasing cash flow… As you’ve no doubt previously read at Financial Woman, cash flow is queen! One side of this equation is increasing income, of course, and the other side is smarter spending. As you probably know, focusing on both sides helps you reach your financial goals faster. Today, I am … [Read more...]

I Can’t Afford It!

My son recently wanted to buy a Playstation with all sorts of extras. The “bundle” (as he called it) was too good to be true; it was completely irresistible. What I love about this story is that he did not say to himself: “I cannot afford it”; he asked “How can I buy it”? He calculated how many hours he needed to work in our businesses to buy the Playstation, and then worked 12 hours in a 24 hour period to make it happen before the sale ended. What do you do when you see something you want that is not in your spending plan right now? Do you say “I cannot afford it”? Or, do … [Read more...]

What’s the Magical Question?

How much money will you need for retirement? That’s the magical question. What is retirement, anyway? Everyone has their own definition of retirement, but, for most people, it means a time where you can live off your money for the rest of your life. Over the weekend, I created some extra videos for the new course that will be on Financial Woman this month. The financial future video is one of my favorites, because I take you step by step through my favorite “Retirement Calculator” that I have used for years. Why do I love this video so much? Because you can find out just how much money … [Read more...]

When Is Less More?

Less can be more whether it’s about money habits or consumption habits. A few years back, I gave up coffee for tea. This habit gradually turned into only green tea drinking.  I’ll share with you that the tea is meant to steep very briefly, or else it becomes bitter, for those readers who are not green tea drinkers. Recently, while on a visit to the incredible and wonderful Herb Bar in Austin, I decided to indulge in a new loose leaf green tea. I usually just drink Whole Food Market’s plain organic tea because it’s quick, and easy, so this was a tiny bit of indulgence for me. As I sat … [Read more...]

What Happened Last Month with Your Money Journey?

This week in the Roadmap to Financial Success course we are stepping through a cash flow template so each participant can see whether she moved toward or away from her money goals last month. This is such a crucial step to growing your money; your household or family cash flow will guide you to your financial goals because you can easily see if you are moving toward them, with a positive number each month, or away from them, with a negative number each month. My goal is that this simple routine will be completed each and every month by every woman seeking financial freedom. It’s easy for a … [Read more...]

Ever Have Lawn Envy?

Last week on my morning walk I noticed that two of my neighbor’s had lush green St. Augustine grass on their lawns. I must admit, a feeling of jealousy ran through my mind, since our lawn is, well, lacking right now. There is little, if any green, especially given the draught we are experiencing in the Texas Hill country and our rocky, steep front yard. I asked myself why their lawns were so gorgeous while ours was struggling. The answer easily came to my mind; they pay attention to their lawn. They care for it by fertilizing and watering it. Not only that, they have the foundation for a … [Read more...]

Let’s talk Money Ladies!

When was the last time you had a money conversation with a girlfriend? Ever been at a dinner party when the conversation at the table turns to finances and the guys stop making eye contact with you? I have! What’s up with that? I think we know… Why is it that men talk about financial opportunities and investments so openly, but women rarely do? On the free Financial Empowerment Now call I hosted last week, I gave 7 simple tips especially for women to increase their financial fluency. One of the tips was to simply start having conversations with your friends about money. I’m not … [Read more...]

Is the Path Bumpy?

Each month you are moving either toward or away from your money goals. I like to think of each month as one step on a long journey to reach your financial goals. Once again, growing money is like most other things in life; the path is rarely straight. Some months you may race ahead, and other months, you may take a few steps back. Sometimes these cycles last even longer. A simple monthly cash flow statement will easily show your direction for any given month; you can see what actions you need to take to improve your journey.  This statement will help you to think of your own household as a … [Read more...]

Does Your Home Belong in Your Net Worth Number?

One of the steps that every woman should take for financial empowerment is to know how much money she has. The best way to know this is by keeping a simple Own and Owe statement that lists, of course, everything you own and everything you owe. Many financial experts don’t think your home and mortgage should be included in this net worth equation, but I disagree.   A home can be one of your largest investments, and not to include it in your net worth equation discounts your net worth, unless you owe more on your mortgage than the value of your home, in which case it would overstate … [Read more...]