Price: $2.44

It was love at first site.  I mean I could virtually see my coupons organizing themselves.  Ok, well maybe it wasn’t going to be that easy, but anything had to be better than what I was currently using. You know, the-stuff-everything-in-an-envelope-and-search-through-it-all-whenever-I-want-to-use-a-specific-coupon method.

Come on, don’t tell me you don’t use that method too?!

Well, No More!

Thanks to this handy organizer {and my ever-so-helpful-hubby) my coupons are looking drastically more organized.

The sleek gray binder has two sets of clear pockets on each clear plastic page.

A pocket for my full-sized coupon ads, which I have separated by date.

And a smaller, close-able pocket on the front of each side for my loose coupons.

This new system makes grabbing the coupons I need a fast and easy process {read: no more long searches through useless coupons}.  Now I can hop on CouponMom, find the coupon matches I need, and then I only have to search through my binder by date; cutting out only what I need.

This post can be found on WFMW at We are THAT Family.

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1. WFMW: Letting CouponMom Do All the Work

Familial Examples

If you look into your extended family you are bound to find fabulous examples of how to (and not to) handle money in a marriage.  You may have an Aunt who is a stay-at-home mother who pays the bills while your Uncle earns the income and participates in a weekly budget meeting with his wife.  Or you might have a cousin who hides her purchases from her husband, keeps separate accounts and doesn’t know where her money is being spent. Learn from what works…and what doesn’t.

Discuss It

This is where I have trouble, you see, I feel like every question or comment Hubby makes about a purchase I have made is a direct attack upon me, or that he doesn’t approve.  Many times it’s the exact opposite and he is impressed with a purchase or had been meaning to get the same thing.  It’s important to take a moment, center yourself, and remember this is your loved one and they are not attacking.  Perhaps you did not make clear why a specific expenditure was needed or found to be of importance.

It is perhaps just as important to remember when  you are the person asking questions how you feel when the tables are turned. Be sure to legitimize your loved ones thoughts and feelings while calmly expressing your own.

Let it go

A trick I learned early in our marriage was how to work my internal filter, though I should probably re-read the manual.  I heard somewhere when Hubby and I were in an argument or “discussion” and things started getting sensitive that I should stop, take a second to think about whether “winning” this argument was really worth all the nagativity.

Side note: For those of you who don’t know me in real life: I’ve very opinionated…and honest.  Some might call me brutally honest.  But that’s me, people who know me know that I don’t mean any harm, I just feel like you outta man up to the truth.  This honesty only applies to adults.  I will tell a child whatever they need to hear =) There is only so much honesty any child needs to hear…

Well, I started shutting up.  Really.  Now, stop laughing.  I did. When Hubby and I would getting into a heated “discussion” and it was clear we couldn’t agree, I started shutting up and taking stock in my case; was it really important enough for me to continue arguing about?  Many times, I found it was much simpler and harmonic if I just stopped talking, smiled at him, and nodded.  I learned to swiftly change the subject and steer us towards safer topics.

When it comes to money, allow that you were both brought up differently and therefore have differing views on spending and saving.  If it isn’t going to have a detrimental effect on your future or your children then consider letting it go every once and a while.

You may find that opening up the lines of communication with your spouse may result in more saving and a more harmonious lifestyle.  One where the most you can find to fight about is who’s weekend it is to get up with the kids in the morning.

How do you and your spouse handle money talk?  I’d love to hear any more tips and ideas!

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Like what you read? Try these!:

1. Money Talk Monday~Tips to Becoming More Involved in Your Financial Future
2. Money Talk Monday
3. Money Myths Revealed

In week three of the Money Talk Monday series, we are discussing visualizing your financial future.  A great way to start down the path to financial independence is to visualize your future. I want to start by creating a mantra for our financial future. It’s important to have a vision for your future and putting it in writing is a great way to affirm it.  So that’s what I want you to do. Think of a mantra for your financial future; make sure you keep it in the present tense and affirmative. Now write it down. I’m going to do it myself, right here for all of you to see.

I am making all the right steps to becoming financially independent.

Did you do it? Now put it somewhere you’ll see daily; even better, put it where it can be seen several times daily. For me this is taped to my computer screen so I’m looking at it everyday.

There are so many different opinions about the actual effects of visualization on your life, but my view is that it can’t hurt. You can’t become financially independent solely by visualizing it, but it is a part of the process. If all you are thinking about is how you are never going to become independent or how you’ll never succeed then all of your energy is going into that instead of making positive choices and changes in your life that will help you succeed.

Positive thinking is not wishful thinking. Positive thinking is a way of life.  Positive thinking requires you rid yourself and life of all negative thinking.  It does not promise that your life is going to be roses and perfect and when life isn’t perfect  it requires even more dedication and practice to continue your new way of thinking and living.  Positive thinking is only one part of what it takes to make a better life for yourself.

Dreams give you something to strive for, something to work for and without them we live a sad, fruitless existence. I chose the word existence because that’s what it is without dreams and hopes, not a life. Life is what you give everything into making better and what you work hard for. Instead of constantly worrying about money and financial problems, make a conscious effort to focus your thinking on wealth and the steps to creating that wealth.  I’m not suggesting you stop thinking about paying your bills, but focus your attention on creating wealth.

