Here at Chief Mom Officer, we frequently muse about money. And it’s not the traditional money content, like “save $500 with this easy trick!” or “couponing for fame and fortune!”
No, it’s thinking deeply about diversity in financial stories, money mistakes, the gender of money, and other such topics. Are you ready to go beyond the financial basics and think more deeply about money? Good. Read on.
Money Musings – Going Beyond The Math
Poverty Tourism – Is Frugality For The Rich?
There was a huge reaction to various articles about Liz Frugalwoods (who seems like a wonderful person, by the way), and one of the interesting topics I saw broached was that of “poverty tourism”. The idea drew my attention. After all, living below my means is something I’ve done since I was young and broke, and the idea that folks saw living frugally as “poverty tourism” struck me. Read more here about my thoughts on the topic.
Money Mistakes
I’m not perfect – I’ve made mistakes. I’m sure you have too. We all have, although we don’t usually write about them on the internet. We’re supposed to be presenting Instagram worthy versions of our lives, and pure joy on Facebook. Right? Nah – where’s the fun in that? Come here and laugh at the time I accidentally paid my mortgage twice and overdrew my checking account.
Respect Others Journeys
We all have a different financial journey to take. Some of us had high-paying careers right out of college – others struggled, like myself. Some don’t have kids, or waited until they were older to have kids – and some of us had kids two months out of college (cough, me). I see too often where people want to tear apart the story of another, justify why “they have it easy”, or otherwise just find reasons they can’t do it. In this article, I implore people to instead respect the journey of others, and build them up instead of tearing them down.
Stop The Jealousy And The Guilt – Lets Respect The Journey Of Others
Importance of Diverse Financial Stories
A big part of my motivation for starting this site is to be a voice to share stories of successful women, and money smart women, with the world. I strongly believe that diverse financial stories are an important part of helping the world. When too many of the same stories are shared, people can’t find others like themselves.
I’m Boring, And That’s OK
Sometimes I worry that I’m boring. I don’t go out and party on a Friday night – in fact I’m probably in bed, or watching a movie with my kids. I like reading, and baking, and writing on this website. Ask my what the latest movie is, how the game went, or about a TV show and you’ll get a blank look. I’m happy being boring, though, and don’t really care about the pressure to be otherwise. My investments are just as boring as I am, and that’s a good thing.
If You Change Nothing, Nothing Will Change
If you want to change your life, you have to change your life. And change is hard. It’s easy to say to make a change, but much harder to do so. But if your current path isn’t going to bring you to the life of your dreams, then you need to make a change. Learn more here about the process of change, and its various stages. Better understanding change can help you plan for challenges that may lie ahead.
If You Don’t Change Anything, Nothing Will Change (Phases of Change)
Pajamas Can Ruin Your Financial Life
Ever hear of the guy who got a new pair of pajamas, and it ruined his financial life? His name was Diderot, and fancy new pajamas didn’t go with the decor around his house. The same thing might happen when you get a new rug and the room feels like it needs fresh paint – or a new outfit and you “need” new shoes. Learn more about the effect named after Diderot, and why you should keep those old pajamas just a bit longer.
Financial Rules Of Thumb – Stupid? Or no?
Financial rules of thumb are generic, so they can apply to everyone. But they’re so generic they actually apply to no one. Here I look at thoughts around various financial rules of thumb, and cover how you should think of them.
Money Memories
I’ve been asked to share my childhood money memories – and I was fortunate to have a family where financial discussions were not taboo. Stop in here to learn more about my money memories, and pick up some tips you can use when talking with your own kids about money.
Money Is Genderless
Yes, the issues surrounding securing money, and how you use it, aren’t genderless at all. But your money itself it. Money doesn’t care about the gender of the person holding it, and a dollar put by a woman into an S&P 500 Index Fund behaves the same as a mans dollar. Stop by to learn more about why one of the reasons I enjoy studying money is because of its genderless nature.
Money Is Genderless – How Women Can Get A Fair Shake In the Financial World
Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy
Comparing yourself to others is a waste of time, and can steal the joy you have in your own life. Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to YOU – and strive to always improve.
Improving Your Wealth = Improving Your Health
You can use the same exact methods to improve your wealth, and your health. Don’t believe me? Check out fifteen ways improving your health and wealth are exactly the same.
Middle Class Musings
What exactly is the middle class, anyway? After seeing a lot of discussion on this topic online, I decided to dive deeper. Hint: the dictionary definition of middle class isn’t going to be what you expect.
In the next article in this series, I looked deeper at both the “income” and “lifestyle” definitions of middle class.
A Closer Look at Middle Class Income and Lifestyle – Why No One Agrees
If you want to learn more about your money, check out my page all about your money for more.
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