Although the intent of this series is to help the average woman develop the basic financial skills, there are people of both sexes, from all walks of life, that opt to allow others (or no one) to manage their finances. It may be ‘easier’ on the surface to be disconnected from the stress of financial management, but ignorance is not bliss when it comes to your money and your future. It is our sincere wish that everyone have a happy, wonderful life with none of the pitfalls inherent in our modern lifestyle such as divorce, job loss, illness and death.

Cinderella, you need to understand that there are harsh realities you need to prepare for. This is not fiction we’re writing here.One of the first steps on your journey to financial security is to know what your present state of affairs is. Otherwise, how can you map out a success strategy if you don’t know where your starting point is? Even Dorothy had a starting point to escape from Oz. It may be unpleasant to face reality, but you gotta know.Make a file, a notebook- some kind of recordkeeping device that works for you. You can buy books for that purpose, use a computer program, whatever.

Don’t add to your stress by trying to use a system that takes a lot of effort on your part to work with. My husband likes to do his recordkeeping on the computer but I prefer a notepad and simple accounting ledger.The next thing to do is find out how much money you have right now in cash, checking and savings accounts. If you are the bill payer for your household, this should be easy, but if you’ve not been involved in that process previously, you may encounter resistance, even suspicion. It may take a diplomatic effort on your part to reassure your mate that your intentions are honorable.

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