Table of Contents
Section 1 Create Wealthy Habits 1
Money Mindsets, Attitudes & Myths 3
I deserve it 4
It was an emergency 4
I bought it on sale 5
A couple bucks never hurt anyone 5
If I made more money, this would be easier 5
I'll start later 6
I don't make enough to save 7
I don't know anything about money 7
It's good debt 8
I'm just a giving person 8
Wealth Begins Within 11
What the heck is a financial blueprint, anyway? 12
My parents didn't teach me anything about money. Now what? 14
How do I start changing the way I think about money? 15
What can I do to create wealthier habits? 16
Where do I find the motivation to change my habits? 20
I have so much fear around financial matters. How do I get over that? 21
Setting the Foundation 23
What is personal finance, really? 24
What if I'm not really a finance type of person? 25
What is the most important financial principle I should know? 26
How do you define wealth? 27
How do I set financial goals I can achieve? 27
Why should 1 care about what's going on in the economy? 29
What other resources should I use to get control of my finances? 30
Section 2 Earn More Money 33
Workplace Wisdom 35
Why haven't I found my dream job? 35
What can I do to get noticed for the job I want? 37
How do I negotiate a higher salary? 38
What does my personal life have to do with my professional life? 41
How do I avoid workplace drama? 43
Isn't it true that mean girls make more money? 45
How do I know when it's time to find new employment? 47
Get Your Hustle On! 49
How could I possibly start a business and keep working? 50
How am I supposed to balance a job, a side-business, and a family? 52
How do I even know what I'm good at? 54
How can I begin making money from my hobby? 56
What if I'm just not the "salesy" type? 58
What can I do to market my business? 59
What are the basic business lessons I should know? 61
How can I network effectively? 63
You Are Your Best Investment 67
How can I afford personal development when I'm broke? 68
I've tried lots of self-help systems. Why hasn't anything worked? 70
What's the difference between a mentor and a coach? 71
Should I go back to school if I already have debt? 72
Is it possible to avoid student loans if I go back to school? 74
What's the real difference between grants and scholarships? 75
What should I do with a financial aid refund check? 76
How can I take advantage of loan forgiveness? 78
Section 3 Manage Money Wisely 81
Get It Together! 83
What documents should every woman have on hand? 84
How can I keep my finances organized? 86
How long should I keep financial documents? 89
What software do you suggest for managing money effectively? 91
What professionals should I have on my financial team? 93
How do I choose the right professionals for my personal finance team? 95
Budgeting Effectively 99
Why do I really need a budget? 100
How do I differentiate between needs and wants? 100
Why is budgeting so freakin' hard? 102
How do I make a budget the right way? 103
How do I know if I've created a realistic budget? 104
Can you explain the concept of living by percentages? 105
What if I have inconsistent income? 107
Will my creditors really move my due dates to fit my personal budget? 108
Saving and Reducing Debt Simultaneously 111
What's the difference between short-term and long-term savings? 112
How much do I actually need to have saved? 112
Seriously! How can I possibly save six months of income? 114
I've heard of an emergency fund, but what is an opportunity fund? 115
If I save on my own, do I still need my employer's retirement plan? 117
You're insane! How could it be possible to save too much or pay down too much debt? 118
Aren't there forms of good debt? 120
Is it okay to buy stuff while I'm still in debt? 120
What is a debt eliminator, and how do I determine my debt-free date? 121
What's your take on payday loans? 123
How do I know if I should just file bankruptcy? 124
I've already filed bankruptcy. Now what? 125
I've pretty much paid off all my debt. Now what? 127
Isn't buying a home a great investment and savings tool? 128
The Fundamentals of Banking 133
What's wrong with using check cashing centers? 133
How do I know my money is not safer with me than in a bank? 135
What's the real difference between a credit union and a bank? 135
What's the difference between a checking and savings account? 137
What should I look for in a checking account? 137
What should I look for in a savings account? 138
Where's the best place to save my opportunity fund? 139
How do I stay away from ATM machines? 140
How do I avoid overdraft fees? 141
Can I open a new bank account if I owe money to another bank? 145
Why can't I just use pre-paid cards? 146
Boosting Credit 149
How do I obtain a copy of my credit report? 150
What information should I expect to see on my credit report? 150
What should I do if there are items on my credit report I don't recognize? 151
What's a credit score, and how is it determined? 152
What's the difference between installment debt and revolving debt? 153
What's the difference between a credit card, charge card, and debit card? 154
What Should I Do If I'm Terrified of Credit Cards? 155
What about department store credit cards? Good or bad? 156
Can I build or rebuild credit without credit cards? 158
How do I begin to clean up my credit now? 159
How do I keep the credit cards I have in good standing? 161
Should I close a credit card once I pay it off? 162
What should I say once I get my creditor on the phone? 164
What should I do if I'm being harassed by a creditor? 165
How do I prevent identity theft? 166
Section 4 Relationships and Money 169
Your Honey, Your Money 171
What are the warning signs of a financially irresponsible person? 172
Are there questions I should ask about money while we're dating? 173
I prefer to date men with money. Does that make me a gold digger? 175
What should I do if discover my mate is fundamentally bad with money? 178
How can I make my man better with money? 179
I make more money than my man. Why do I feel like he can't handle that? 180
Each time my mate and I discuss money, things get tense. How can we get through this? 181
How do we decide who should manage the money? 182
I chose to stay home with the kids. Do I still have a right to be involved with the money management? 183
Should couples share bank accounts? 184
Do you suggest I keep a secret stash my partner knows nothing about? 185
At what point should I accept that the money issues have completely ruined our marriage? 186
How do I recover financially after a divorce or break up? 187
Friends & Family or Financial Foes 189
How can I tell if I'm financially enabling someone? 190
How does co-signing a loan for someone else affect me? 193
Should I lend money to friends? 194
What's wrong with borrowing money from my friends or relatives every once in a while? 195
How do I deal with girlfriends who have it all? 196
I think my friends are taking advantage of me financially. How do I protect myself, but keep the friendships? 198
How do I find the courage to say no to a loved one that needs help? 199
I said no, and now my loved one isn't speaking to me. What next? 200
Kids & Money 203
How can I make sure my young children have fun learning about money? 204
When and how do I give my children an allowance? 206
I think I may have entitled children. Can this be changed? 208
You really think kids should work? 211
What should I be doing to make sure my child can attend college debt-free? 212
How can I say no to my adult child? 215
Appendix A 217
Appendix B 219
Appendix C 225
