One of my coworkers ran up to me one Monday morning to share some good news. She told me one of her friends got engaged over the weekend. She even showed me a picture of the engagement ring. I thought it was beautiful. Since I didn’t know the friend, I didn’t have much more to say. As I was about to return to my computer screen, my friend shared some more information. My … [Read more...]
Want a Marriage That Will Last a Lifetime? Throw Some Money At It!
I had a conversation with my mentor about improving my sales strategy to better position myself to help my Frugal Feminista community solve their biggest and ugliest financial problems. In our conversation, he shared the backend of his business operations with me. He was able to pinpoint one of his best customers; let’s name him "Mr. Love"—what he bought, what videos he … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Save Yourself From Nickel and Diming Your Way Into the Poorhouse
One of the interesting things that I see as a personal finance coach supporting black women trying to regain control of their finances is that these women are in debt or have bad credit. It's not that they are poorly compensated and, as a result, have to resort to charging basic necessities on their credit cards. Rather, it is because they have money management issues. They … [Read more...]
For Better or Worse? Should Our Children Date While in College?
Right now, I am simultaneously reading Susan Patton’s Marry Smart and Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, These two women are on opposite sides of the coin when it comes to the discussion of which comes first: career or love. Patton believes that women should spend 75% of their time in college and immediate post-graduate years attending to their personal goal of securing a mate and … [Read more...]
Have Debt? Have No Savings? Make These 4 Breakthrough Money Moves to Easily Live Below Your Means
I was speaking to a girlfriend that was looking for advice on how to manage her finances better. She was proud to share that she had no debt, but when it came to savings, she had none of that either. Living Beyond Your Means I know for some, this is a hard concept to grasp. We usually hear of people living in debt and with no savings. It seems like it’s one problem. However, … [Read more...]
Feeling Stuck and Overwhelmed? These 4 Financial Strategies Will Help You Overcome
I know it may seem, depending on where you look and with whom you speak, that everyone is living a perfect life. Everyone is basking in the after glow of success, happiness, and goodness. And for some, that may be true. But I know that within that season of success, they encountered seasons of doubt, lack, and wandering. If you are in that season of less, here are a few tips … [Read more...]
Sell Your Junk And Get Rid Of Your Debt in 15 Easy Steps
When I was focused on eliminating my graduate school student loans of $40,000, I entered into hustle mode. Hustle mode is when you focus on finding ways to increase your income through sales and entrepreneurship instead of through decreasing your expenditure, getting a second job, or hard-core savings. Don't get me wrong; both strategies (increasing income and decreasing … [Read more...]
How You Feel About Paying Your Bills Can Reveal a Surprising Truth About Your Relationship with Money
Over the last month, I had a number of bills to pay; some were related to my personal life and others were related to The Frugal Feminista. I realized that despite having the money to pay the bills, I felt a sense of tension in my belly when they came. I felt a sense of worry. I even felt a bit upset that I had to pay them. When I caught myself catching an attitude, I … [Read more...]
A Grown Woman’s Guide To Making and Keeping A Budget That Works
I am really going to be honest with you and it may sound shameful….but I don’t keep a budget (bad personal finance coach, bad personal finance coach), well, at least not in the conventional sense with spreadsheets and graphs. But, you better believe, a sister named Kara I. Stevens makes her monthly savings goal every month. Every. Single. Month. Let me tell you … [Read more...]
Before You Lend Money, Consider These Three Important Tips
We all have heard horror stories of family members that come to blows over money. Tight-knit families that spent Sunday afternoons together are no longer on speaking terms. Their children are no longer allowed to grow-up with cousins because of the bad blood between their parents. As a personal finance coach and lover of our community's collective financial empowerment, I … [Read more...]
How to Overcome Emotional Spending in 4 Critical Steps
Life may be beautiful, but we all know it isn’t always easy. When life gets tough, many of us resort to hitting the malls and online sites to help ease the jabs and punches of life. But looking for happiness or relief through spending only brings about temporary happiness and permanent debt. So before you break out your credit card the next time life is not going your … [Read more...]
The Art of Impulse Buying: How to Know When It’s Right
I had to be out of the office this week at an off-site training in the City. Normally, I get in, I get out, I get on with my life. But New York City summers are something I marvel and savor. I took the long way to the train and found myself outside a thrift store whose mission is to raise money for the homeless and for AIDS patients. I really had no intention of … [Read more...]
One Stranger’s Secret to Achieving 40 Years of a Happy Marriage
My husband and I were on a plane to the Bahamas when we struck up a conversation with the woman next to us. She asked us if we were married and for how long. We told her that we were closing in on our third year of marriage. That's when this nurse from New York City with nary a wrinkle told us that she was married for over forty years. 4-0. She smiled to herself the same way … [Read more...]
What Do You Want Your Money To Look Like 6 Months from Now?
I subscribe to a few blogs that provide trainings and tools to black women live their ideal lives. In one of the newsletters, here was the opening message: “Where do you want to be in the next 6 months?” “Hmmmm,” I thought, “What a great question.” My short-list answer to that question is: 1) I want to finish the two books that I’ve been working on this year. … [Read more...]
How Minimalism Can Solve Your Debt Problems For Good
We all have our Kriptonite when it comes to impulse shopping and buying more than we need or even want. For me, as a self-proclaimed brown girl bibliophile introvert, I can’t pull myself from Amazon without spending at least $50. A sweet circuit of joy courses through me when I come home and find those boxes in my mail box or if they are too big, leaning against my door. But … [Read more...]