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The Dollar Diva's 10
timeless tips for women
Here are the top 10 things every woman should know
about money:
1. Setting financial goals is the key to
financial success.Write your goals down on
paper. State the goal, when you want to get there and
what you've got to do to make it happen. If you've
always had trouble staying on a budget, try developing
a spending plan.
2. Spending less than you earn is the secret
to accumulating wealth. You can't have it
all: choose a fancy lifestyle, and you choose paltry
savings by default. If you'd like to become the
millionaire next door live well below your means, and
invest what's left over.
3.If you don't allocate time for managing your
money, you won't have any money to manage.
Money gets frittered away when it's not managed; take
the time to track your cash. You can do it with a
pencil and notebook, but it's a lot faster to do it
with a software program such as Microsoft's Money or
Intuit's Quicken. Many banks and credit card companies
let you download transactions from their Web sites to
your software program, making data entry a breeze. The
four gauges you need to review each month are (1) what
came in, (2) what went out, (3) what you own and (4)
what you owe.
4. Education expands your mind and your
earning potential. As a rule, education means
a more interesting life and more money. Save some of
that money, and you can buy yourself financial
freedom. Education is your ticket to somewhere; don't
leave life without it.
5. If you don't save when the chips are up,
expect to drown in debt when the chips are down.
Sooner or later you can count on being laid up, laid
off or laid out. It happens to the best of us, and a
stash of cash will cushion the blow. Without it, your
lifeline will probably be high-interest debt that will
linger long after the storm has passed.
6. You can't accumulate wealth if you charge
more than you can afford to pay each month.
High- interest credit card debt is highway robbery
without the mask and gun. Motivate yourself to mop up
your debt by using the Payment-push plan.
7. Choosing a fiscally irresponsible mate is
hazardous to your financial health. Opposites
tend to attract, and fiscally conservative gals tend
to be drawn to fiscally liberal guys, and vice versa.
If you're about to pair up with a big spender, don't
sign for any debt you wouldn't be able to manage on
your own. You and your partner should have a talk
about any debt you have and how you will deal with it
so you don't end up deeply in love & deeply in
debt.
8. Shopping without a list costs more than
shopping with one. Shopping smart will help
you to live below your means. Everyone's familiar with
the grocery list, and how it helps curtail impulse
spending at the market. Try making a clothing list to
keep you from the temptation of impulse shopping at
the mall. Makes a list of what you must have in your
wardrobe: number of shoes, blouses, suits, jeans,
jackets and coats. Take an inventory of what you
already have, and make a list of what you need to
complete your wardrobe. That's your clothing-shopping
list. Goodbye recreational shopping, hello increased
savings.
9. Buying a car and keeping it until it dies
is cheaper than leasing one. A car is wheels;
don't give it more status than that. When she can't
pay for it outright, the smart person saves up for the
down payment, finances the car over 36 months, and
enjoys many payment-free years in between cars.
Educate yourself on the female car buyer's bill of
rights.
10. Money buys financial freedom: go for it.
Financial freedom is not gender limited: women can
achieve it as well as men.
By Dorothy Rosen
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