Chapter 13: Money, Money, Money: Let’s, Talk Money, Honey!

Money 101!

Ladies, my favorite notification on my iPhone every two weeks is that my direct deposit was successfully cleared!

It is something about knowing all of your hard work is paying off that makes me very happy.

And although I am not in my DREAM job yet, I am climbing up the ladder of success to reach my goals.

But, you know what the problem is when you have $, you also have bills!

The phone bill!

The credit card bill!

The grocery bill!

The car note!

The rent!

And, don’t forget the car insurance!

After you pay all those necessities, you sometimes have something left over, and sometimes girl, the account be on zero.

But, for the months you do have $, what do you do with it?

Do you shop?

Do you save?

Do you invest?

Do you put money into your side hustle?

Do you travel?

Girl, do you save all your money and call your sponsor?

Whatever you do with it having money, while it doesn’t make the world go around, it sure does open doors for future opportunities. 

For example, if you work at the Hospital as a scheduler 9-5 and have a side hair business, you may use some leftover $ to help you refill your product orders to do your clients’ hair. 

You might need more shine ‘n jam or SoftSheen-Carson’s Let’s Jam extra hold to style your braids, twists, and smooth those edges. 

And, if you work as a travel agent but hope to get into real estate, money might help you start the classes you seek to complete to take your real estate exam. 

It also may help you kill the fashion game. 

Feed yourself and your children!

Sponsor your next recording session. 

Buy your next canvas.

And, buy all of your favorite makeup items from Sephora or Ulta. 

Money can be the best thing or the devil!

Too much access to money can lead you to possible debt. 

And too little money can leave you unable to access the necessities you need daily. 

So, today I want to provide a few ways money can be a blessing and a lesson! 

Blessing #1: Money can open doors for you to elevate in life. 

I know school is not for everyone, but it can help pay for undergrad, grad, and doctoral programs. 

It can help you finish cosmetology school or take that lash course so that you can start providing services to clients ASAP!

It can help you move from poverty to luxury. 

It can help you elevate your mindset by showing you the finer things in life. Therefore, you figure out how to ensure you don’t return to where you used to be. 

It can even help you travel to countries you didn’t even know existed.

Lesson #1: However, making poor money decisions can also lead to debt.

And unfortunately, debt can stop you from raising your credit score, buying property, or moving out of your mama and daddy’s house. 

I know sometimes we have to rely on Credit Cards to get by but remember there are some responsible ways you can use them. 

For example, paying your bill on time because Late payments do hurt. 

I know we don’t always have it but try your hardest to pay your minimum at least, so you don’t get hit with a late fee. 

Looking at various types of credit cards and choosing the best one for your financial goals. 

If you would like to have a larger conversation on how to use credit cards and choose the right one that’s best for your lifestyle, let me know. We can do a whole post on it, and I can bring in a financial advisor to offer more support. 

Blessing #2:  Money can also bring security and safety for you and those you care for!

For example, having access to money can help you provide for yourself!

You can pay your bills, go to the nail salon, get your hair done, buy groceries, and even allow you to stop worrying about how things will get paid. 

Having money in your pocket leads to less worrying. 

I know we have all had a moment staying up late trying to figure out how we will pay our phone and credit card bills when they are due two days apart. 

But, to know you have the protection of saved or budgeted money provides a type of peace that is priceless. 

To illustrate, it’s like on Sundays when you clean your house, light a candle, put on your favorite show, and can sit back on the couch with your favorite glass of wine. 

It’s peace and comfort. 

Lesson #2: While money can be helpful, you must be mindful of budgeting it, so you don’t spend it all. 

Budgets are essential! And I would love to do a whole post on budgeting in the next few weeks about how crucial it truly is for everyone.

Whether you’re making more than six figures or living paycheck to paycheck, budgets keep you in order. 

And, honestly, they are not that hard to create!

You can always find a template online for free or very soon. IHateAdulthood will provide you with a template that can help your budgeting goals. 

You will need information like how much you bring in each month, your bills, and how much you have left over.

If you get all that information, you can see what you gain and lose each month which can help you know how much you can save and splurge. 

But, don’t worry, this is just a quick discussion; we will have BUDGETING 101 very soon! 

So, stay tuned!

Blessing #3: Access to $ can help you live your best Black

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T Grown Woman Lifestyle!

It affords you access to funding your passions and gives you an opportunity to live the best life possible. 

I have already said money is not everything, and it doesn’t make the world go around, but it does help make things a little bit easier. 

Whatever your Independent Grown Woman Lifestyle includes, money can help you make things possible. 

For example, Financial Freedom to do as you please!

The ability to work on you like being able to afford access to therapy weekly (But, don’t forget if you are not there yet, many places offer accessible or affordable therapy sessions)

Invest in your businesses, 401(K), stocks, bonds, and even crypto. 

If these words don’t make sense, I have included a small dictionary below for reference, as they will come back up during our Budgeting 101 course in a few weeks. 

Build GENERATIONAL WEALTH!

And, finally, have access to a GOOD financial advisor because, with the right one, you can learn some of the best ways to make, save, and spend $! 

Lesson #3: Our final lesson for today is that money is helpful, but there is a difference between needing and desiring something. 

It is a lesson I still struggle with and have been struggling with since my earlier twenties. 

And, it is a rule I work on every single day!

For the nights I don’t want to cook, is it that I need some sushi, or do I want some sushi? 

Or do I need a new ring light to take pictures, or will the one in my room do just fine until it gives out?

It’s like that saying if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!

But, don’t get me wrong, sometimes we do deserve to splurge on ourselves, whether that’s to celebrate, self-care, or even because it’s just Tuesday and you didn’t snap on any of the clients you helped for the day. 

But, we must do it responsibly and choose what is best to buy now or save for later!

And, ladies, I am not talking about buying it now and paying for it later like on Afterpay!

I mean seriously taking the time to set aside the money each week, so you can buy it when it is financially intelligent on another day. 

So maybe this week you don’t eat out, or you don’t buy that new purse. 

But, when your bills are caught up in four weeks, you can take yourself out to buy one item on your wish list!

So, ladies, as we conclude our discussion for today, please remember that money comes with blessings and lessons!

It’s up to you whether you will take the time to read the disclaimer stamped on every purchase you make!

And, it’s up to you how you will spend the money in your wallet!

Just know we will make mistakes and learn from them every day!

There will be judgment, but that’s not our problem!

We are working towards building generational wealth, keeping ourselves away from financial audits, and living our best Independent Grown Woman Lives!

Peace and Prosperity as Always!

See you all next week!

Don’t forget about Independent Grown Woman Chat Next Friday at 7 PM!

I can’t wait to see you there!

Jadis DeShong-Venay