Women and Money – The Economy of Emotions

I run a business that teaches women to manage their personal finances. It’s not solely for women; everyone benefits from the techniques. But I find that it’s women who most often use my services. Why? We are the multi-taskers. We care for our families, ourselves, our jobs, our environments, our ...I run a business that teaches women to manage their personal finances. It’s not solely for women; everyone benefits from the techniques. But I find that it’s women who most often use my services. Why? We are the multi-taskers. We care for our families, ourselves, our jobs, our environments, our communities. We put food in the fridge and on the table and get the kids out the door to school. We are emotional about our money, and with all of these things riding on it, we should be. Shouldn’t we? Maybe we’re just emotional, period. And our financial scenarios get wrapped up in whether the dishes are done, who took the trash out, the exercise class you missed yet again (though you’ve been paying that darned gym fee for months now). Quite often, when we take a moment to organize the thing a money issue is buried under, the issue resolves before our eyes. Then it’s sayonara to the heartbreak...Until the next one! Practice Makes The Heart Grow Fonder Personal financial management is a practice. It’s a structure you employ to balance your life, like going to church or temple on the weekend, calling your mother on Sundays. When you map the flow of your life’s ins and outs—cash, kid projects, meetings, bills to pay—you better understand the resources you have to deal with it all. And you escape overwhelm. The Spending Plan Every week, I make a spending plan. When I don’t, without fail, I overspend. Every week, I also take time to calendar weekly events. If I don’t, inevitably, something falls off the table and feelings get hurt. And every time, I ask: What happened?? If we are not leaning forward into our lives, making use of simple financial and time management systems, we will always be looking backward and asking what happened. Looking backward, our answers don’t have a lot of meaning. Creating abundance, safety and peace of mind can only happen by having a clear purpose and a plan. Resources Are All Around Us Don’t let the current starved economy fool you. Financial and time management is personal. Even when the big players are treading water, you can create stability in your own life and family by exercising control of your own income and outflow. Find role models whose organizational tactics you can mimic. Search the Internet for tips on planning and maximizing money. Form a neighborhood knowledge circle that meets once a week to share money education and organizational tips, and even offers resources like carpooling and errand-sharing. The more you enrich your personal financial management skills, the richer you will actually be: richer in time, richer at heart, and even in pocket. Most importantly, supported by structure, money will be less of an emotional trigger, leaving you to spend those precious feelings on your family, your friends, your community, and the things you value. How would that feel? I’d love to hear. Email me at erin@greensherpa.com. For more tips to mastering your personal finances and managing your life’s flow, click on my other articles on this site, or find me at GreenSherpa.com.