Our parents had children in their teens and early twenties, now women are having children in their early thirties to late forties.  Some might ask what are the pros and cons of such a decision.  Why are women choosing to have children later on in life?  Isn’t this considered selfish?  Is it better off for the child to have an older parent vs. someone younger and perhaps closer in age?

My reponse?  Do whatever works for you.  If you like it, I love it.  I’d love to hear your perspectives on this issue so read on.

As women we often get the “so when are you getting married?…..when are you guys buying a home?……baby on the way?……you do know we want grandchildren right?”…I don’t know about the rest of you, but we certainly get the last set of questions relating to children each and every time we go home to visit.

This weekend was no different.  We went to my husband’s fraternity annual BBQ and his uncle took us aside to ask if everything was ok because he doesn’t see anything baking in the oven.  Now, while I know he did this in jest, it still annoys me a bit.  Why?  Because I really do resent the notion that as soon as we are married we need to start having children.  There’s so much left for me to do with regards to my career and personal goals so I am not quite there yet.  I admit to being in full career woman mode right now.

When we do tell our family members that we are in the process of paying down debt (and our goal is to be consumer debt free by December 2008) they laugh and tell us how they had children within their first year, they struggled, but they are ok now.

That is exactly my point.  I don’t want to struggle.

I waited to go to college and get an education.

I waited to find the right partner to settle down with.

I waited to buy a home where they can play outside

I can certainly wait to have children when the time is right.

While I am a control freak,  I fully realize you can’t plan for parenting but I can do my best to make sure we are prepared financially.  Truly, I am not used to struggling financially, so I don’t want our children born into a situation where we are struggling to feed and take care of them.

We are fresh out of graduate school, still enjoying carefree evenings and spontaneous weekends.  And, we’re totally cool with that, not in a rush to give that up just yet.  Sure, if it happened we’d be delighted, but right now?  We have a plan, and we’re OK with that.

I find that women often wait to have children for the following reasons:

• Finances
• Waiting for the right partner
• Career concerns, wanting to achieve a certain level within their careers before settling down to have children
• Fertility issues

The list could go on Im sure, but after talking to a few of my friends, this seems to be the general consensus.  Here are some of the pros and cons from member on Askville @ Amazon.com:

Pros of having children young

• * You (may) be more energetic with keeping up with your children (I don’t know, I don’t think mid-30’s is really over the hill).

• * You are younger, and therefore have better odds of being alive and in good health well into your children’s (and grandchildren’s) lives.

• * Your children should be long out of college, and established in their lives before you start thinking of retirement (i.e., you don’t have to worry about the competing $$$ needs of college and retirement at the same time).

• * If you’re looking to have a big family, you’ll likely have the time to do it.

Cons of having children young

• * You wouldn’t have the support of existing close friends raising children at the same time.

• * You probably aren’t as financially stable/secure in your career as someone who is older.

Pros of having children later

• * More financial security, more time pre-kids to have saved the money to do things like buy a house. Once you have kids, your disposable income takes a big hit!

• * More years of experience in your career/job. A proven, established track record might give you more flexibility in your job after a child is born. For example, you might have a strong enough client base to become a contractor, or your employer might be willing to let you work part-time from home, etc. Basically, concessions that might not be as readily available to someone new to the work-force.

• * More life experience and maturity to bring to your parenting

• * Less of a risk that you’ll have regrets of things you didn’t do. Hopefully by your thirties you’ll have had the chance to do your “big thing”, like travel to Europe or go skydiving. Less of a chance you’ll feel “tied down” by children.

• * Probably at least some of your friends/family members have already had children of their own…a great source of advice and hand-me-downs.

Cons of having children later

• * Increased risk of encountering fertility problems

• * Increased risk of having become accustomed to a lifestyle that is incompatible with children. For example, if you’ve spent the last five years popping out for $200 meals at 9pm on a minute’s notice, that’s not going to fly once you have kids!

• * Increased risk of facing health problems/death while your children are young (or relatively young, like still in their 20’s or 30’s).

• * The later you have children, the closer together their college and your retirement (and related costs of both) become.

