Why Money Nuggets
How Money Nuggets Took Root
“A Woman’s Best Protection Is a Little Money Of Her Own” ~ Clare Boothe Luce.
I chose my family over my career – smart move, no regrets. Then….I chose a risky financial investment without understanding the implications – stupid move, a ton of regret!
Hi, my name is Esther, and I am the founder of Money Nuggets. Like most wonderful things, this website too was born out of necessity.
Lessons learned and wisdom gained prompted me to create a space where ordinary women, like you and I, can learn, overcome the challenges, and understand the value of being financially savvy.
NO question is too silly or irrelevant. Remember, every concern you have ever had about money matters has probably been pondered over, and then possibly ignored by thousands of women worldwide. You are not alone!
I have always struggled with managing my personal finances. So, if you were to turn back the clock and tell me that one day I’d launch a personal finance blog for women, Ha! I’d think you were insane. And yet here we are.
My entire life I wrestled with budgeting, debts and savings challenges because no solid foundation had ever been laid to help me build from.
I felt helpless and hopeless, and, to save myself further grief, I chose to ignore rather than embrace educating myself on financial matters.
In order of priority, it should have come up tops but instead children, work, and home life took precedence.
I took whatever distraction I could find as an excuse to do something other than acquiring the necessary skills I needed to manage my money.
I made poor financial decisions, mostly from a lack of understanding, and in the end, paid heavily for my mistakes.
The Turning Point
Feeling financially insecure and worrying incessantly about money, your financial future and how you’re going to make ends meet is the kind of stress that can eat away at you.
I’ve been there ladies and trust me it’s a dark, scary place. Perhaps some of you can relate? But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel – unnecessary financial trauma can be avoided.
That feeling of vulnerability can be squashed, once and for all.
Once I figured out this part of the equation, I decided to take control of my finances, pay off my debts, and more importantly, stay debt free.
I read anything and everything that could help me manage my money better. I trawled the internet for articles, advice, and tips.
I shared my findings with friends and family and felt really good when they profited from all this newly gained information.
However, the more I read, the more I realised that a lot of the information available did not resonate with me – a novice taking baby steps in the world of money matters.
I found the terminology and references challenging at the best of times. And, those feelings of vulnerability lingered in the shadows.
To put it bluntly, I felt that no one was nailing it for women like me. The majority of the personal finance websites did not address the unique financial concerns, challenges, and circumstances facing today’s women.
In tweeting terms, I was on the lookout for: @womenandmoney, calling every mother, entrepreneur, and student. Especially, the overworked, underpaid and time-pressured genre. #readysteadypracticalfinance.
The How & Why
As luck would have it, I eventually stumbled upon two enlightening articles. These fuelled my desire to start this personal finance blog to help further educate myself, and other women who also wanted to learn about money – how to manage, save, grow and spend smart.
The first article, a research study conducted by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), signalled a rising trend amongst retired women having to return to work due to a lack of savings. It also highlighted that women tend to save less than men.
Let’s face it, women still earn less than men, take time off to care for their children or other family member and as a result; save less. We are victims of a society where personal appearance matters (and I don’t mean just being well-groomed) and we tend to spend more on home and kids.
What’s more, women have been traditionally and continue to be (in a lot of cases) reliant on men to ‘bring home the bacon’ and look after the household’s cash flow.
So, even though we are an increasing part of the workforce, subconsciously we are programmed to think ‘the man will provide’.
A man in not a good enough financial plan! We need to become more interested in matters concerning money and put the laissez faire attitude on the back burner.
The second article that got me thinking was a survey carried out by MONEY STUFF on 2000 women in the UK aimed at discovering how confident women are in managing their personal finances.
The survey found out most of these women agreed that they were never taught how to manage their finances in school or at home by their parents.
Those who were lucky to develop this essential life skill learnt to manage their finances themselves. I found this discovery hopeful and encouraging.
Money management is not rocket science after all; we have the tools before us, we just need to start using them.
And this is where Money Nuggets comes in. We want to use this website as a weapon to demystify and simplify all things money by offering useful advice, tips and insight to overcome feelings of frustration which stem from a lack of financial understanding.
Think of this site as a DIY for money matters – easy to read, easy to digest, easy to implement. In plain English, I hope Money Nuggets will inspire and ignite a change for the better.
Women can start playing a bigger role at home or in the workplace by choosing to familiarise themselves with basic financial skills and give the guys a run for their money!
Knowledge is Power
Over the years, I’ve learned how to get out of debt (the hard way), make the most of what I have, stop wasting money on dumb mistakes and grow my money to secure my financial future.
I started with an emergency fund, paid off my debts and now I am gradually learning how to earn more and make my money work for me.
Being debt free is incredible, but staying debt free is liberating; and is the driving force behind never finding myself owing money again.
The day I paid off my debts was phenomenal; and I vowed never to get into that situation again.
Being debt free is amazing, but staying debt free was the biggest challenge I encountered. That’s when I became even more passionate about learning about money and sharing what I learned.
Seeing how those near and dear to me benefited from all this freshly acquired knowledge I passed on, inspired me to spread the word even more.
And in a nutshell, this is the how and why I started a financial website for women.
Women like me who want to learn how to manage their money better (not just get better at couponing and penny-pinching), achieve their financial goals, live their dreams and more importantly, pass on their financial skills and behaviour to their children.
Hopefully Money Nuggets can empower women (in every walk of life) with the knowledge and confidence they need to avoid crucial financial mistakes and make smarter choices.
Through practical advice and suggestions, we hope to encourage women to take control of their money – earn more, save more and spend smarter.
What would change if you were no longer confused or stressed about money and you are on track with your financial goals?
Ladies, this website is your tool against financial ignorance and towards achieving financial success. The first step to mastering any skill is by acquiring the necessary know how.
Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself – the ride may be tricky at first but before you know it you will experience peace, order, and clarity of purpose in your mission to achieve financial success, because you deserve it!
Money Nuggets is your portal to learn more, achieve your financial goals, participate and contribute, or learn more about money so you can give your children a head start towards financial freedom.
Laying down the foundation for good financial habits from as early as possible makes sense.
Money means freedom, security and choices – why give that away to someone else? Particularly, why give it away due to financial ignorance.
Interested? Jump on board and Sign Up Now for Money Nuggets Weekly! Whether it’s a new career, earn more, how to invest and save wisely, get out of debt or how to make extra money – we’ve got it all covered. Or become a contributor if you share our vision to empower women. Interested in what we are doing? Contact us if you’d like to work with us in anyway.