Sarah Von Bargen

How To Be A Grown Ass Woman: Money + Finances


Earlier this week, I launched my ecourse The Post College Survival Kit. In honor of trying to be the best adults we can be (regardless of our current age) I'll be devoting the rest of the week to becoming awesome, grown ass women.


Gosh but money is a touchy subject, isn't it? When we're not good with it, we feel embarrassed, ashamed, and overwhelmed with but-I'm-smart-why-do-I-keep-screwing-this-up? And when we manage it wisely, we just might be the source of jealousy or even how-does-she-do-it gossip.
To make matters worse, most of us feel weird talking about it. Yes, I want to know how you can afford that shiny, new SUV. No, I'm never, ever going to ask about it.
But devotedly ignoring things rarely gets anyone anywhere. With that in mind, here are five things you can (and should!) do if you're serious about getting your financial life in order. (You can download a free 27-page sample of The Post College Survival Kit with one article one worksheet from each chapter here.)
1. Make a real budget Yes, I know. You've heard this a million times before. For good reason! We manage what we monitor and you'd be amazed how quickly those $4 lattes and $17 Target sweaters add up.
Your budget needn't be anything fancy - it can just be a spreadsheet listing your monthly income and recurring bills. If you want something more involved, check out Dave Ramsey's free forms or Mint.com. Once you've decided how much you can spend, make it easier on yourself by leaving your credit cards at home, freezing them, or covering them with a photo of something you're saving for. My trick? Give yourself a 'fun allowance' and withdraw that amount from the ATM each week. Once the cash is gone? It's soup and library books for you, my friend.
2. Actually understand your job benefits
Back when I was working for other people my understanding of my benefits was exclusively limited to vacation time. 401k matching? What's that? HSA? Home shopping account? Life insurance? Who caaaaares?

Be ye not so stupid as me, friends. Really, actually read through that huge binder your HR person gives you. Google what you don't understand. Schedule a meeting with HR to go over anything that's not clear. It's estimated that benefits can add as much as 30% value to any job - you might as well understand them and take advantage of them!

3. Put your school loans on autopay
Do you have school loans? (Dur. Yes.) If you put them on autopay you a) don't have to worry about writing a check once a month b) can save .25%. I realize that doesn't sound like much, but when you're repaying tens of thousands of dollars, it adds up! And remember, you can deduct student loan interest from your taxes!
4. If you know you can use a credit card wisely, get one with great rewards
If you know you struggle with impulse purchases and you've had credit card debt in the past, take a pass on this one. But if you can manage a credit card, getting one with good rewards can make a huuuuuge difference. I have a Capital One card because it has amazing travel rewards and I put ev.ery.thing on it - I even pay my utilities with it! I pay it off every month and I've already received hundreds of dollars worth of rewards this year.

5. Think about ways you can cut spending
I'm a big believer in putting your money where your happy is. If you don't care about that painfully hip new restaurant, don't go there. If name brand clothes don't bring you joy, don't buy them. If you need a three week beach trip each year, budget accordingly. It's a lot easier to cut your spending when you know you're saving for something important and joy-making. You can find a million good ideas for living a good life on a budget here.

How's your relationship with money? How do you save manage it?

P.S. 10 ways to feel rich and How to save up for big ticket items. photo by epSos .de // cc
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