I totally agree with the posters sentiments in that I don’t think that either choice is good, better, less or more selfish, it is more about that person’s ideals and their willingness to commit to this new stage of their lives.

What are your thoughts?  How do you feel about women waiting longer to have children?  Do you think if could help or hurt them financially?

I’ve blogged about Mint.com before and while I really do like their interface, I’ve found a new love, Yodlee.

Yes, I said it and I am prepared to shout it into the blogosphere!  Not only do they log in seamlessly to each and every financial account I have, but they also have a great iPhone interface which lets me refresh from my iPhone on the go.  This has been a pet peeve of mine because I have been searching hi and low for a feature rich webware that will allow me to perform certain actions like bill pay, checking the actual balance on the go, linking all financial accounts on my mobile device and not just the checking account, listing my net worth and the list goes on and on.

The best thing you ask?  Being able to track it ALL in one place.  Call me a geek but this alone thrills my little personal finance soul.  My credit union also makes it just a little more than difficult to log in with all the passwords and this makes it easier.  If I am in the belly of the debil, Target and I need to check my balance I just long on to Yodlee, check my balance and I am good to go.  It will even tell me right there how much money I have available for my Target habit.

(click for larger image)

My next task is to create our monthly budget and create a bill calendar within the application.  I am rather visual so I need to be able to see on a calendar when to expect certain bills  to come out of our checking account.

I won’t go into the standard Yodlee vs. Mint vs Wesabe as there are a plethora of reviews out there but I wanted to let you all know that Yodlee is officially Ginger approved!

Short but sweet.  Here are 4 reasons why women should be paying attention in the area of personal finance when it comes to their financial health.

Retirement

Are you hoping that social security will be there for you when you finally retire?  I hoe so too but with the current uncertainties, it is best to put your finances in order to make sure you won’t be living off cat food when you’re 65.

Life won’t end at 65 (hopefully) and you don’t want to be limited by your lack of planning now.  Talk with a financial advisor, get a plan, pay down debt and begin saving for your future.

Marriage/Divorce

I know we all believe that we should get in touch with our mushy sides when we get married but the reality is that at least 50% get divorced each year.  We may see it coming or we may think such a thing could never happen to us, but either way we need to make sure for ourselves, our sanity and our children that we are abreast of all things financial in the event of a divorce.

Children

If you’re planning on having children then you may want to send them to college,  help them pay for a wedding, the down payment on a house or most importantly, make sure your affairs are in order should you demise unexpectedly.  In this case I am focusing on making sure they are fine of in the event you pass away.

There is nothing worse than waiting for the government to handle your parent’s affairs after their passing.  It is a slow and painful process, trust me, I know.

Career/Salaries

Are you demanding what you are worth or are you leaving it up to someone else to determine that for you?  How many times do we leave money on the table because we arent skilled in the art of negotiating and/or advocating for ourselves.

Sometimes this is because we want to maintain the relationship with the other party but at the same time shirking the duty to ourselves to make sure we get what we want and need in a salary appropriate for the time, hard work and education you bring to the table.

Don’t let Susan who is fresh out of college command a higher salary than you simply because she asked for it.  Women don’t ask for what they need and sometimes wait for it to be given.

Here’s a tip-ASK!

This was an unusually busy weekend, but I don’t think we could have asked for a better one.

Friday night, the Girls Just Wanna Have Funds Meetup had their first happy hour in DC at Zengos.  Unfortunately, it will our last trip there as the customer service was horrible and many members have vowed never to go back.  Still, we had a great time, I almost want to say we didn’t want to leave.  I like being able to connect with new people in DC who share the same goals and ideals.  We laughed through the nonsense going on with the staff there at Zengos, but I’ve written a letter to their Corporate offices in hopes that they will be able to get a handle on how the staff there treats paying customers.  Here are some pictures:

We then traveled to NYC early Saturday morning to hang out with family and my husband’s fraternity annual BBQ.  For those familiar with BGLO’s, Omega Psi Phi.  As usual they put on a great show for us GDI’s and we took pictures for them and uploaded video.  They get together like this once a year so when they ALL converge, you might as well sit back and watch the show.

