Forbes: 5 major financial mistakes women make
'24.04.2021'
Source: Forbes
Is there a "male" and "female" attitude towards money? Are women prone to certain incorrect behaviors? Examples from own practice with Forbes shares Anastasia Veselko, financial consultant and author of the project “Girl with money”.
Being a woman is expensive. The so-called Pink Tax (additional “female” expenses) in the US is $ 82 on average for women. Women's products are more expensive than men's counterparts ($ 000 for a set of men's shaving machines, and $ 5 for a set of women's), women tend to spend more on home maintenance, products, toys and clothes, women need hygiene products, cosmetics, and so on ... In general, we not so easy.
And in addition, we ourselves, as on purpose, often harm our financial well-being.
What financial mistakes do women most often make?
Hope for a miracle
A girl came to the consultation, the producer, earns great money. She also spends well, has no idea where her money goes. The reason for the appeal was formulated as follows: "I am thirty-two, and, it seems, enough to hope for a miracle."
Women often postpone the moment of honest meeting with their financial situation and hope that “maybe they won't.” Why am I going to bother now, what if I get married successfully? And it's too early to think about the mortgage, suddenly I get an inheritance. And if I move, in the new country everything will be different, now there’s no need to waste time and effort.
In the same series, the hope is to create a super-successful startup and the installation “everything will somehow form”. Unfortunately no. Only cellulite is formed by itself. And to create capital will have to strain.
Do not wait for a better moment, start now with what is.
On the subject: How to save and save money in the US: 10 non-obvious tips
Take your business frivolously
“I organize events, I work as an individual entrepreneur. True, SP registered on my young man. And I also have a share in a friend’s advertising agency, we have verbally agreed on everything. ”
“I don’t know how much I earn. It’s enough, but I don’t understand if I have a successful business or not. ”
“My girlfriend uses my IP to transfer money. What kind of transfers? Do not know…".
“I can’t assess my personal expenses. Either the accountant has to pay, then the contractors, then the child’s garden. It is difficult to separate the personal and the working. ”
The mistake of women entrepreneurs is that they are not formally involved in business finance. Build business relationships on verbal agreements, trust your money to friends and boyfriends, pay for a nanny and fabric delivery from one card. The consequences can be extremely unpleasant. From a useless activity that only pretends to be a business, but does not bring real profit, to a real loss of business and money and tax problems.
Whatever you do, no matter how small your business is, immediately build a solid foundation. Fix your rights legally, study numbers, consider profitability.
"Invest" all the money in children
“I invest all the money in children. Early development, education abroad, assistance with housing. It does not remain on itself yet. Well, at least a daughter will grow up - she will take care. ”
Such a strategy has every chance of failing. Children drop out of prestigious universities and leave for Africa as volunteers, fail to get married, they may not have a career. And even if everything goes according to plan, they will also have enough of their worries. They will have to look for work in the world of artificial intelligence, provide for their children, fight emotional burnout - it's hard to imagine what they will face. So let's give the children a present - we will take care of our financial independence in advance. And then we will only come to visit our grandchildren with generous gifts.
When investing in children, do not forget to take care of your financial well-being.
On the subject: Mistakes that can turn financial problems into disaster
Give out money
Women spend more on charity than men, more often they lend to friends, and unduly support adult children.
“I help my son to rent an apartment, the boy needs help. He is 28, yes. ”
“If I received the inheritance, I would immediately give half to charity.”
“What if they ask for a loan, but I do not want to give? How not to spoil the relationship? I can’t refuse. ”
To this we add the inability to say no to the obsessive seller. This is all - unwillingness to protect your money. Fear to seem bad, to upset people and the universe with our excessive, as it seems to us, prudence. As a result, we think about others, and not about ourselves.
Like in an airplane - first put the mask on yourself, and then on the child. First take care of your financial well-being, and only then help others.
Attract the energy of money
Recently, I have watched several American financial courses, where, to my surprise, esotericism ran like a thread. Women-centered courses, of course. University programs begin with the textbook “start keeping records of expenses,” and women’s programs with the correct mindset. Behind the peppy wording hides the good old affirmations. “I love money, and money love me”, “I am a magnet for money”, “my wallet attracts abundance” and other optimistic statements.
“Change your mindset and your relationship with money will change forever!” If…
Incidentally, I am not against a positive attitude. Only let it go in addition to positive actions. Yes, and the wording would still change.
You write down the expenses - “I am learning to manage my money”, postponed the purchase you doubted - “I develop a wise attitude to money”. In general, focus on actions with the right attitude! And then the relationship with the money will definitely improve.
