Managing personal finances can be a sticky mess!

I mean like finding your toddler covered head-to-toe in peanut butter and jelly type of mess. Ugh! 

But who better to clean up those sticky messes, than moms?

So when I was asked to participate in a personal finance roundup post by Minda of Cents and Family, I was happy to be included. 

Minda wrote about 8 amazing money-smart bloggers worth checking out.

And do you know what makes this particular article so great?

Me, of course!

Nah, I’m just kidding!

What really makes this post so great is that we are ALL moms.

Each of our blogs, including Minda’s, showcases our unique approaches to the messy job of managing both family and finances. 

And do you know what? That’s a good thing!

Here’s why:

• Because not everyone does or learns things the same way. 

• It never hurts to hear things from many perspectives.

• Reading different money blogs increase the chances that something will connect with you.

So, piggybacking off of Minda’s post, I want to talk briefly about personal finance and why it matters. 

Then I’ll tell you why moms are are the best resource. And, where you can go to locate these 9 amazing money-smart moms that can help get your finances on track.

But first things first.

What are personal finances?

Personal Finance Definition

The most important thing to note is that personal finance involves ALL aspects of money.

And how well you manage it every single day!

That includes your:

• Income
• Budgeting
• Savings
• Banking
• Investments
• Taxes
• Retirement
• Everyday expenses, and so on.

You may have heard me say it before, but managing money successfully is a skill.

It must be learned, practiced, and updated on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, we’re not born knowing how to manage our personal finances the right way.

So we tend to learn about finances on our own, the hard way, which leads to:

• Mind-blowing loans
• Excess credit cards
• Soul-crushing debt

Not good!

And in my 20s, I fell into all of those traps because of one crucial thing that I was missing…

A financial plan.

I know, it sounds involved, right?

But actually, it’s simple.

It means having a strategy to meet your money goals without unnecessary stress.

I’m sad to say that it took a lot of unnecessary misery for me to learn how to manage my personal finances successfully.

But the good news is that I did learn…eventually!

And I realized that I could have anything I wanted (within reason, of course) as long as I was willing to wait, plan, and save.

For instance, are you looking to buy a house in the next two years?

Or perhaps you would like to retire in ten years?

Whatever you’re trying to achieve — it’s hard to bring it to fruition without a plan.

So here are some basics for creating a solid financial plan:

1. Set your goals with specific actions and deadlines.
2. Stick to a budget
3. Build your emergency fund.
4. Eliminate your debt
5. Save for retirement

The bottom line is that when you think about personal finance, you need to ask yourself:

What can I do to make the most of my money every day?

Once you know that answer, then you can conquer your personal finances at record speed.

So now that you know what personal finance is, I’ll tell you about some of the advantages. 

Why is Personal Finance Important

As I mentioned earlier, managing personal finances wisely is a skill.

Sure it can seem a bit intimidating. Especially when you hear words like…financial plan, budgeting, and investing.

But, you can’t just play follow-the-leader and do what everyone else is doing when it comes to your money.

Because in case you haven’t noticed, most other people are doing it wrong.

Need proof?

Just look at what happened during the U.S. government shut-down in early 2019.

The vast majority of workers were panicking even when they missed one paycheck.

And they were in full-blown crisis mode by the time they missed a second paycheck. 

Now, of course, missing paychecks is no picnic for anyone. Plus, if you do the work, then you expect to be paid.

The point I’m trying to make is to emphasize the importance of managing your money wisely.

And also drive home how having a plan can help prepare you for the unexpected.

That’s why most financial experts recommend having at least 3-6 months of expenses saved.

And do you know what?

When you practice good personal finance strategies, it is entirely doable.

I’m a living testament to that, for sure!

But in case you are still not convinced then here’s how a financial plan can help you:

• You’ll be more inclined to stick to a budget
• There will be more money left in your pocket
• Your emergency savings will be ready when needed
• It can help you to eliminate debt
• You will stress less about paying bills
• You can gain more control over your life

Yes, there are so many amazing benefits to planning before you spend.

In fact, you can read how a financial plan was able to help this blogger pay off $293,000 in 5 years.

Hard to believe, isn’t it?

It just goes to show that anyone can do it with the right guidance and a plan.

Speaking of the right guidance.

Now I’ll tell you why the 9 amazing moms I mentioned earlier should definitely be on your radar.

Why Money-Smart Moms Know Best

Because if you’re looking for some excellent money-saving advice then here’s some good news.

The post I mentioned, in the beginning, provides a great list of personal finance blogs written by an outstanding group of money smart moms. 

And here’s why you should check each of them out.

Because being a mom means that we have many unsung titles. 

For instance, CEO, COO, and CFO of our own households…just to name a few.

We can wrangle the kids out of bed and off to school with full bellies. 

Then, throw in a load of laundry, make a meal, help with homework, track after-school activities, get some work done…and STILL balance the budget!

Yes, we’re amazing alright!

And in the case of these 9 money-smart moms, (including myself), we’ve done the hard work.

We’ve lived it, learned it, and found better ways to manage everything from money-saving to bill paying.

So if you need help with making smart decisions about your family finances, then these 9 moms have got you’re back.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking.

So who are these money-minded SHE-ROES, that I keep talking about?

Of course, it’s no secret that I am one of them (she said modestly).

But, you’ll have to check out the awesome post from Cents and family to find out the rest.

Okay, okay, I will give you another hint…Minda, the writer of the blog post is the ninth mom.

And here’s a snippet from her website:

I would like to introduce you to 8 personal finance bloggers who are also moms. Raising a family and teaching and coaching the world on money matters is quite the role. Financial planning is complex and there are so many different aspects to it. Here our 8 amazing personal finance bloggers… Read more.