Are you a stay-at-home mom? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, there are many stay-at-home moms out there who feel like they’re in the dark when it comes to their finances.
The good news is that there are some steps you can take to empower yourself financially. Here are four tips for staying-at-home moms to follow:
1. Get organized
One of the best ways to get a handle on your finances is to get organized. This means keeping track of your income and expenses, setting up a budget, and tracking your progress over time.
There are many different ways to get organized, so find what works best for you. You may prefer using a spreadsheet, budgeting software, or even a good old-fashioned notebook and pen.
Some of the most popular ways to organize your finances include:
- Mint: This website and app offer a variety of features to help you track your income, expenses, and goals. You can also create a budget and see your progress over time.
- YNAB (You Need A Budget): This software helps you create a budget by “giving every dollar a job.” Once you’ve allocated your money to different categories, you can track your progress and make adjustments as needed.
- EveryDollar: This budgeting app is similar to YNAB, but it’s designed to be simpler and easier to use.
2. Educate yourself
One of the best ways to empower yourself financially is to educate yourself. There are many resources available to help you learn about personal finance, investing, and more.
Some of the best resources for financial education include:
- Personal Finance for Dummies: This book is a great introduction to personal finance topics like budgeting, saving, and investing.
- The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing: This book is written by the founders of the Bogleheads investment community. It covers a wide range of topics, including investing basics, asset allocation, and retirement planning.
- The Simple Dollar: This website offers advice on a variety of personal finance topics, from saving money to getting out of debt.
3. Seek professional help
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your finances, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A financial advisor can help you create a budget, invest for the future, and make other financial decisions such as those with Exponent Investment Management.
When looking for a financial advisor, there are a few factors you need to keep in mind. First, make sure you choose someone who is a fiduciary, which means they are legally required to act in your best interests.
You should also look for an advisor who charges a flat fee or hourly rate rather than a commission. This will help ensure that they are not incentivized to sell you products that you don’t need.
Finally, make sure you feel comfortable with your advisor. This is someone you will be sharing sensitive information with, so it’s important that you feel like you can trust them. Go to mymoneysorted.com.au and talk to their advisors if you need help sorting out your finances.
4. Take control
One of the best ways to empower yourself financially is to take control of your own finances. This means making your own financial decisions rather than relying on someone else to do it for you.
There are a few ways you can take control of your finances:
- Invest in yourself: One of the best investments you can make is in yourself. This includes things like taking courses, attending workshops and reading books.
- Automate your finances: You can automate your finances by setting up automatic transfers to savings and investment accounts. This will help you make sure you’re always putting money away for the future.
- Be mindful of your spending: It’s important to be aware of your spending patterns so you can make changes as needed. Track where you’re spending your money and see where you can cut back.
5. Build a support network
When it comes to financial empowerment, it’s important to build a supportive network. This can include friends, family, co-workers, and even online communities.
A supportive network can help you in a few different ways:
- They can offer advice and guidance when you’re facing financial decisions.
- They can provide emotional support when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed by your finances.
- They can help hold you accountable to your financial goals.
6. Stay positive
It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re trying to get a handle on your finances. But it’s important to stay positive and keep moving forward.
Remember that every small step you take is a step in the right direction. And eventually, you will get to where you want to be.
7. Budgeting
Making and following a budget is one of the most important things stay-at-home mothers can do to enhance their financial literacy. You may track your income and expenses with the use of a budget, find areas where you can make savings, and plan for future expenses. The following advice can help you make a budget:
- To obtain a sense of where your money is going, start by keeping track of your earnings and outgoing costs for a few months.
- Make a list of every expense you have each month, including rent or mortgage, food for the family, child care, and other costs.
- Find areas where you may make savings, such as cutting back on eating out and entertainment expenses.
- Make conserving money and paying off debt a top priority in your budget by setting goals in these categories.
- To keep you on track and track your success, use budgeting tools like spreadsheets or apps.
8. Saving for Retirement
Many stay-at-home mothers are so preoccupied with the daily needs of their families that they might not be considering retirement. Even if you don’t have a job outside the home, you should begin saving for retirement as soon as you can. Here are a few ideas for retirement savings:
- If your partner has a job outside the home, you might choose to open an IRA or a Spousal IRA.
- Even if they are small, make consistent contributions to your retirement account.
- As your income or the income of your partner increases over time, think about raising your contributions.