We then drove back to DC for the annual Jamaican concert down on Constitution Avenue today.  We ate, hung out and listened to the band play and carry on with the usual antics.  I’m surprised we weren’t too tired after driving six hours but hey, fun times!

Einstein and I hung out for a bit, great minds think alike, what can I say

Now we’re home relaxing on the sofa, vegging out in front of the TV.  Don’t worry, it’s lights out for me pretty soon.  Scotch missed his daddywaddy

In the mean time, please check out some of the posts from my fellow PF Bloggers:

$4 ice cream cone - frugal or not? @ Living Almost Large

*snicker*  I will confess that I have a serious love affair going on with Maggie Moos and their Mooberry flavor.  At least once a week I head over th Pentagon Row and treat myself to sushi and ice-cream with my girlfriend.  Not sure Im ready to let that go either because, well, I like it.  It’s one of the few things that gets me through the week.  So sushi and ice-cream it is.  I realize it’s not frugal though because as LAL puts it, you can really buy a tu of ice cream from t he supermarket for the same money.  But there’s something about hanging out with the girls, chatting it up over sushi knowing that a large double scoop of Maggie Moos Mooberry is coming up.  I know I know :-)  The first step is admitting you have a problem and I know I do

What does your bank statement say about you? @ Wide Open Wallet

Interesting take as I’ve never quite thought of it from this angle.  Ours would probably say that we need to trim the summer fat!  Maggie Moos, $650 grocery bill (thanks to Yodlee for showing that on the monthly report!), Nine West…ZipCar…well you get the point…  But we’re back on track as of August.

We’re On a Rollercoaster Ride!

When I read this I kept nodding my head because I can totally relate.  Our property taxes went up which increased our overall mortgage payment, the bank screwed up on the escrow so they took the extra payment due to them unexpectedly, car repairs, Zipcar rental, random trips to the grocery store totaling $600+, travelling to NYC to meet with Meetup HQ and the list goes on and on.  Thankfully, we weathered that storm and now have a budgt back in place.

Can you really help someone?

Sometimes I think it’s best to show someone how to “fish” and then leave them to sink or swim.  Most recently I learned that it’s best to let people work out their own financial situations because in the end, they are the only ones who can fix it.  You can lend money, you can give advice and you can even try to help them out directly by retooling their budget, but if they are more concerned with keeping up appearances then there’s nothing you can do.

7 Ways Students Ruin Their Credit @ Master Your Card

Good information for those just getting started in the real of credit.  Boy do I wish this information was around when I started college.

How was your weekend?

What are your rights with regards to Realtor representation agreements? Did you sign a buyer representation agreement? A seller representation agreement? If so, or if you’re considering it, this article is for you.

When we started the process of buying our home last year we went were forced to fire one and quickly find another.  But before doing so we were faced with the issue of terminating the first agreement and making sure there were no continuing obligations with the broker as most agreements are really signed with the brokerage and not the Realtors themselves.

Realtor representation agreements are legally binding agreements which inform the buyer and agent of their rights and responsibilities to each other while engaged in a contract for services. This is known as agency The buyer grants the Realtor agency and the Realtor provides a service within the bounds of the agreement. However, every agreement doesn’t always end in a happy purchase or sale of a home. Sellers and Buyers may choose to terminate agreements for a myriad of reasons. Whatever the reasons, make sure that you read the fine print before signing the dotted line.

Let’s reiterate: READ THE FINE PRINT.

How To Cancel Your Realtor Agreement

This should typically be done in writing, not over the phone and not via email. If you do cancel your agreement via email, please be sure that you get confirmation and acknowledgment via email (or snail mail) of the Realtor’s response and plans to terminate your contract moving forward. In some cases, your agreement is with the broker of the company your Realtor works for and you will need to make sure that the broker has agreed to cancel the agreement at your request. You will need to obtain proof of this as well.

We live in a litigious society and you need to make sure you have concrete proof of said cancellation, receipt confirmation and acknowledgments by broker and Realtor that they will release you from the agreement and discussion of any potentials penalties for cancellation.

Your Rights

Read the fine print before signing any agreement as this is typically not done until something happens and the buyer or seller need to cancel the agreement. Does your agreement permit you to cancel within a certain time frame with no penalty? What about Realtor compensation upon cancellation?

