Guess what girls?  Being money smart is essential to landing great jobs, getting promotions, taking care of your family, starting a business and being financially independent. You can be one of the growing group of young women who are learning to be financially responsible and set themselves up for financial success in the years to come by following some simple rules…

1.  Learn to budget your money.  Make a written plan for how you will spend and save your hard earned money. 
2.  Follow the code of spending:  always pay cash (ATM cards are okay as long as your aren't paying a service fee to use them), never pay interest (except on first cars and first houses), shop around before you buy, use coupons, and be frugal.  If you follow the code of spending you will always spend less than you earn.  It is essential for following rule #3.
3. Carry a zero balance on all credit cards.  Yes, that means pay them off every month!
4.  NEVER loan money to friends. If you do, you will lose your money, your friend, or both.  Knowing this, don't ask your friends for money either. 
5. Explore different ways to increase your income.  Ask for a raise or a promotion to a higher paying job, start a business, look for scholarships, get a higher paying job, take on odd jobs, sell your unwanted stuff and learn about how people make money with their investments.  
6.  Save. Invest. and Give. Learn to enjoy watching your savings account grow.  Learn about investing and invest in areas that interest you (i.e. fashion, home improvement, medicine, real estate. sports equipment, etc.) Give to your favorite charities, churches or organizations.  It puts you in the mindset of wealth.
7.  Talk money with your family and friends.  Don't be afraid to ask questions about money, financial planning, business, investing, savings, stocks, insurance, credit cards or anything else wealth related. The more you know about money the more successful you will be in dealing with it.
8. Keep good records.  Keep a 3 ring binder with your written monthly budget, banking and investment records (if you have any), record of tax deductions, income statements, and all your financial information. 

Money Exercise: Picture yourself money smart. Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine that you are smart about money. Imagine writing out a budget plan. See yourself paying cash for your purchases and shopping around before buying a new gadget.  What do you look like? Do people come to you for advice?  What are some of the things you talk about?  Picture yourself in a new job or starting a business. 

Learning to picture yourself successful is a powerful tool used by many great achievers.  If you are serious about becoming money smart do this exercise daily as you deal with money. It will help align your mind with your goals and you will start living your dreams!

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