So Many Shoes, So Little Money – Blog

Women & Money

February 23rd, 2009

Finance, and therefore money, often gets a bad rap. Women who like money and want more of it are too often considered ambitious, greedy or gold diggers. However, having money can be a truly enjoyable – even life changing – experience. At its best, money is about freedom and choices, about having options and opportunities. It’s about being able to live the life you want to live in the way you want to live it. Money allows you to travel, to go to school, or to work at something that offers you full satisfaction, regardless of compensation, instead of being stuck in a job you hate just to pay the bills. Money gives you the freedom to choose whether to buy that Prada bag or the Gucci boots or, in a perfect world, both. Money allows you to be self-sufficient; with the confidence that comes with being independent and the freedom to make life choices that are right for you. It doesn’t guarantee all this, but it certainly ups the odds. It’s a means to an end we all aspire to.

So knowing how to manage your money is vital. There are a lot of decisions to make (student loans, buying a car, buying a house, how many pairs of shoes you can own without being obscene) which will rely on your having a basic understanding of your personal finances. Money can be cheap or expensive, depending on what you know about how to use it. For example, if you charge those Manolo Blahnik shoes – the ones you know perfectly well you can’t afford – to your credit card and don’t pay the bill in full when it arrives in the mail, the shoes become a lot more expensive than the original number that was on the price tag because of the interest the credit company charges.

I know many of you think finance is boring and that you are not good at math. But understanding the basic connects of money management is crucial – just look at the mess the economy is in. So please make an effort – I promise it will be worth it. (Especially when you are able to afford whatever it is you want without having to stress about when the credit bill is coming).

Filed under: Money Management

Tags: Credit Cards, Personal finance, Shopping