Legally a Realtor cannot continue to represent you once you have terminated agency; however this does not prevent them from holding you to penalties per the contract you signed.

This may include:

• Compensation fee
• Commission for the sale of the home said Realtor accompanied you on a showing or open house or a home said Realtor presented to you

Recourse Upon Difficulty Exiting The Contract

• Contact the broker
  
  • Most brokers are more than happy to discuss the situation with you and offer you another Realtor within the company or simply terminate the contract. After all, bad news spreads like wildfire and they would rather have your business or release you from the contract without issue
• Local Real Estate Board for clarification and/or complaint
  
  • If your broker (for whatever reason) refuses to release you from the contract then your next recourse may be to discuss the situation with your local real estate board for clarification on your rights and/or to make a complaint.
• Real Estate Attorney
  • When all else fails, consult with a real estate attorney

Contracts can be tricky, again read the fine print and understand each point within the contract as buying and/or selling a home is a large and important transaction. You’ll want to make sure it goes as smooth as possible.

I came across two books this week:  Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide and Seducing the Boys Club: Uncensored Tactics from a Woman at the Top.  They reflect my thoughts around women and how we can get what we want while negotiating with members of the “boys club”.

Negotiating things like salary, time off, flexible work schedule and vacation leave shouldn’t be like a trip to the dentist, but it is for some women.  This is while men walk into such situations thinking of it as a “game” on which they are intent on winning.

So why do we shirk our power, hand it over nicely in hopes that we will get what we want?  After all, many female corporate executives will tell you that glass ceilings are very much in place and there is still work to be done to shatter them.  Here’s why I think we tend to shirl our power:

Disclaimer:  This does not apply to all women.  If you’re an Alpha woman that gets what she wants, great, if not read on!

We aren’t taught to think highly of our talents or abilities

• Ellen, senior partner at a law firm:“[My father told me], ‘Honey, you know you can’t act like a tiger. You have to act like a kitten.’”

Ask a woman before going in for a salary review about the feelings she has about asking for more money even when she deserves it.  She will probably tell you that she’s thought over and over whether or not the money she is asking for is too much or if she is worth the increase in salary.  Feelings of unworthiness come over her as she approaches her boss’s desk to sit down and she reviews in her mind the questions she can expect and just how she will word the request.

Tip:  Employers don’t know your value unless you tell them.  That’s right, it is up to you to tell them.  Which employer wants to give you more money than you expect?  Very few.  If your expectations are low, then the outcome will be low.  Get what you want by laying down the law.  Based on your education, experience and achievements in the present position articulate why you deserve a raise and do so in a frank manner.  Be confident and know your worth. 

We were raised to be nice, never demanding

• Susannah, political strategist: “I just feel so guilty. I worry that I’m putting them in a difficult situation, especially if I’m asking for something that I think will be hard for them to give to me.“
• Eleanor, literature professor and biographer: “When it came down to it, I backed down because I didn’t want [my editor] to hate me.”
• Becky, a journalist: “When I go into a negotiation . . . I think about maintaining that relationship before I think about my own [needs] really.”

I can’t relate much to this because my mother was the complete opposite.  She goes through life demanding what she wants and most of the time the woman gets it and I love her for instilling that fire in me.  However, many of my friends and I know other readers don’t share this sentiment as they were raised to take whatever an employer or life gave them.  I am not saying that women should be nasty and obnoxious b*tches, but what I am saying is that we need to get on the same playing field with men as far as understanding our worth, especially in the workplace where salary is concerned.  We are often taught to maintain the relationship, putting that before our own needs which speaks to our ability to be nurturers.  We can do that but less of it in the game of the workplace.

A reader wrote:

I had my first taste of gender discrimination a few weeks ago.  My husband and I have the same degree within IT and similar experience and backgrounds.  We both interviewed for a position and he was offered $20k more than I was for the same position.  Of course, when the interviewer put the numbers on the table I was shocked, so blown away that they would offer me significantly less for the exact same position they offered my spouse that I walked away.  In hindsight I should have demonstrated why I deserved more but even then I was planning to ask for $10k more, not at least the $20k that my spouse was offered, uugghhh!

