This post On Being a Smart Women Who’s Smart About Money is sponsored by Arkansas 529 and the Arkansas State Treasurer’s Office. All opinions are my own.
When it comes to money, I admit that I have always felt a combination of confidence and uncertainty. Yes, I know how to save money (that starts with not spending it), but when it comes to planning for the future? Or investing? Or how we’ll send our kids to college? Those are the big looming questions I continue to have. It can be daunting to think that far ahead, and up until last year I just figured those thoughts are for 40-year-old Heather to think about.
However, after a friend’s husband passed away suddenly, something hit me: I really need to become educated about money. Nate is the one who has done the bulk of the heavy lifting in regards to our finances…but what would I do if he weren’t around? How would I handle the future and being the one in charge of truly understanding the finances of our family? The truth hit me hard one cold November day: I have no idea.
The things I needed to know but had no clue about rushed into the light: retirement accounts, investments, life insurance, college savings accounts, wills and trusts, stocks and bonds, and about 50 other things that seemed so distant only a few years ago. There was also this piece of truth as well: as much stress and anxiety as I was feeling just in those couple of days my husband has been feeling for YEARS. How much of this burden could I shoulder with him to lessen the load? The answer was a lot.
That night I opened my laptop and Googled “best finance books” (or something similar) and scanned through a few websites that suggested the same books over and over. “Those sound super boring,” I thought as I scrolled on down. There were the typical Dave Ramsey books, a few by other authors, and then one book title hit me: Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach.
“I’m a smart woman…and I SHOULD finish rich!” I thought to myself. I signed up for the book in my library system (look at me, saving money already!) and, once it came in, I dug in. I loved how easy it was to read, how hopeful the stories were, how simple the little tips and tricks would be to implement. The great thing about this is that it jump-started my desire to learn more about money. The hard part is that, without in-person coaching and time to do the work, I never ended up implementing many of the lessons learned.
Without time and money to pay a financial planner, I felt lost. Then, in a way that only God can do, a week later my dear friend Keisha reached out and let me know about the Smart Women, Smart Money conference that is happening in Little Rock this month! Not only that, but this event is FREE, meaning that everyone can go and learn more about how to better manage their money. The event is on Febrary 28, 2020 from 8am to 4:30pm. Hosted by the Arkansas State Treasurer’s Office and sponsored by KATV, the Smart Women, Smart Money conference is for women in all stages of financial literacy. All you have to do? Register to attend!
When I was in the beginning stages of learning more about how to understand finances I shared a little bit on my Instagram feed, and the messages came pouring in. So many of you struggle with the same things, and want to understand personal finance…but just don’t. If you’re in the Central Arkansas area I cannot stress enough how great this event will be in just kickstarting your journey. I will be there, scribbling notes, and then taking massive action on the things I learn. I am a smart woman, and I’m ready to be smart with my money!
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