Of the many intimacies that we attend to and invest our energy into throughout the course of a relationship, financial intimacy usually is not at the top of the list...despite its impact on the day-to-day functioning and operations of a household. In order to have a healthy, trusting, and holistic marriage, though, we must pay close attention to how we are working on deepening … [Read more...]
Women: 5 Easy Ways to Live a Fabulous Life for Less
There is a saying in Antigua “one, one, full basket” meaning that every bit, no matter how small, will have an impact on your overall goal, especially when it is a financial one. When those “bits” are tiny deposits into an account, you will eventually have a hefty reserve if you keep at it. On the other hand, if you continually withdraw those little bits for “here and there” … [Read more...]
4 Unusual, Yet Lucrative, Ways to Increase Your Income in 2016
If you are living from paycheck to paycheck, you may find yourself coming up short for the monthly bills. Since charm, your degrees, and your fabulousness won't keep your gas, heat, and lights on, you may have to resort to some extreme measures to make those ends meet. Here are four unusual yet viable ways to increase your income in 2016. Rent Your Style: Maybe one of the … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Refocus Your Family’s Finances in 2016
Is 2016 the year that you will get your family’s finances back on track? Well, I hope you are not making the mistake of tackling the family finances alone. To bring prosperity to you and your loved ones, it needs to be a family affair. Start Having Monthly Money Meetings Money can be a touchy topic to talk about in some families if it is not talked about regularly and … [Read more...]
5 Beauty and Budget Must-Haves for Brown Girls on the Go
There’s something really wonderful and empowering about being your own woman in all ways. I’m talking about having your stuff together from the inside out: your career is on the move, you’re handling your finances like a champ, and you’re attention to your personal appearance is impeccable. For some brown girls, this is a lofty dream punctuated and mired with bouts of … [Read more...]
5 Jacked Up Things Your Friends Will Say to Keep You Living Broke
When you decide to pull-up your big girl panties and take charge of your finances like a grown woman, you may begin to realize that everyone will not be happy with your new frugal lifestyle. Your shopaholic friends will become your new financial frenemies and say things to keep you chained to the door of revolving credit, conspicuous consumption, and living beyond your … [Read more...]
7 Couponing Tips for the Non-Couponer That are Guaranteed to Save You Money
When I’m checking out my groceries at the self-serve lanes, I always get my feelings hurts. The computer always asks me, “Do you have any coupons?” And I always press the button that says no in defeat. Each time this happens, I shake my fists at the screen—I feel like I’m missing out on savings. Each time I exit the supermarket, I promise myself that I would start couponing— … [Read more...]
This Amazing and Free Tool Will Help You Lose Weight and Slash Debt at the Same Time
A few years ago, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine published Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research findings which concluded that keeping a food diary can double an individual’s weight loss effort. Similarly, a study in The New England Journal of Medicine uncovered that those who did not jot down their food intake on a daily basis underestimated their … [Read more...]
Five Ways to Deal With Stress When Shopping and Eating No Longer Work
One of the great things about working as a personal finance coach is that I get to help women enjoy breakthroughs as it relates to their relationship with money. Recently, I was working with Susan, a client who was accustomed to relieving stress through shopping and eating. She recently had a breakdown and resorted to buying herself something or treating herself to something … [Read more...]
These 6 Home Buying Rules of Thumb Let You Know If It’s Time to Ditch the Rent
For the last three years, I had been ambivalent about home ownership. But with a recent (disrespectful) rent hike, and a conversation with my husband that determined that we will be planting roots in our current city, I figured it was time to buy a home that we could afford. In speaking with my friend Danielle Douglas, journalist and banking reporter at The Washington Post … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Break-Up with Being Broke for Good
Early last week I launched my free four-part video series called How to Break-up with Being Broke because I know that black women are just a few financial strategies away from owning their wealth. I wanted to help us get right as quickly as possible with our financial structures. If you are a brown girl serious about divorcing debt, eliminating scarcity thinking for your … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Stop Expensive Overdraft Fees from Hitting Your Account
There isn't a person I know who hasn't been bitten by the Overdraft Bug! But, you don’t need to waste your money purchasing overdraft protection in the event you make a transaction that depletes your checking account balance. Here are four money routines that will definitely keep your checking account in the black. Pad your checking account by 20% What I’ve learned from … [Read more...]
The Only Thing that Stops You from Being a Black Millionaire and How You Can Get It
My current reading situation is Dr. Dennis Kimbro's The Wealth Choice. According to his work, there are 35,000 black millionaires in the US today. When I came across this number, I was a little a lot underwhelmed. I started to wonder how many more of us could be millionaires if we could just get our basic finances in order. With our basic finances in order, we could focus … [Read more...]
Black Women Can Make Anything Look Good, Including Minimalism
When I get it in my head to do something, there is nothing that can stop me. I go all in. For the past twenty days, I’ve been on an Afro-minimalista journey. I’ve always known about minimalism, but my level of commitment to decluttering what was in my spirit, in my cupboards, and in my closets was iron-clad this time. I was inspired by a For Harriet post on Afro-minimalism. … [Read more...]
4 Ways for Black Women to Keep Family Members Out of Their Pockets
One of the unspoken reasons that black women can’t save is because we have unofficially been identified as the family ATM. With all too many of us embracing the “Superwoman to All But Herself” role in many a circle, we are judged by our ability to please others quickly, please others often, and please others sacrificially. We take Mama Maya’s “be the rainbow in somebody … [Read more...]