How many times does this happen?  Often.  And we walk away doubting out abilities when in fact we have all the right tools to get what we want and be successful, we just need to learn how to use them.

Tip:  Join sites like The Vault and talk to others in your niche or area.  Former employees often share sage advice on topics like interviewing, salary expectations, work climate and opportunities for advancement.

We Think That We Will Get What We Deserve By Working Hard

• Stephanie, administrative assistant: “I tend to think people are pretty fair, so maybe I’m too trusting and expect that I’m getting what I deserve in that I work really hard.”

Newsflash!  Life is game and it is all about how you play it.  Successful women will tell you that it is all about working hard, yes, but they will tel you that laying out a game plan from day 1 is key to getting to the top.  We all know about backstabbing co workers, narcissistic bosses, snitching secretaries,  apathetic CEOs and add to that women who expect to get to the top relying of these list of characters.  Start over.

Tip:  Devise a plan on day 1.  Get to know the personalities in your office, determine how you can be what they need how and determine how to make yourself irreplaceable.  Hard work is a noble worth ethic but playing the game is one not often taught to women in schools or in life by our parents or peers.

We Shirk Our Power By  Leaving The Outcome Up To The Subjective Whims Of Others

• Christine, investment banker: “I think it’s up to the people that you work for . . . to identify [superior work] and keep current with what’s in the industry.”
• Joan, magazine editor: “I was so naïve and clueless, and I just had never really made a lot of money in my life, and I didn’t need a lot of money, so what I asked for seemed like a lot of money. And it was just not a lot of money.”

Why do we do this?  My thoughts are that we are rarely taught to get what we not only need, but want for ourselves.  Sure, we can command a decent salary, but an even larger salary would enable us to save aggressively for a home or build savings but we accept a lower salary because we leave it up to others to define out net worth.  I say net worth because when we walk out of a salary review without advocating for ourselves, we leave it up to others to determine how much we are worth.  And often times, they determine the quality of life which is determine in part by the money we make and and what we do with it.

Tip:  Know your worth.  your employer won’t have enough confidence in you to give you a raise with more responsibility if you aren’t perceived as someone who can advocate for themselves.

While the aforementioned doesn’t represent all women, it does represent a significant sector of our population.  Challenge yourselves to dance on the glass ceiling, take a swing at it and know that you deserve everything that you want out o f your career and in life.

Have you had similar challenges in asking for what you want?

Image Credit

Dear Soledad,

I’d like to thank you for the time and effort put into researching and producing CNN’s Black In America.  After looking at the various segments, I can tell you spent much time with the interviewees getting to know their stories, understanding their issues and perhaps giving others ignorant of the plight of this segment of the population a sobering view of what it is like for some blacks in America.

However, as a Afro-Caribbean woman myself, I couldn’t help but feel slighted by the glaring fact that this documentary is clearly one-sided.  I will admit to being excited and filled with all sorts of great expectations about what new information this documentary would bring.  Sadly, it did nothing to bring to light any new information not already shared by AAs such as myself or my general peer group.

You see, many of us are educated, hold jobs, have not only a college degree, but multiple degrees and are married to men who aren’t running the streets and *gasp* play an integral role in the lives of their children!  In fact, our husbands and partners are able to navigate the system moving smoothly from one position to another without the feeling that they are akin to a white man with a criminal record when looking for a job.  We are also women who do not value having children out of wedlock as your documentary would like to have the rest of America believe, most of us do value the tradition of family and a two parent household when possible.

CNN’s Black In America lacked dimension in telling the stories of African Americans who do have stable marriages, value education as a core function of their legacy, work hard for what they want in life while teaching their children the value of living a life free of drugs and incarceration.

I can only imagine the questions and the stares I will get as one of few black women in my graduate class.  Will I have to battle questions which the documentary left unanswered?  You see, the questions left unanswered will be fielded by women such as myself who do not live such a reality.  Imagine the questions by my white counterparts?  The images displayed all around American households are not representative of our experience, it is representative of the experience a segment of the population.  The documentary should have been titled Poor, With No Hope: Black In America.