This week you have a little homework. Focus your thoughts on creating wealth and keep them affirmative.  If you didn’t already write down your mantra, do it now and please share it with us.

What is your mantra? What steps are you making to positively affect your future?

For more information on becoming financially independent, check out Dr. Lois Frankel’s Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich.

To catch up on what you’ve missed with Money Talk Monday, check out parts One and Two.

Don’t miss anything from Mom of Faith, sign up for a subscription to this blog or to have it delivered right to your email!  Catch up on more Money Talk.

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I’ve been down sick for the last week and haven’t had the energy to do much. I’m postponing this week’s Money Talk Monday. I apologize for the inconvenience! I’ll be back next week with more insight on why women have such a difficult time becoming wealthy.

Thanks for understanding.

Don’t miss anything from Mom of Faith, sign up for a subscription to this blog or to have it delivered right to your email!  Catch up on more Money Talk.

PS: The RSS and Email sign-up is at the top left!

Like what you read? Try these!:

1. Money Myths Revealed
2. Money Talk Monday

Last week we started talking about how we, as women, have such a hard time realizing our financial dreams and that most of it stems from our conditioning as children.  Let’s start today by discussing a few of the myths we have been led to believe since childhood.

• It is ingrained in our brains from a very young age to be a “good girl”.  Instead of pushing us to be the best, or to go into careers that would make us wealthy, we are pushed to “do good” and go into helping careers like teaching so we can be home when our children are.  Don’t get me wrong, teaching is a noble profession, one of my better friends is a teacher, but let’s face it she probably isn’t going to get rich teaching Kindergarten.
• We are taught that money is power and that we shouldn’t want to be “powerful”, but instead we are taught to be “nice”.
• We are conditioned from a very young age (some of us from birth) to be caretakers and nurturers, but not necessarily the breadwinners or the executives.

As if being brought up to believe that all we were meant for is to be a “good girl” were enough, we, as mothers, are faced with stereotypes and personality traits that make it still more difficult for us to become independently wealthy.

• Even if we were in a high-powered position before pregnancy, many women decide to reduce the workload or come home for a while after their children are born.  Afterward, when they decide regain that responsibility or go back to work many find they have been put on what is called “the mommy track” with reduced responsibilities and pay scales.
• Our natural born instincts are to take care of our husbands and children first and this often leads to our forgoing any investing for our futures. Men on the other hand are far more likely to invest and save for their retirement first.
• Many women find it difficult to ask for raises, perks, or even the wage they deserve because they aren’t sure they DO deserve it, have been raised not to speak up for themselves, or don’t know how to approach such subjects.  This is something we must change, we must learn to speak up for ourselves and ask for what we deserve. If we don’t who will? Certainly not the man in the office next to us or vying for our position and certainly not our bosses.

So ladies (notice I did NOT call you girls), Why are you not rich? What is holding you back? What choices have you made in your life that has prevented you from becoming independently wealthy? Have you been told these myths or others? Share with us. Tell us your story. We’re here to listen and to learn for each other.

I will answer my own question. I am not wealthy at 26 because I chose to drop out of college, get married and start a family.  Don’t mistake me, I do NOT regret any of these choices, except maybe the dropping out of college, I am simply sharing what choices I made in my life that have thus far prevented me from becoming independently wealthy.

Don’t miss anything from Mom of Faith, sign up for a subscription to this blog or to have it delivered right to your email!  Catch up on more Money Talk.

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To learn more about becoming independently wealthy women, check out Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich : 75 Avoidable Mistakes Women Make with Money.

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I have been reading Dr. Lois P. Frankel‘s Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich recently and this book has opened my eyes to some mistruths I have believed my entire life. Things I have been told since a young girl.This book doesn’t encourage women not to be “nice”, it simply encourages us to be WOMEN.  To think like  independent women and to do what is necessary to be financially independent.  She covers may things we have all heard before; budgeting, saving, retirement investing…the usual. But the book also takes a good look at WHY we think the way we do about money.

In the coming weeks I plan to take chapter at a time and discuss a summary of what it covers and try to see if we can put the sage advice of the many wonderful advisers that contributed to this book.  In the introduction, Dr. Frankel investigates why we think the way we do about money.  Many of us came from egalitarian households where we were told we can be anything we want to be and we are just as good as the boy sitting next to us in class, but still more women came from a household were they were told to “be a nice girl and don’t talk about money” or “men are just better with money”.  Well, this is it ladies. Leave all that you’ve been told behind you. We are starting fresh today! We are going to make a new way for ourselves today!  We CAN control our finances and we CAN be good wives, mothers, and WOMEN while controlling our financial future.  I don’t know about you, but I am READY!

Come back next Monday when we really get to the root of the problems and start talking about what WE can do to change it.  I hope you’ll journey along with me from being a “nice girl” to a financially fit WOMAN.  If you have time this week, check out Dr. Frankel and friend’s blog, The Thin Pink Line.

Feel free to let me know your opinion on financial security and what (if any) should be the role of the wife in a family’s finances.

Don’t miss anything from Mom of Faith, sign up for a subscription to this blog or to have it delivered right to your email!  Catch up on more Money Talk.

PS: The RSS and Email sign-up is at the top left!

Be sure to check out, Project Buzz Butter and the Featured Mom-business, DPK-Virtual Assistants at the top of the blog.

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