WomenWorking.com

I’m pleased that WomenWorking.com has included an excerpt from my second book on personal finance, 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money on their site.

10 Things Students Need to Know About Money Book Cover

Thanks WomenWorking.com!

There are 6 simple steps to getting what you want from your money:

Have you ever pulled $20 out of the ATM and two hours later you had no idea how you spent the money? Having a spending plan is a way to help you recognize what you’ve been spending your money on and what changes you may want to make. Use these simple steps:

Read the whole excerpt here.

Buy your copy of 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money here.

Phone Apps You Need

It’s important that we manage our money effectively and efficiently. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “its not how much you make, it’s how much you spend”. I’ve created a list of a few phone apps that are:

– Cheap
– Effective
– Easy to use

Take a gander at these puppies.

Budget

They say, “Budget helps you track your spending and keep to a budget. You can easily see your total income and your total expenses for a period, plus which expenses you are spending the most on and which expenses you are going over budget on.”

I say that everyone needs to have a spending plan and there’s nothing like having your personal finance information at your fingertips. Using this app is a small change that will make a huge difference in your personal finance outlook… if you use it.


Compare Me Shopping Utility

They say, “WAS FEATURED BY APPLE IN “WHAT’S HOT” Did you ever shop at Sams, Costco or online at Amazon? Then CompareMe may help you to save money! CompareMe lets you compare products in different sizes and even in different packs.”

I say it’s an easy way to help you find out which buy is the best deal. Who knows if the $2 can at 16 oz. is a better buy than the $2.30 can at the 20 oz.? The Compare Me Shopping Utility knows.


iCredit Calculator

They say, “In the 1.2 release of the iCredit Calculator, the calculated repayment results can be generated into a PDF document that you can then e-mail as an attachment from your phone.”

I say this is a must have tool. When you’re out shopping and think, “i’ll put it on my credit card” this handy dandy tool will be there to help you find the true cost of those purchases. Small purchases really add up and effect your credit.

Bank of America Mobile Banking

They say, “Mobile Banking allows you to check available balances, pay bills, transfer funds or locate ATMs and banking centers on-the-go. It’s fast, easy and convenient. It’s a free service and available to Bank of America Online Banking* customers.”

I say it’s a great way to monitor your accounts on the go. The days of sitting at home balancing your checkbook are long gone for most of us. Why not have access to your accounts 24 hours a day, so you don’t end up with overdraft fees. Be honest… you know you take your phone everywhere you go. Now, you’ll have your personal finance information as close your music playlists!

Bloomberg

They say, “Bring the power of the most trusted source for financial information to your iPhone, along with tools to help you analyze the world’s markets.”

I say it’s a great free app that helps you toy around with financial market information. If you’d like to know more about stocks and how they work why not download an app from one of the most trusted financial sites in the world. Get this, it also comes in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Ukrainian. Nice!

What apps do you use for personal finance?

B.E. 10 Wealth for Life Principles

Thought this might be helpful. From Black Enterprise Magazine:

1) I will live within my means.

2) I will maximize my income potential through education and training.

3) I will effectively manage my budget, credit card, debt, and other tax obligations.

4) I will save at least 10% of my income.

5) I will use homeownership as a foundation for building wealth.

6) I will devise an investment plan for my retirement needs and children’s education.

7) I will ensure that my entire family adheres to sensible money management principles.

8) I will support the creation and growth of businesses owned by people of color.

9) I will guarantee my wealth is passed on to future generations through proper insurance and estate planning.

10) I will strengthen my community through philanthropy.

These are great guiding principles to use in your financial life. Please read each one carefully and consider how it might be applied in your life. I keep a copy of them taped the refrigerator in our office to remind everyone of what we’re here to do.