Why aren’t hard working middle class families portrayed just as in depth as the high school drop outs?  Where are the interviews with multiple AA couples who have been married for years  or perhaps more than a generation and what that means for the younger AAs looking to them for guidance as they take the trip down the aisle?  Your documentary gave black women little hope and/or options for happiness.  They are left with the option of marrying a man of another race or growing old and alone with no partner to call her own.  After all, they are less likely to get married because many of our men are in jail, high school drop outs or lack the ability to make a solid commitment.  Yet, there’s the 55% of black women who are married and 50% of them who do stay married for the long haul.

Where are the interviews with that segment of the population?  With the rise of the first viable AA presidential candidate, one would think this would be an important time to cast a positive image of Black America, not reinforce the plethora of negative stereotypes already out there which supports what we all already know.  Even then, what answers do we have for the segment of our population that are downtrodden?  I understand this is a plight of my people and we will have to figure this out some way, but in the mean time, a follow up documentary is needed.  One that celebrates the triumphs of those who did not fall prey to drugs, welfare, absentee fathers or incarceration.   One that discusses their struggles of shaking off the constant portrayals of blacks in America as poor, lacking education, drug infested and having a perennial presence in the revolving doors of of the criminal justice system.

Where is that story? 

It’s time that large networks like CNN and journalists such as yourself take responsibility for the information disseminated in American households.  If you’re going to tell our story, then make a sincere effort to tell all sides.  Not the the side that makes for a salacious documentary which garners historical ratings; it is both irresponsible and frankly standard in America today.  Because, being black in America means for most of us being bombarded with dismal statistics about our race leaving us with little hope for change or solutions for the problems we face today.  The challenge for CNN would have been to take this time to celebrate the leaps and bounds we have made as a race in spite of the downtrodden stories.

Your documentary has been told by many a news network and sadly, it’s nothing new.

Respectfully Yours

Ginger - Girls Just Wanna Have Funds

photo credit: alessandro pucci

Miranda Marquit is an editor for debt consolidation for DestroyDebt.com. 
A couple of years ago, I knew a woman whose husband died. When it happened, she was completely lost. She had no college education, no marketable skills and no money sense (her husband handled all the money). I have thought about the important of education since then, especially as it relates to women. In order to be financially prepared for life, it is vital that you have an education.

Formal schooling

You don’t have to get a college education, but you should have some sort of formal schooling. Whether you get a degree or if you decide to go to a technical college and learn a marketable skill, it is important to have some sort of formal education beyond high school. It increases your earning power (something that is beneficial for gals with out life partners), and makes you more marketable. You can land a better job, and enjoy better pay when you have some sort of formally recognized skill or degree.

It is also important to continue your education. Even if you are not working right now, keep up with certifications. You never know when it might become necessary to enter the workforce. Additionally, if your work provides incentives for your further your skills and education, you should take advantage of the opportunity.

Financial education

I am constantly surprised by the number of women who do not have a solid financial education and foundation. Single (and married) women who do not understand finances can be taken advantage of by the unscrupulous givers of bad advice. Married women can find themselves divorced or widowed with no way of handling the money and a severe need to be brought up to speed. Additionally, women with life partners should be aware of how the other person is spending money, and included in decisions. In order to provide helpful and useful input when managing family finances, women should have at least a basic understanding of money and finances.

Not only can a good financial education help you when tragedy strikes, it can also help you live a better life in general. If you learn how investing works, you can make choices that let you grow your money. Women should take the time to learn about different financial vehicles, and become educated about various aspects of financial planning and management.

There are still segments of our society that believe that education is not important for women.  Fortunately, they couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Education is more important for women than ever. It is the only way we can compete, succeed and thrive in today’s world.

This month the PF Bloggers are writing about Family Finance History in our monthly writing project.

Looking back I would say that my immediate family has been pretty responsible with money.  My mom was and is an avid saver and actually bought her home with 20% down a few years ago in NYC.  Yah, the responsible one :-)  My dad was definitely the frugal one in the bunch and never failed to sit me down in the dairy aisle explaining to me why Kraft sliced cheese wasn’t worth the extra money.  I’ll never forget the day he sat me down in the aisle comparing ingredients and showing me that its all the same except for the packaging.  Neat right?  One of my favorite memories.

