This week I did my first Masterclass!
I was very excited but very nervous (but that’s another blog post altogether!
Just so you are in the loop, I’ve had in my heart a desire, a want, almost a need, to create some kind of community around money and budgeting. Mostly inspiring Women to get out of their rut, step into their full selves and tackle their finances. With this I don’t mean to imply that all women are in debt and that they need help paying credit cards because they just can’t help themselves when they go into a store and buy everything!
No. Women are very responsible in every aspect, yes, even with their money.
There are women who earn a lot of money and build empires and that my friends is my hope for every single woman! We can do this! How badly do you want it? Have you ever thought about it? What would you do to get ahead? Do you believe you are capable? That you have what it takes?
There are also women who earn a lot of money but don’t really pay attention to where their money is going, they live comfortably and aren’t really worried about saving a penny here or there, they feel they don’t need to. Sure they have savings and credit cards. They like shoes and purses and cocktails and parties… They love their life! Sure they could tweak their budget a little but… it’s not chaotic by any means! Now, if they want to be millionaires they do need to keep a close look on their finances!
Then, there are other women who earn a little less and have 3 kids, are divorced or single and can’t seem to stop living from paycheque to paycheque, even though they make enough money to stop that cycle! But the kids need what they need, she needs what she needs and hey! You only live once! (This is me!) We’ll think about the future when it gets here! (also me!) These women probably grew up not knowing much about money, it was never talked about. They could use a little help writing a budget and sticking to it… they’ll think about it tomorrow!
Let’s not forget that there are women who barely make their bills at the end of the month let alone think about saving! Every time I heard someone say I needed to have a budget (back in the day, when bills were double or triple our income!) I wanted to punch someone in the face! (And the word “sacrifice” wouldn’t be far from the conversation either! Geez! We were already over our heads couldn’t people just leave it be????.).
So, as I was saying, I feel I need to create a community around this topic and just be there to help people who are serious about getting their money on track. Because, it’s not just money, if you are over your head with a cluttered house, chances are your money and life are not much better and I know it can be overwhelming, actually I know it is!, but I really want you to reach out and get help! Join a community, find an accountability partner who will be there to help you stain the journey. No judgement needed, only hand holding and some tough love (sometimes it’s needed! Sorry!). Now, I need to say this, budgeting, or creating a plan for your money and life is a very personal thing. It’s not a size fits all and it’s not magical. You need to try out different strategies to see which one you like best, tweak it, again and again, and eventually you’ll get there. Also, you will get it wrong a couple of times, you’ll not budget enough money for groceries, the washing machine is going to die on you and you’ll forget someone’s birthday. It’s OK! You got this!
Lastly, let me just say, probably the most important thing in this post!, mindset. You have to be willing to change your thinking in order to move forward. You have to be willing to “discover” what your money beliefs are. Because no matter how much practise you get with budgeting if you keep thinking you can’t do it or you won’t be able to do it, it’s the truth. Because whether you think you can or can’t, you are right! Our mind is a powerful thing! For me this is one of the fundamental points you have to work on to be successful with your money, there are others of course, but if we start shifting our thoughts just 2°… we have no idea what we are capable of achieving! Just something to think about!
S – The Sparkling Budgeteer
