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Alright, let’s talk about money, honey! 💰

Be honest – have ya ever found yourself believing one of these thoughts?

• • Focusing too much on money is a bad thing.
  • Marketing myself and making a profit feels greedy. 
  • Asking for a pay raise or negotiating a salary is scary. It’s better to stay quiet.
  • Talking about money always ends up being stressful. It’s best to avoid the conversation.

If you’re nodding your head, then this episode is for you!

In today’s episode, I’m touching on all of these as we dig into the lies that we believe about money and the 8 disciplines a financially savvy woman does (and you can do too).

These are disciplines you can use to audit your own financial health to consider what you’re already doing and what areas you could improve on.

Look, no one’s perfect (yep, spoiler alert, we’re all humans here) and chances are, you’re not going to be doing all of these disciplines right now.

So remember to take a grace-based approach. 

You don’t have to have it all figured out today, but maybe there is one discipline you can start with or be working towards. Progress over perfection.

LIES WE BELIEVE ABOUT MONEY

Before we get into the 8 disciplines of a financially savvy woman, we’ve gotta address some lies that we too often believe about money. 

Here are some common ones:

• • Money is evil, or money is the root of all evil. Actually, money is a neutral tool – an inanimate object that can be used for good or bad. Just like a car, it can be used as a vehicle for good or bad. Yes, it can be abused and you can become obsessive about it, but money itself is neutral. The love of money, where it becomes your god and comes before everything else, is the root of evil. However, earning, spending and saving are not only necessary in life, but also part of being a good steward.
• • Making “too much money” is greedy. What’s considered “too much” varies from person to person based on needs and circumstances. What’s more important than the actual amount of money is the heart behind the money and how you’re using it. Someone may have a lot of money and add an extra wing to their home, but maybe they use that wing to help families in need. So the question is: what is the heart posture behind your money and how are you using it well?
• • I feel weird marketing myself and charging for my services because I want to be generous. I shouldn’t worry about profit because profit seems greedy. Let’s pause here for a sec and take a look at Proverbs 31, which talks about a praise-worthy woman. It says she sold her merchandise in the marketplace and saw that it was profitable. It also says that she extended her hands to the needy. This woman was profitable AND she was generous. It wasn’t an either/or situation. It was a both/and. She wasn’t generous by foregoing her profit. Out of the wealth she created and money she EARNED fairly, she gave generously. Yes, friend, it’s possible to be profitable AND generous.

Have you ever found yourself believing one of these lies?

It’s important for us to address these false beliefs because they can easily hinder us from becoming good stewards of our money. 

I truly believe that women have a powerful economic contribution to make in their homes, communities, and in the marketplace. 

And wise wealth building, resourcefulness, financial literacy, and healthy habits enable us to make that contribution and equip us to not only bless our families but also so many others. 

8 DISCIPLINES OF A FINANCIALLY SAVVY WOMAN

Okay, okay, on to the juicy stuff that you’ve been waiting for. Let’s walk through the 8 disciplines of a financially savvy woman.

As you’re going through these, remember: you’re human. So let’s have a grace-based mindset. 

We’re not going to be perfect at all of these things, but we can be empowered to work on them and take small, incremental, implementable, and imperfect steps towards better financial health.

So, without further ado, here they are:

• • A financially savvy woman knows the value of her work and asks for it. Your individual worth is priceless and far beyond a paycheck. But you can know the value and worth of your work. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you because you have a heart to help.

• • A financially savvy woman isn’t afraid to negotiate and talk about money openly. She looks for deals and goes the extra mile to get a fair price and the best value. She’s not afraid to talk about money, negotiate, and ask for a pay raise. A lot of women feel gun-shy around these conversations. While you don’t need to be bragging about your finances, it’s still good to educate yourself and be prepared to handle your finances wisely, so you can be a good steward of your resources.

• • A financially savvy woman budgets and plans for her money. She understands the numbers, makes a plan, and sticks to it. Do you know how much is in your account? How much are you saving and investing? What’s your plan for saving? Do you have goals for your money? You can’t manage and make a plan for your finances if you don’t know where your finances currently are. Figure that out first and then make a plan for where your money is going to go. 

• • A financially savvy woman prioritizes savings. She doesn’t save after expenses; she saves before she spends money. Once you draw up a budget for each month and make a savings goal, consider having that money automatically transferred into your savings account so you don’t have to think about it.

• • A financially savvy woman doesn’t try to keep up with others or live outside her means. She tries not to be dependent on credit because she knows that consumer credit is costly to the mission she’s on and the wealth she’s trying to build for her family and community. She pays off her credit balance each month. While some debt like a mortgage is usually unavoidable, consumer debt specifically is a bad idea. If you don’t have money for things like a new outfit or a vacation, save up for it and get the delayed gratification instead of spending more than you can pay off within the month.

• • A financially savvy woman tries not to make emotional money decisions. She doesn’t waste money on things she doesn’t need and she tries to look at financial decisions and purchases through an objective lens. While you want to care about how you’re spending your money, you also want to make objective financial decisions and be strategic. Don’t let emotion get in the way of making smart money choices.

• • A financially savvy woman is generous. She gives to and supports causes she’s passionate about. She uses her money to make a difference in the community. You can be strategic AND intentional in your giving. Consider what causes you may want to give to.

• • A financially savvy woman chooses to make money conversations fun, intentional, and regular.  She comes to financial meetings prepared and asks the questions she needs to. Make it your goal to find ways to make money an enjoyable thing to talk about. You could have dream dates with your spouse (or yourself) where you talk through your personal and professional dreams and goals. Then identify a few goals that will help you reach those dreams. Make it fun! Turn it into a date night or grab a nice dinner. When you’re done, make sure to schedule your next dream date so you can review, audit, and set new goals. 

LEARN MORE

Well, there ya have it – the eight disciplines of a financially savvy woman! 

Take a moment to audit your life and ask which of these things you’re currently doing and which of them you could start implementing. 

These disciplines matter because they enable you to be a good steward of your resources.

When a woman is compensated for her work and makes a profit, it enables her to build financial independence to create options for her family or future family, to provide jobs for other people, to build wealth for the next generation, to be free of debt so they can give generously, and make a massive impact supporting their community!

When you’re financially literate and know your numbers, you become a good steward and a wise investor, and as a result, you can be a world changer. 

So if you’re ready to dig deeper into the disciplines of a financially savvy woman and start implementing them yourself, tune in to the full podcast episode and learn:

• How our childhood affects how we view money
• The top money lies we’re believing 
• The difference between wise wealth building and the prosperity gospel
• 8 disciplines of a financially savvy woman and how you can implement them
• How to make SMART money goals
• Why money habits matter

Once you’ve taken a listen, let us know in the comments: which discipline do you want to focus on improving?