My uncle, I’m not too sure about.  He does own a 2 million dollar home but has waded in and out of credit card debt and likes expensive toys.  I reckon he must be able to afford it since he is currently debt free with the exception of his mortgage.  I have a date to pick his brain about his latest strategy needless to say. 

Now, I do have family from the country who just think money grows on trees.  They don’t really want to work for it, get and education to learn how to use it or take lessons from others on how to spend it.  I and other members of my family who live here in the States just get multiple phone calls asking for money at least once a month.  I’ve cut off a few cousins and told them not to call me anymore after burning through a wad of cash on my last visit.

That mentality is what drives me today.  I don’t want to be broke and dependent on anyone for money to survive or put food on the table.  I am not sure what enables one set of kids to think differently about money when they were all raised under the same roof but my mom has a totally different approach to money and how it operates in her life than do her siblings.  Much like my brother and I.  Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I am motivated by money and Im thinking constantly on ho to make more of it because I want to live a life with the only limits being those I impost upon myself.  My brother on the other hand is complacent with his relationship with money.  Mostly because he has yet to implement the tools given to him by our parents and lil ole me!

My current relationship with money as a young twenty something is shaped mainly because of how my mother made sure to save at least 40% of her take home pay.  My dad being uber frugal and knowing where his money went.  I’ve seen my  mom save for big ticket items and be miserly and dare I say cheap on smaller items.  I’ve always admired her respect for money and never making it her master and while I have a ways to go with that, it’s taught me serious lessons about money.  but my less then fortunate family drives my money mentality as well, I can’t imagine being dependent on others simply because I refuse to learn for  myself.  In looking at my past and family histoory with money I can clearly see how its shaped who I am financially today.

What’s your family history with money?  Have you learned any important lessons?

I was also surprised to find that Meetup.com sent me nice box of chocolates along with a card congratulating me on the interview. When I saw that the box came from them I got kinda mushy inside because I admit that I like to be recognized for good work and I feel as though they really appreciate the Meetup we have on their site. So while the interview was totally awesome, as were the others, taking the time to send a gift with a personalized note really meant alot to me.

Yah I go for stuff like that! LOL!

Here are pics of the package:

I was also named Meet.com Organizer of the Week! Check out the interview here:

HQ Blog

Ginger - Meetup Organizer of the Week - July 9, 2008

This week we’re in the Capitol City with a super Organizer who has taken her personal financial debacle and turned it into a thriving network of women on the path of positive cash-flow.

Her Meetup has garnered national media attention over its four years on Meetup.com along with her companion blog, Girls Just Wanna Have Funds.

Without further ado, its my pleasure to introduce you to our Meetup Organizer of the Week for July 9, 2008, Ginger and her Meetup group, Girls Just Wanna Have Funds

“I want women to know that they can indeed be in control of their money and know that it just shouldn’t be left up to Prince Charming to come in and save the day.  We are here to break financial ceilings, and we’re doing it one stiletto at a time!”

- Ginger Borgella

Thanks, Ginger!

I love the honesty and flat-out candid analysis of your life on your blog, “Girls Just Wanna Have Funds”.  Which came first, the blog or the Meetup?
Thank you!    I love the honesty of our members and we encourage that because it removes the shame and secrecy behind our individual financial situations.  The blog came before the Meetup.  GirlsJustWannaHaveFunds.com existed before the Meetup site.  I figured that it would be great to be able to connect with other women who wanted to take control of their money, but maybe weren’t certain just how to do that.  I’ve been a member of Meetup now for about 4 years and so it was the natural choice for a group like ours.

Has your Meetup group helped solidify the sense of community you sought during your odyssey for financial solvency?
Yes, indeed it has!  I’ve been able to connect with women of all walks of life through this Meetup.  We are really supportive of one another and keep each other accountable while teaching each other how to save money, especially now.  We’ve shared information on coupon books, how to keep the electric bill down, debt reduction strategies, debt reduction/budgeting spreadsheets etc etc.  I’m especially happy that every woman in our group is an expert on something they’ve done with regards to their money and in having Meetup.com as a platform we’re able to share and support in different areas.

