08Feb 2017 by Women's Money

Where Does Your Money Go?

banking, Goals / Taking Action, Miscellaneous, Saving & Investing
Have you ever had such a terrible customer service experience or been charged so many fees at your bank that you seriously considered closing your accounts, but didn’t because, well, would another corporate bank be any different? Credit unions are a viable alternative to big banks. After a terrible customer service experience, this was exactly the course I took. There are always considerations when changing banking institutions. Your number one concern should always be bank fees. While credit unions will often have lower fees than a corporate bank, this is not always the case and should never be taken for granted.So what exactly is a credit union? A “cooperative financial institution chartered by the federal government and owned by individual members”. This means that when you put your money in…
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04Feb 2017 by Women's Money
Romance on a Budget

Romance on a Budget

Budgeting, Miscellaneous, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Relationships & Money
So Valentine’s Day is 10 days away and you still don’t have a gift for your significant other. Don’t worry, I’ve also been procrastinating, but we’re going to get through this together. I’ve compiled a list of low-budget gifts and dates to help us make Valentine’s a success on a budget. 1. Do-It-Yourself Date Rather than spending a bunch of money on a meal in a fancy restaurant, consider making a special meal at home. Set the mood with some candles, some flowers, music of choice, and maybe a tablecloth. It will cost you money for ingredients and some time in cooking, but you don’t have to deal with crowds, you don’t have to tip, and you already have the best seat in the house reserved. If you don’t have time…
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01Feb 2017 by Women's Money
A Rose on Any Other Day

A Rose on Any Other Day

Budgeting, Miscellaneous, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement, Relationships & Money
If you’ve recently visited a store, you know Valentine’s Day is almost here. I’m a huge romantic sap and love the idea of Valentine’s Day, but the hype is a little out of control. Yes, chocolate is delicious and roses are pretty, but they are also expensive extras. While it is definitely important to take time to appreciate your significant other, and Valentine’s Day is a good day to do so, it’s important not to break the bank in the process.Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday this year. My boyfriend and I both work all day, and  after a long day at work I'm about as romantic as a bag of potato chips. So we’ve decided to wait and celebrate a few days after when it fits our schedule better.…
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26Jan 2017 by Women's Money
Follow Your Funds

Follow Your Funds

Budgeting, Goals / Taking Action, Miscellaneous, Take Action
There’s always pressure to make changes around the new year. Aside from my annual resolution to exercise more, this year I decided to track of my spending. Unlike exercise, it’s an easy habit to maintain, and like exercise it improves my long term well-being.The last time that anyone stressed the value of tracking your spending to me was in middle school when we learned about balancing checkbooks. I occasionally started a log in high school but never maintained it. In college, I didn’t even attempt to keep track, I would just periodically check my bank account balance online. As years went by, this system became less and less sustainable. I decided to make two big changes to the way I spend. 1) I use cash for most of my daily…
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23Jan 2017 by Women's Money

Stop Letting Your Money Manage You

Budgeting, Goals / Taking Action, Miscellaneous, Take Action
Confession time… I have never had a formal budget. I would put money aside for my bills, but as far as groceries, gas, and all my other spending, it was a free for all. Honestly, I was scared of writing a budget because it meant I would have to face up to my bad spending habits. The issue with not taking time to budget and actually plan how to spend your money, is that you put yourself at the mercy of your own fear and bad habits. It wasn’t a sustainable life style and I felt perpetually broke and stressed.I was doing it to myself, of course. Although I didn’t realize it then, by not writing a budget and taking control of my money, I was choosing to be stressed,…
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09Jan 2017 by Women's Money
Thank you All for a wonderful National @WomensMoneyWeek! #WMWeek17 @womensmoneyweek

Thank you All for a wonderful National @WomensMoneyWeek! #WMWeek17 @womensmoneyweek

Women's Money Week
National Women's Money Week as a resounding success! Thank you to all of the awesome participation. The numbers are still coming in, but here are the highlights:Enrolled 18 program Ambassadors.Registered 30 additional program participants.Hosted our first Women's Money Week Tweetchat sponsored by @Wisebread with108 participants, 339,708 Reach and 8,788,715 ImpressionsEnrolled participation of organizations to host first ever in-person events.4,669 Daily Action Planning Kits to women during #WMWeek17The campaign is still running even though the week is officially hosted from January 1 -7, 2017. A full report will be issued in February 2017. Thank you again!   
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