This Simple Tool Will Make Your Life Better

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Have you taken time to identify your best skills and talents?  On Sunday morning I jumped back in bed with my green tea and the 3 skills assessment tests I have taken in various programs during the past ten years.  Interestingly, they all revealed the same skills, so they must be accurate! This is an exercise I highly recommend for anyone seeking self-improvement, which I hope is every Financial Woman reader.  Knowing your natural talents and abilities can help you achieve both your life and financial goals in several ways. You know the most obvious route to increase … [Read more...]

A $20 Life Changing Investment

What are Your "How To" Skills?

Creating multiple streams of income is one of the most powerful ways to increase financial security. If you are depending on only one income source, or one type of income, you are obviously at more risk than if you have additional income streams. Frequently, so much time is dedicated to that one income stream, however, that other potential income sources are not developed, even ones that require a small capital investment and are simple to create. Many types of new income streams require a lot of capital to get started, such as covered call income or real estate rentals. These are income … [Read more...]

Have Money Wounds from Ugly Debt?

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One of the most common questions in my financial courses is what should be done about debt. With the insight that comes from being a boomer woman, I have learned that our biggest life lessons usually follow our most painful experiences. As a result of the 2008 economic crisis, using debt wisely is no doubt one of the biggest and most common financial lessons of our lifetime. Aside from the usual money strategies, such as paying down the highest interest rate debt first, emotional aspects of debt affect our money mindset. There are several steps that can help heal those money wounds caused … [Read more...]

This Really Got My Attention

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The old saying “the way you do one thing, is the way you do everything” keeps surfacing in my life. When something appears three times or more, it definitely gets my attention. I have thought about this statement quite a lot lately; I believe it’s really true, and have even decided to put it to the test. This year I have decided to choose a focus area for personal growth, and now plan to do this each new year; I think that business growth and personal growth are really one in the same; when we increase our skills or lifestyle, we grow personally as a result of that … [Read more...]

What Can We Learn from Bridget Jones?

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Movies can teach us a lot about life and money. I have found that I now like to watch mostly uplifting movies, and tend to avoid movies that bring me down, such as violent or depressing ones. Last night, I watched Bridget Jones Diary as part of my annual holiday movie event. It’s one of my very favorites! I get so frustrated with Bridget; she’s so pretty, naturally sexy, and smart, yet she keeps repeating the same mistakes. She so longs to be healthy and confident, yet she continually sabotages herself in every area that she longs to improve: her career, her weight, her unhealthy habits … [Read more...]

5 Things I Learned from Writing “Earn Grow Give”

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Last week I was honored to have a book signing for Earn Grow Give, my personal finance book for women, in my home town of Tupelo, Mississippi, at the downtown landmark retailer, Reed’s Department Store. I grew up with Catherine Reed, who works in the gift and book department, so, personally, it felt more like a homecoming than a business venture for me. I was truly touched by the support of each person who attended the signing, especially since writing and publishing a book felt like a big and scary thing in my life. Did you know that you have a book in you? Everyone does, I believe, … [Read more...]

4 Smart Cash Flow Secrets

Monitoring Cash Flow is Always Smart! Exactly what is cash flow? It's the flow of money into and out of your financial accounts each month. Even if you are fortunate to have periods when you have more income than you want to spend each month, it’s wise to calculate your monthly cash flow. This is a smart habit for several reasons. Accomplish Your Money Reasons Sooner First, you can challenge yourself to reach some of those money reason goals sooner than you thought possible. For example, if your goal is to donate a certain amount to a children’s shelter by the time you are 50 … [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...]

It’s All Relative

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This month I am thrilled to be part of the virtual event, Smart Women Live Their Why, being produced by Sheri McConnell. This event is a series of interviews with entrepreneurial women who are all co-authors of a book by the same name. I hope you’ll listen for my interview at 9 am Central on September 13; here’s the link to the program, which offers several different levels, including free. Today, I listened to the play back from the first speaker, Linda Rivero, an amazing friend who speaks several languages, and founded a company that sponsors women helping women globally, among other … [Read more...]