“Girls Just Wanna Have Funds” has received a fair amount of national media exposure (WSJ, GMA and NBC Nightly News) how did this come about and what kind of results have you seen in the membership or interest in your blog/Meetup.
We’ve also been featured on the Weekend Today Show and Fox News DC- WTTG!  With the last airing we had a surge in membership on Meetup.com and I have received quite a bit of reader mail from other women all over the country in the same position as we are here in DC.   So the national exposure has been helpful and overwhelming at times because now more than ever I realize that this isn’t just about our group here in DC, but there are women all over our country that want help with their finances but don’t know where to start.  While I am not a financial adviser and in debt myself I want to be able to share resources because we are all on the same journey.  So the results have been nothing but positive and I welcome the possibility of expanding to different areas as we move forward.

As a successful Organizer, what three tips would you suggest to a new or struggling Organizer?
1.  Connect with your members  via email, message board or better yet, an off topic happy hour.  People want to know that their leader is just like them and here’s a secret, they want to be just like you-but want to know that you’re just like them.  So being aloof and distant doesn’t work if you’re in the business of being a Meetup Organizer, you have to be able to connect with your members and be truly invested in their success.

2.  Invest in your members.  Take the time to respond to their emails and give helpful and useful information when possible.  You don’t have to be an expert on your topic or Meetup purpose but I believe that when you invest in others, they will invest in you as well.  People can tell the difference between an organizer who is there and one who is involved.

3.  Last but not least-get in tune with the direction of where your members want to go.  We have varied needs in our Meetup and I am working to address those interested in not only debt reduction, but saving, investing, frugality, stocks/mutual funds, retirement and homeownership.  I make sure to listen to their concerns because after all they drive the success of the Meetup and without them this Meetup wouldn’t be as successful as it has been.  So if they say jump, I’ll probably say “when and where?!”  LOL!

How do you find the topics and speakers for your extremely well-attended events?
Well our membership is pretty vocal with me around what they’d like to see and again they say jump I ask “when and where!?’  So if they want a topic on retirement planning I start planning Meetups around that.  If there’s a need for saving money and investing then we plan Meetups around those topics as well.  I’m pretty in tuned with their needs as a whole so I wouldn’t plan a Meetup around real estate investing when most members are struggling with crippling student loan debt or needing to learn how to create a budget.   Baby steps!!!  This is more about them than it is about me.

Thus far we have been fortunate to have Velma Colfack be our speaker on a wide variety of topics and that has worked well.  As we move forward I will be asking members who are experts in certain areas for example, Coupon Queens, Saving Divas etc etc present at a Meetup sharing their tips and advice in this area.

Through this entire experience, what changes or enhancements have you noticed as a result in yourself?
I am working to remain cognizant around my financial situation because I have a rather large group to keep me accountable.  I’m not some personal finance guru touting a new book, but I’m just like my Meetup members so I try to be as good with my money as I implore them to be daily.  I also want to share every piece of good information I get because my motto is “Each One Teach One” and if I have it then I want you to have it as well.  So if I know something would be helpful then I’m more than willing to share that with the group.

What are your hopes for the future of “Girls Just Wanna Have Funds”?
Oh wow, huge!  I can’t share everything in the works just yet but ultimately, my goal is to end up one day on the same stage as Oprah, Tyra Banks and Suze Orman along with the backing of a prominent financial planning organization who’d donate their services to Meetup groups via a Certified Financial Planner in every state while a national bank gives our members a savings rate of 5-6% or more for at least 1-2 years.  So, not much! 

I want women to know that they can indeed be in control of their money and know that it just shouldn’t be left up to prince charming to come in and save the day.  We are here to break financial ceilings, and we’re doing it one stiletto at a time!

Please believe me when I say that none of this is possible without my wonderful readers and Meetup participants. Thank you all for making the meetup and thie blog what it is today in 6-7 months! I’ve learned so much from each of you and I hope to continue on through the year with even bigger things in the works!