Women often crack under pressure when it comes to keeping of with fashion trends and the modern day standard of beauty. But did you know that a woman of influence is a good steward over her finances?

Here is five simple steps to help you transform from the “consumer mindset” to the “steward mindset”

1. Organize

Many people spend a lot of time and money searching for things. When it comes to your finances, it is imperative that you are organized. You should develop a system in your home so that you can properly locate bills, receipts, coupons, vouchers, pay checks, etc. There use to be a time in our home where some bills would not get paid, or would be paid late simply because we could not find them.  Now, we have a system in place that allows bills to be sorted as soon as they come into our home. You should invest a few dollars in some folders, labels and storage bins. This can literally save you hundreds of dollars in late fees and finance charges down the road. I heard an organizer say once, “File it. Don’t pile it.”

 2. Go Paperless

Believe it or not, you will quickly learn that most of the things that you will ever need for your financial records can be found online. It’s quick and easy to sign up for paperless billing and statements, so you should do it today. This will cut down on the amount of paper coming into the home for you to manage.

3.  Apps are our Friends

I use to lose receipts before I even walked away from the counter at a store. Last year, I downloaded a free app on my phone that allows me to take a picture of the receipt. Taking a couple extra minutes to take the picture and email it to yourself will save you a whole lot of headache when it is time for you to return that item that you realized you did not need. They also have apps for budgeting, payment reminders, tracking your spending, etc. Many of them are free, so check them out!

4. Where’s the Money?

Many people wonder where all of their money has gone. At the end of the month, they have more month than money left over. One of my favorite quotes is by Benjamin Franklin.  He said, “Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” That is so true. In order for us to find out where all of the “small leaks” are, we must track our spending. As silly as it may sound, the only way of knowing where every red penny of yours has gone is by using an app or keeping a detailed journal noting what you have spent your money on.

5. Decide What Your Family Financial Goals Are

We are a quarter of the way through 2012. While many of us have made some New Years’ Resolutions for our finances, many of us still have not. Choosing to get over the Winter Blues and sitting down and come up with your family’s financial goal for this year is a must. Zig Ziglar said it best “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” Take time to set up a debt repayment plan, a college savings plan for your children, or even a retirement plan for yourself. You should be conducting weekly or bi-weekly financial meetings in your home. Once you have established these goals and then start to take steps in the right direction to accomplish them!

By: Tara L. Eastman

March 14th, 2012

On my way to work on a sunny, late-summer morning, I was sitting at a red light and saw something quite unusual growing in the front lawn of a city apartment building. People usually beautify their yards and homes with flowers, climbing vines and gnome sculptures – but not the town I live in. This home’s small front yard was filled with rows of corn! The stalks were at least six feet high and filled with growing ears of corn. As the reality of this front-yard bumper crop made its way into my view, I was reminded of the saying, “Bloom where you are planted!”

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