So this is a VERY hard post to write, but I know that it has to be discussed. As much as I talk about spending money and updating your wardrobe for work, Working Women must also be smart about how they spend their money. This is an area that I continue to struggle with as well. I have often been accused of having Champagne taste on a Beer budget! I LOVE nice things. but I know some items I will just have to wait for, like my Christian Louboutin So Kate shoes and my Speedy Louis Vuitton bag. I can’t look like a CEO and be the assistant. My career is growing and I have yet to arrive to that level!

I am currently reading #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso, founder of Nasty Gal. Of course she talked about MONEY$$$$  Chapter Five, Money looks Better in the Bank than on your Feet made me really rethink how I see money and how I am spending it. See some of my take aways from the chapter below. 

1. Save Some Money from EACH Pay Check!- I am still working on this one, but you need to pay yourself first, at minimum you should be saving 10% of your pay each week.

2. Swiper no Swiping– Pledge to only use cash or your debit card to make purchases. If you don’t have it in the bank, you can’t buy it. Credit Cards have gotten me in so much trouble, from buying all the PINK Collegiate Collection for alma mater in undergrad and purchasing “emergency outfits” for parties, my credit is shot and I am in the process of rebuilding it as a result!

3. Live a Lifestyle that you can Afford!– Sophia shares that we should not be living like a CEO when you are still a sandwich artist. These days it is so easy to be enticed by what others may have. We want to have nice things, but it is important to focus on where you are presently and if you can afford that upgrade!

4. Know how much MONEY you HAVE and WHERE your MONEY is GOING- Even though Sophia shares in the book that Nasty Gal did not have a formal budget for some time, she was always keeping track of all of the money, what was coming in, what was going out. I am working to sit down before each payday to see what bills need to be paid (rent, utilities), what essential items need to be purchased, i.e. (food, toiletries)  and what funds I may have left over for entertainment or shopping. Once upon a time, I would go shopping after work and then by the end of the weekend be broke again! Ladies, you need a BUDGET! Pete the Planner has a lot of great ideas on his blog, you can check out his Ideal Budget here. 

I dont like living paycheck to paycheck and I don’t think that true #GIRLBOSSes should be! Successful Women take control of their finances and they do not live in denial or dream land about what bills need to be paid. These are hard words to say, but they are true. We should spend more time on planning our business ventures to make more money, other than researching new items we want to spend our money on. Money can be a MAJOR source of stress, but if we check ourselves daily to think realistically about what we can afford, we can lower our stress levels.

P.S. You should definitely get Sophia’s book, #GIRLBOSS

YOU CAN STILL LOOK FABULOUS on a budget! I will give some tips throughout this month on how to achieve the LOOK for LESS!

Do you have some great budgeting tips that you would like to share with our readers? If so, comment below, sharing is caring!

policy and fashion, sharing wisdom in the management of your fashion affairs..

As always, if you have a fashion question or in need of career advice, email us at policyandfashion@gmail.com