- Take advantage of any retirement benefits provided by your partner’s employer.
- Think about scheduling a meeting with a financial advisor to go over your retirement objectives and develop a strategy to attain them.
9. Investing
The thought of investing may be intimidating to many stay-at-home mothers, despite the fact that it may be a terrific method to increase your wealth and reach long-term financial goals. Nevertheless, investing may be an effective instrument for financial emancipation with the right information and direction. Here are some pointers for starting an investment career:
- Start by becoming familiar with the fundamentals of investing, such as the many types of investment vehicles and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Think about engaging with a financial advisor or investment specialist who can assist you in developing a unique investing strategy.
- If you’re new to investing, think about low-risk investment options like mutual funds or index funds.
- Your assets should be diversified to reduce risk and increase benefits.
- As investing is a marathon, not a sprint, exercise patience and keep your eye on the prize.
10. Managing Debt
Debt can be an important obstacle to financial stability and independence, but many stay-at-home mothers might not be aware of appropriate debt management techniques. Here are some recommendations for handling debt:
- Start by establishing a repayment strategy for your high-interest obligations.
- Think about combining all of your loans into one with a reduced interest rate.
- If possible, refrain from taking on additional debt.
- To build a strategy for managing your debt, think about working with a credit counseling organization or financial advisor.
- Celebrate your progress as you go along and maintain your discipline and commitment to your debt repayment strategy.
11. Protect Your Assets
The potential to make money is frequently the most valuable possession in a household with one income. Make sure to cover it with life and disability insurance. As an advisor, it is my responsibility to assess the effects of a sudden death or incapacity in order to make sure that my clients are ready. Nobody wants to go down this path. So that you can sleep at night, make your advisor do it.
12. Cover Yourself (for emergencies)
Families with one income can also require a bigger emergency fund than families with two incomes. This emergency fund should be sufficient to pay for one year’s worth of spending, plus any relocating and medical fees.
13. Consider Part-time Gigs
If you take on freelance or part-time work, make sure to keep track of your earnings and inform your advisor of them. If your circumstances change and you wish to re-enter the workforce, working part-time can help you stay relevant and up to current.
14. Start Saving For Education
If you have kids, get a head start on saving for their education. College fees are incredible and they keep going up. Do more than you think you want to even if you don’t think you’ll be able to give much because the early years have a bigger impact than the later ones. 529 plans are fantastic tools for saving money, especially when given time to develop.
15. Protect Your Assets
The potential to make money is frequently the most valuable possession in a household with one income. Make sure to cover it with life and disability insurance. It is my responsibility to assess the effects of sudden death or incapacity in order to make sure that clients are ready. Nobody wants to go down this path. So that you can sleep at night, make your advisor do it.
Financial Problems For a Stay-At-Home Moms
While stay-at-home mothers face many challenges with finances, they can also commit frequent financial errors. The following financial errors should be recognized and avoided by stay-at-home mothers:
- Not having a budget – It’s challenging to keep track of spending and make wise financial decisions without a budget.
- Neglecting to save for retirement – It’s simple to concentrate on immediate financial requirements while ignoring the significance of retirement savings. Moms who stay at home should make sure to begin saving as soon as possible for retirement.
- Failing to build an emergency fund – An emergency fund is necessary to cover unforeseen costs like medical bills or auto repairs. Stay-at-home mothers may be forced to rely on credit cards or loans without an emergency reserve, which might result in debt.
- Not being involved in financial decisions – Moms who stay at home with their children may rely on their spouses to make financial decisions, but it’s essential to be involved and knowledgeable about money issues.
- Overspending on unnecessary expenses – Stay-at-home mothers may experience loneliness or boredom and spend on activities like shopping or entertainment. Prioritize your financial goals and place boundaries on your discretionary spending.
- Ignoring debt – Even though debt can feel difficult, ignoring it will only make things worse. Moms who stay at home should make a plan to pay off debt and follow it.
Final Thoughts
Empowering yourself financially is a process that takes time and effort. But it’s worth it because it can help you achieve your financial goals and build a bright future for yourself and your family.
Start by educating yourself on personal finance topics and seeking professional help if needed. Then, take control of your finances by automating your savings and being mindful of your spending. And finally, build a supportive network to help you along the way.
With dedication and perseverance, you can reach financial empowerment. And it all starts with taking that first step.