Money Matters - Really!

One of the biggest challenges facing black RELATIONSHIPS today are finances. Many people mistakenly feel that money does NOT matter. In fact, money matters the MOST! Why? Most people do not have a clue about their own financial destiny.

You know you want to own a home and save some money toward retirement but have you PLANNED what it is you are saving each month and how that money will assist you in the future. Do you have a PLAN to empower yourself financially by NOT depending on your JOB to pay your salary and that's your only source of income. Times have CHANGED. Jobs come and go(and so do SPOUSES). To protect yourself financially you need to be proactive and not depend on anyone else to solve your financial issues.

You can improve your finances RIGHT NOW if they are not in order. There are low costs alternatives to improve your credit score and increase your buying power. Power not to be wasted on designer shoes, clothes, and automobiles, but to be invested in REAL estate. An interesting term to be sure. REAL because it is the foundation of all REAL wealth in this country. Estate, because that is what you can leave your children and family if you handle your business correctly - RIGHT NOW. Money matters because in a relationship YOU should have your OWN MONEY! That is right- I said it! You should not count what someone ELSE brings to the table when all your money is tied up in petty and senseless bills. Talking about petty and senseless- let us discuss CARS! What would possess a person to lease an automobile? Other than as a BUSINESS expense (which also means TAX WRITE OFF) someone PLEASE Tell me WHY? I have heard of folks paying $500.00-$900.00 monthly on car payments. WHY? My car is paid for and I am proud of it. Yes, it is ten years old - BUT I don't work because I DON'T have to support my vehicle. If you are serious about getting more money in this lifetime, you will need to STOP SPENDING money RIGHT NOW on things that DEPRECIATE in VALUE such as CARS! Nuff said!

We all need just ONE major credit card and an American Express card. The other credit cards need to be in the trash. The reality is- if you CANNOT pay for something you purchased within 30 days, you CANNOT afford it! Brutal I know but I have been there and done that. When you have to spend real $$$ on what you purchase, it truly does slow your roll.

Contact me if you need to be pointed in the right direction. I will be happy to assist!

In a personal relationship many of your disagreements WILL stem from money issues. Not just who makes what, but how it is spent and how it is saved. It seems like such a small thing but when you are commingling finance and love you need to establish boundaries up front. PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE THIS ADVICE! You should decide in advance if you want to keep your finances separate and have a joint household account.

The household account should be open to both parties (online access is great for this) and not used for personal spending in any way. The check card will let you market, pay bills etc. A joint savings account would also make saving for special purposes much easier. No matter how much you trust each other, the savings accounts should REQUIRE both parties to sign off on withdrawals. Just to keep everything clean and above board. The traditional (old fashioned) way is to have just one account for checking and one for saving. Even though our parents did this, most mothers (and fathers) always had personal money SOMEWHERE that was just theirs. So why not be upfront about your own personal money issues so they do not come back to haunt you down the road.

Michelle Smith-Billups owns serveral websites. Her main site, HurryDates-in-Black.com is dedicated to finding and building better relationships. Her focus has turned to money as a way to improve on what YOU have before you find a mate. This is NOT to be used to measure a potential mate, but as a means to open, honest and effective communication about finances before your relationship begins.

http://www.HurryDates-in-Black.com/money matters.html
http://ClassyBlackSingles.com/?CID=art1
http://YourHealth.mymagicwand.com

---

Five Secrets for Long-term Financial Success

Future financial success is not a guarantee that any one... Read More

Stretching Your Grocery Dollars

Shopping for groceries is an inevitable fact of our ever... Read More

The Joys of Address Labels

Address labels are many things to many different people. If... Read More

Organizing Your Finances - Thinking Outside the (Shoe) Box

If you're like most people, your personal financial records are... Read More

Budgeting is Essential for a Single Mothers Success

Today many women are struggling with debt and it's even... Read More

Portfolio Planning can Lead to Irreconcilable Differences

The judge had to ask the question, and we had... Read More

The Magic Of Compound Interest

Christians are called to be good stewards of God's resources.... Read More

How to Obtain a Non ChexSystems Bank Account Without Being Scammed

Predatory lending exists in the mortgage industry. It's typically when... Read More

10 Money-Saving Tips

1. If you have your haircut every 3 weeks, try... Read More

Personal Checks ? Extreme Benefits

Millions of people have a checking account and many people... Read More

If All Things Are Possible, Why Cant I Balance My Checkbook?

For me, the most terrible time of each month is... Read More

Improving Your Financial Position

If you want money you need to learn how to... Read More

Money Matters - Really!

One of the biggest challenges facing black RELATIONSHIPS today are... Read More

How to Choose Wisely a Credit Card

So, you've made the decision to apply for a credit... Read More

Single Mother and Learning how to Save

Saving may seem easier if you were saving for a... Read More

Budgeting Tips to Save Real Money

Sticking to a budget can be difficult, but with so... Read More

Planning Your Financial Future

Millions of people give a lot of thought to financial... Read More

Make or Break Your Retirement!

The Prudential has dubbed those who refuse to leave home... Read More

UK Parents Inactivity Harming Their Children?s Future University and Mortgage Savings

The British government at the beginning of this year officially... Read More

Government Grants - Beware of Scams

As the saying goes: "Buyer Beware". If you see ads... Read More

Healthy Eating On A Budget

It is possible to eat a healthy, balanced diet without... Read More

Developing a budget? Watch out for Those Budget-Bursting Gremlins

If you've developed a household budget to get your spending... Read More

Know Thy Finances

The first step to financial success lies in knowing your... Read More

Knowing Me, Knowing You: Why ID Protection Plans Are Flawed For Fraud

ID theft is a major consumer concern, though there is... Read More

Check Fraud and Verification

Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself... Read More

Budgeting -- The Critical Flaw That Causes Most Budgets to Fail

Budgeting. It's a word we're all familiar with. Everyone knows... Read More

Bank On It: Places to Hide and Invest Money

Today I passed a thermometer at a bank that read... Read More

Reduce College Debt with Scholarships

Six Scholarship judges were sitting around an oval table. Forms... Read More

Understanding and Controlling Your Finances

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to... Read More

Roth IRA Contributions - IRS Rules

Confused about whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA?... Read More

Students Investing in Their Future Need to Manage Their Finances Today

With the A-level results coming out, the long wait for... Read More

10 Tips to Make Sure Your Financial Budget Will Succeed

You've analyzed your past expenses, put them into spreadsheets, loaded... Read More

Are You Sick of the Financial Insecurity of Fluctuating Seasons and Income?

Finding a stable and secure income that will come year... Read More