Here at TFD, we believe there are certain financial habits everyone should develop if they truly want to get good with money, and that extends further than having a budget for all of your expenditures. (That’s just the bare minimum!) After all, if you don’t know how to properly manage your cash flow, you’ll never truly reach financial independence, no matter how much you make on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis. And isn’t the ultimate goal for all of us to lead a healthy and financial life? To help you get there, Natalie Bacon is sharing seven rules most financially successful women she’s come across believe in and follow to great success.
Shout out to all the financially bad *ss women out there. As a woman who knew nothing about personal finance a few years ago, I’m now obsessed with it. I’m a financial planner by day and a personal finance blogger by night, so my life is pretty much devoted to helping people with money. I’ve come up with a list of seven habits I see financially successful women doing consistently.
1. They Take Responsibility For Knowing Their Finances
Financially successful women take responsibility for understanding the details of their finances. This means they know their credit score, know the exact balances in their accounts, and know it’s their responsibility to keep up with their finances. Knowing their financial situation is super important. Here are the best posts to get you started.
2. They Stick To A Budget
Financially successful women stick to a budget. Whether they’re rich or poor, wise women know that managing their money is super duper important. This means sticking to the b-word (aka budget). No matter how much money they have, these ladies are managing it successfully (i.e.: they’re not overspending and they’re prioritizing their financial goals).
3. They Make Their Financial Health A High Priority
Financially successful women know that their financial health is a top priority. This means prioritizing their finances above other things, like entertainment or standard of living increases. These women cut back and do what it takes to stay in good financial health — whether it’s saving for a down payment on a house, getting out of student loan debt, or investing for retirement.
4. They Don’t Make Excuses About Their Finances
Financially successful women don’t make excuses. They don’t blame their finances on someone else or take a victim mentality (like blaming an ex-husband or the family they grew up in). Instead, these women take ownership of their finances and are empowered to succeed financially.
5. They Don’t Get Their Joy From Being Spoiled By Others
Financially successful women don’t get their joy from being spoiled by other people. They aren’t waiting for someone else to buy them things. They don’t depend financially on others in a way that reduces their power in a relationship. They don’t rely on family or spouses to spoil them in order to be happy. These women know how to make money and take care of themselves.’
6. They Set Financial Goals
Financially successful women know how to set financial goals. They know that positive thinking isn’t enough. They have concrete, actionable goals that they plan to use to get them to where they want to go.
7. They Believe In Giving Back
Financially successful women are generous people. They know that the totality of their finances includes being generous with their money. They believe that it’s not about the amount they give, but the art of living a generous life, that will lead to happiness.
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Financially successful women are the bomb. They are responsible, goal-oriented, high-achievers, and overwhelmingly generous. These women are my idols. They’re amazing. Since no one is perfect, my challenge to you is to pick one item on this list to improve on and set goals to move you closer to accomplishing this item. If I can do it, so can you!
Natalie Bacon is an online entrepreneur. Prior to this, Natalie practiced as a certified financial planner, at a firm that managed over $1B in assets under management. Before her financial planning career, Natalie practiced as a business attorney. Natalie has been featured in CNBC, Forbes, and other publications. Natalie is most passionate about helping young, professional women design their dream lives. Read Natalie‘s full story here.
Image via Unsplash
